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Date of these obituaries: 09-13-97
Kreko Graves, former Erlanger councilman
Kreko Graves, former Erlanger City Council member who created the city's "Friendship City" logo, died at 8:35 a.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center Hospice in Covington. He was 78.
Mr. Graves was a former maintenance worker and superintendent with the Covington Housing Authority, where he forged friendships that crossed lines of culture, color and income.
"He was color-blind at a time when that could be considered unusual, " said a daughter, Gayle Holten of Independence.
"He taught us that bigotry and prejudice are wrong. He used to say, "Every man puts his pants on the same way. We're all the same.' "
Mr. Graves and his family moved to Erlanger in 1958, and he fell in love with the city. He was a past president of the Erlanger Lions Club and proudly wore a pin declaring 36 years of perfect attendance.
Mr. Graves believed in the one-to-one philanthropies for which the Lions Club is known, his daughter said.
"He was a poor man's philanthropist, " his daughter said. "He would always be for the underdog and the downtrodden."
He was a man who thoroughly enjoyed people, she said. Waiting in a doctor's office, Mr. Graves was the one who would catch the babies' eyes and coax smiles and laughter. When his children were young, he was the father their friends coveted, Mrs. Holten said.
"He was everybody's father, everybody's grandfather, " she said.
He was a member of Erlanger Christian Church and an Army veteran of World War II. He served on the Erlanger City Council from the late 1970s through 1988, when he moved to Independence to live with Mrs. Holten.
Mr. Graves had his first heart attack in 1970 and had heart-bypass surgery in the 1970s and again nine years ago.
His wife, Mary Louise Gaitskill Graves, died in August.
"They walked through life together, " Mrs. Holten said. "I believe he watched her die and knew it was nothing to be afraid of. He had not been in good health, but he had always been robust in his love of life."
Other survivors include a son, Lawrence Graves of Orlando, Fla.; another daughter, Joyce Ann Graves of Freedom, Maine; a sister, Cleo Middendorf of Cincinnati; and five grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Visitation will be there from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Burial with military honors will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
Memorials may be made to the Erlanger Lions Eyesight Fund or St. Elizabeth Hospice, 401 E. 20th St., Covington 41014.
Ann Catherine Brooks, 75, of Covington, died Thursday morning at her home.
She was a retired bookkeeper for General Electric Co., Evendale, Ohio, and was a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Lakeside Park; Mother of God prayer group; and First Lutheran Church, Cincinnati.
Survivors include several cousins.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Lakeside Park. The body will be donated to the University of Cincinnati Medical School.
Don Catchen and Son Funeral Home, Covington, is handling arrangements.
Fred Campbell, 74, of Taylor Mill, died at 4 a.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center Hospice, Covington.
He was retired switchman with L&N; Railroad and a photographer.
A member of St. Mark United Church of Christ, Latonia, he was an Army veteran of World War II and a member of American Legion Post No. 203, Latonia. He was a member of Masonic Lodge No. 746 F&AM of Covington and a member of the Scottish Rite.
His wife, Lillian H. Piper Campbell, died in 1996.
Survivors include a son, Barry E. Campbell of Wilmington, Ohio; his mother, Nancy Clark Ferman of Hamilton, Ohio; a half-brother, Earl Campbell of Arlington, Va.; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the Forest Lawn cemetery Chapel, Erlanger, with visitation from 10 a.m.
Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia, is handling arrangements.
Jean Combs, 72, of Glencoe, died Thursday at Carroll County Memorial Hospital, Carrollton.
She was a homemaker.
Her husband, Melbert Combs, died in 1994.
Survivors include daughters, Jill Sharon and Lois Carol Combs, both of Glencoe; sons, Melbert "Duke" Combs and Calvin Combs, both of Glencoe; a sister, Ruth Welch of Bedford; 13 grandchildren and 11 great- grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Carlton-Lowder Funeral Home, Warsaw, with visitation from 5 to 9 p.m. today.
Burial will be in Napoleon Cemetery.
Rachel Duvall, 91, of Wheatley, died Wednesday at St. Joseph's Hospital, Lexington.
She was a retired school teacher in Owen County. She was a member of Wheatley Baptist Church, where she also taught the Fidelis adult Sunday school class, and a member of the Wheatley Homemakers.
Survivors include a sister, Margaret McCowan of Cleveland, Ohio, and a brother, Vic Duvall of Owenton.
Services will be at 2 p.m. today at the church. Burial will be in Dallasburg Masonic Cemetery.
Tandy-Eckler-Riley Funeral Home, Carrollton, is handling arrangements.
Mildred Lee Matheis, 85, of Mason County, died Thursday at Columbia Hospital, Maysville.
She was a retired secretary for American Laundry and Machinery, Deer Park, Ohio, and a member of the Deer Park Democratic Club.
Survivors include her husband, William Matheis; a son, Bill Kachler of Mays Lick; a daughter, Rosanne Palmer of Mays Lick; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at Palmer Funeral Home, Mays Lick, with visitation from 6 to 8 p.m. today.
Burial will be in Mays Lick Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Roscoe Meece, 59, of Hebron, died Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
Arrangements are pending at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Hebron.
Joseph Neumeister, 91, of Walton, died at 12:40 p.m. Thursday at Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport.
A farmer, he was a member of the Agricultural Stabilization Conservation Service Board and the Soil Conservation Board for more than 40 years.
He was a member of First Baptist Church in Walton, where he served as deacon emeritus, trustee and Sunday school teacher.
His wife, Lucittie Neumeister, died in 1991.
Survivors include a son, David Neumeister of Walton; four randchildren; six great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the church, with visitation from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Walton.
Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Ft. Mitchell.
Memorials are suggested to the the church building fund, 46 S. Main St., Walton 41094.
Georgia Robinson,, 70, of Covington, died at 1:56 p.m. Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington.
She was a homemaker.
Her husband, Marshall Robinson, died in 1992.
Survivors include sons, Richard Robinson, Michael Robinson, Jeffrey Robinson and Thomas Robinson, all of Covington; sisters, Alice Elam of Independence and Ruth Darbro of Louisville; and five grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Latonia, with visitation from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
Richard Ryan, 76, of Walton, died Thursday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington.
He was a retired engineer with B&O; Railroad, a former Union Terminal worker and a member of All Saints Church in Walton. He also was associated with Golden Burley Tobacco Warehouse in Carrollton.
Survivors include his wife, Janada Gay Troutman Ryan; a son, Marty K. Ryan of Walton; daughters, Pamela R. Rettig of Erlanger and Danette Doggett of Edgewood; and a brother, George William "Ab" Ryan of Walton; and six grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the church, with visitation from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Walton.
Burial will be in St. Patrick Cemetery, Verona.
Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington 41014.
Ruby Katherine Scolf, 58, of Falmouth, died Friday at her home after an extended illness.
She was a retired employee for Dr. Scholl's Shoe Co., Falmouth, and a member of Falmouth Baptist Church.
Her husband, Earl Scolf, died in 1978.
Survivors include daughters, Pamela Sue Estep of Brooksville and Sherry Lynn Jenkins of Falmouth; her mother, Lettie Spence of Falmouth; brothers, Bill Spence of Falmouth and Junior Spence of Cynthiana; sisters, Juanita Ramsey and Bonita Spence, both of Falmouth; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at Woodhead Funeral Home, Falmouth, with visitation from 5 to 8 p.m. today.
Burial will be Brooksville Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the Hemophilia Foundation of Kentucky or to Hospice of Hope, 1 W. McDonald Parkway, Maysville 41056.
Dovie Slaughter, 66, of Covington, died at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington.
Arrangements are pending at Jones and Simpson Funeral Home, Covington.
Zella Mae Stone, 76, of Crestview Hills, died Thursday at Woodspoint Geriatric Care Center, Florence.
She was an assembler with Gibson Greeting Cards Co., Cincinnati, and a member of Latonia Christian Church.
Survivors include sisters, Clairine Hollis of Oakland Park, Fla., and Shirley Coleman of Cincinnati.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Erlanger, with visitation from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Rogers Funeral Home, Corinth, is handling arrangements.
Lester Charles Studer, 71, of Scottsburg, Ind., formerly of Northern Kentucky, died Thursday at his home.
He was a retired machinist at American Plastics Co. and a Navy veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Opal L. Studer of Scottsburg; a daughter, Diane Cramer of Scottsburg; sons, Donald J. Elkins of Portland, Ore., Ronald S. Elkins of Williamsburg, Va., and Benjamin Studer of Covington; brothers, Larry Studer of Cold Spring, and Alfonse Studer and John Studer, both of Highland Heights; sisters, Ruth Edwards of Cincinnati, Mary Glaser of Southgate, Louella Bertram of Cold Spring and Janet Cool of Punta Gorda, Fla.; nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Monday at Collins Funeral Home, Scottsburg, with visitation from 10 a.m.
Burial will be in Scottsburg Cemetery.
Harry William Tabeling, 80, of Southgate, died Sept. 1 at St. Luke Hospital East, Ft. Thomas.
He was a salesman for Chatfield and Woods in Norwood.
Mr. Tabeling was an Air Force veteran of World War II, and he played semi-pro baseball in the 1930s. He was a member of St. Therese Church, Southgate.
His sister, Ruth Qualantone, died in 1971. His wife, Dorothy Tabeling, died in May.
Survivors include sons, John Tabeling of Mason, Ohio, and James Tabeling of Jacksonville, Fla.; brothers, Paul Tabeling of Crestview Hills and Richard Tabeling of Edgewood; sisters, Joan Fasold of Lakeside Park, Betty Volpenhein of Harrison, Ind., and Mary Jane Schwab of Lakeside Park.
Memorial Mass will be at 10:30 a.m. Sept. 27 at the church.
The body was donated to University of Cincinnati Medical School.
