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Date of these obituaries: 01-15-2004
G. 'Gizmo' Morrison, 65, always had smile
Gerald Grant "Gizmo" Morrison was one of the most colorful characters in Northern Kentucky.
"He marched to the beat of a different drummer, that's for sure, " said Peter Coughlan of Fort Thomas.
"He went day to day, always had a smile on his face and kind of enjoyed life, " said Bob Arnzen of Fort Thomas.
Mr. Morrison, 65, of Fort Thomas, died Sunday at his home.
He was a greenskeeper and general botanist at Highland Country Club for the past 10 years. Mr. Morrison was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and served on the U.S.S. Rhodes.
"He had been just about everywhere in America, but he settled down in Fort Thomas, " said Arnzen. "They thought the world of him at Highland Country Club."
Mr. Morrison lived in an apartment attached to the Olde Fort Pub in Fort Thomas and was a regular there.
"The bar was kind of his family room, " said Mr. Arnzen, owner of the pub. "He became a fixture at one end of the bar. He controlled the television at that end of the bar and got to believe that was his spot.
"People could count on him being there and felt comfortable with him. Folks just knew him as 'Giz' or 'Gizmo' and had no idea of his real name, " Arnzen said.
"Giz" had a big heart, he said. "He would help people with things and help shovel snow."
Mr. Morrison didn't have a birth certificate "and was never sure of when or where he was born, " said Mr. Coughlan, an attorney who helped him with Social Security and other things that got complicated because of his lack of that document.
"He was sort of a character, but an awfully nice one, " said Coughlan.
Mr. Morrison is survived by a son, Gerald Morrison Jr. of Florence.
A memorial service is being planned at Olde Fort Pub in Fort Thomas, but a date has yet to be set. Fares J. Radel Funeral home and Crematory in Newport is handling arrangements.
Loretta L. Brown, 81, of Tarpon Springs, Fla., died Monday at Helen-Ellis Memorial Hospital, Tarpon Springs. She was a homemaker. A son, Terry A. Brown, preceded her in death.
Survivors include her husband, Joel Brown; sons, David Brown of Fort Thomas, Lawrence Brown of Cincinnati, Thomas Brown of Bellevue and Jack Smith of Alexandria; daughters, Judith Clark of Fort Thomas, Janice Spicer of Newport and Deborah Williams of Erlanger; 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at A.C. Dobbling and Son Funeral Home, Bellevue. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Memorials are suggested to University of Cincinnati Foundation, Surgery, Research and Education Fund, 231 Albert Sabin Way, Cincinnati, Ohio 45267.
Vivian Lucille Dudenhoeffer Brown, 84, of Fort Thomas, died at 4:15 a.m. Sunday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. She was a retired auditor with the Internal Revenue Service, Covington. Her husband, John C. Brown, died in 1985.
Survivors include a daughter, Joanne Campbell Walls of Fort Thomas; sons, David L. Brown of Colorado Springs and J. Robert Brown of Cincinnati; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Catherine of Siena Church, Fort Thomas. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Prayers will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas. Memorials are suggested to Carmel Manor, 100 Carmel Manor Road, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
E.J. Colwell, 45, of Jellico, Tenn., died Tuesday in Jellico. He was a disabled hotel manager and a member of West Chester, Ohio, Independent Baptist Church. His wife, Ruby Ann Colwell, preceded him in death.
Survivors include a son, Edward James "Ruddy" Colwell of Cincinnati; sisters, Sandra Forrester of Rockwood, Tenn., and Kawana Cottrell of Cincinnati; and brothers, Don Sheets of Lafayette, Wis., and Dale Colwell of Harriman, Tenn.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at McDaniel Funeral Home, Corinth. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Shiloh Cemetery, Corinth.
Helen Barton DeVan, 86, of Fort Wright, died at 9 a.m. Tuesday at her home. She was a retired English teacher with Holmes Junior High School, Covington, and a member of Madison Avenue Christian Church in Covington, Suburban Homemakers Club of Kenton County, and retired teachers associations of Kentucky and Northern Kentucky. Her husband, Orrin E. "Pudy" DeVan, died in 1987.
Survivors include a son, Rick DeVan of University Heights, Ohio; a daughter, Sylvia J. Moss of New York City; and two granddaughters.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Saturday. Entombment will be in Floral Hills Mausoleum, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to Madison Avenue Christian Church Book of Remembrance, 1530 Madison Ave., Covington, Ky. 41014.
James Lee Foster, 33, of Dayton, died Tuesday at his home. He was a deliveryman with Florence Nursery and an employee of Audon's Florist in Bellevue and Greenhouse Florists.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara Clemons Foster; stepsons, James Stockton, Richard Stockton and William Stockton, all of Dayton; a stepdaughter, Laura Stockton of Dayton; his mother, Claudeen McIntyre of Dayton; brothers, Mark Foster and Steven Foster, both of Dayton; a sister, Tonya Foster of Dayton; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 4 p.m. Sunday at A.C. Dobbling and Son Funeral Home, Bellevue. Visitation will begin there at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Rosa M. Koelsch Gieske, 90, of Crestview Hills, died at noon Wednesday at her home. She was a homemaker. Her husband, Henry G. Gieske, died in 2003.
Survivors include daughters, Rosemary Billman of Columbus, Ohio, and Angela Jolicoeur of Fort Mitchell; sons, H. Carl Gieske of Edgewood, Bernard Gieske of Bowling Green, Walter Gieske of Fort Mitchell, John Gieske of Albuquerque, Paul Gieske of Michigan, Tom Gieske of West Chester, Ohio, and Bob Gieske of Crestview Hills; sisters, Helen Kramer of Lakeside Park and Agnes Fremgen of Germany; 52 grandchildren and 52 great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Blessed Sacrament Church, Fort Mitchell. Visitation will begin there at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Henry Gieske Organ Fund, Blessed Sacrament Church, 2415 Dixie Highway, Fort Mitchell, Ky. 41017. Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington, is handling arrangements.
Tom Hester, 69, of Crittenden, died Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. He was a machine operator with Jefferson-Smurfit in Norwood, Ohio.
Survivors include his wife, Shirley Hester; a daughter, Angela Marie Lloyd of Arizona; brothers, Fred Hester of Dry Ridge, Jack Hester of Walton and Joe Hester of Crittenden; sisters, Pauline Bowman of Covington and Sally Lancaster of Crittenden; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Hamilton-Stanley Funeral Home, Verona. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in New Bethel Cemetery, Verona.
James Luhn Sr., 66, of Scipio, Ind., formerly of Carrollton, died Tuesday at his home. He was a retired employee of Arvin Gladstone Co., Columbus, Ind., and a member of St. John Church, Carrollton.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Joyce Chandler Luhn; sons, James Luhn Jr. of Worthville and Jerry Lee Luhn of Scipio; a daughter, Teresa Lynn Luhn of Fayetteville, N.C.; a brother, Richard "Dickie" Luhn of Bedford; a sister, Jo Ann Tharp of Milton; nine grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. John Church, Carrollton. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton.
Florence V. Lynne, 86, of Fort Thomas, died Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. She was a beautician with United Hospital.
Survivors include sons, Michael Lynne of Durham, N.C., and William Lynne of Fort Thomas; a daughter, Barbara Valecha of Glendale, Calif.; and nine grandchildren.
No services are planned. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at A.C. Dobbling and Son Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Memorials are suggested to Fort Thomas Dog Park, in care of city of Fort Thomas, 130 N. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Arthur W. Morgan, 71, of Covington, died Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington.
Arrangements are pending at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington.
Joseph W. "Bill" Owens, 50, of Longwood, Fla., formerly of Newport, died Dec. 31 in Longwood. He was a salesman with Dillard's department stores.
Survivors include sons, Bret Owens and Chaz Owens, both of Longwood, Fla.; daughters, Shawna Owens and Mariah Owens, both of Longwood; brothers, John Owens of Independence, Jerry Owens of Morehead, George Owens of Latonia and Tim Owens of Florence; sisters, Rosie MacCarver of Orange County, Texas, Violet Garneau of Falmouth, Linda Paynter of Cold Spring, Wanda Lawrence of Aurora, Ind., and Darlene Cullum of Newport; and two grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Newport. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Betty J. Quance, 69, of Elsmere, died at 12:25 p.m. Tuesday at her home. She was a homemaker and a member of Kento-Boo Baptist Church, Florence.
Survivors include her husband, Rev. Donald Quance; sons, Donald Quance Jr. of Cincinnati and Daniel Quance of Newburn, N.C.; a daughter, Rebecca Cebula of Newark, Del.; a brother, Robert Howie of Fort Worth, Texas; a sister, Wanda Glenn of Deniston, Texas; nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Kento-Boo Baptist Church.
Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell.
Memorials are suggested to Kento-Boo Baptist Church Building Fund, 634 Kentoboo Ave., Florence, Ky. 41042. Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Erlanger, is handling arrangements.
Betty Singer, 74, of Falmouth, died Wednesday at Grand Haven Nursing Home, Cynthiana.
Arrangements are pending at Peoples Funeral Home, Falmouth.
Wayne Smith, 36, of Ghent, died Tuesday at his home. He was a truck driver and a member of the Army Reserves.
Survivors include his wife, Debbie Smith; a son, Anthony W. Smith of Ghent; daughters, Ashley Marie Smith of Covington and Elizabeth Anne Smith of Ghent; his parents, Dick and Terry Beckett of Amelia, Ohio; brothers, David Beckett of Florence and Larry Smith of Amelia, Ohio; and sisters, Kelly Beckett of Covington and Amanda Smith of Amelia.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Hamilton-Stanley Funeral Home, Verona. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Friday.
John T. Spears, 90, of Ludlow, died Wednesday at Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport. He was the retired owner of A-1 Flooring Co., Ludlow, and an Army veteran of World War II. His wife, Ruby Watson Spears, died in 1981.
Survivors include a son, Joe Spears of Latonia; daughters, Joyce Cross of Independence, and Janet Proffitt of Burlington; a sister, Virginia Walker of Dallas; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to charity of the donor's choice.
Jean Specht, 78, of Southgate, died Tuesday at St. Charles Care Center, Covington. She was a long distance operator with AT&T;, Cincinnati, and a member of Super Seniors Club, Southgate. Her husband, Frederick William Specht, died in 1993.
Survivors include a daughter, Diane Schear of Southgate; sons, Christian Specht of Cincinnati, Fred Specht, Jim Specht and Robert Specht, all of Southgate, and Paul Specht of Grants Lick; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
No services are planned. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Southgate Community Center. Memorials are suggested to National Kidney Foundation, 250 E. Liberty St., Suite 710, Louisville, Ky. 40202. A.C. Dobbling and Son Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Diane I. Turner, 52, of Ludlow, died Wednesday at her home.
Arrangements are pending at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow.
Hilda Varnado, 96, of Walton, died Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington. She was a homemaker and a member of Order of the Eastern Star Tahquitz Chapter, California, and Walton Methodist Church.
Survivors include a son, Don Varnado of Walton; a sister, Joyce Bourgogne of New Iberia, La.; and 10 grandchildren.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati. A.C. Dobbling and Son Funeral Home, Bellevue, is handling arrangements.
Debra Wienecke-Sowders, 48, of Crittenden, died at 1:45 a.m. Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. She was a retired nurse with the hospital.
Survivors include her husband, J.D. Sowders; a son, Jessie S. Trupper of Williamstown; her mother, Lois York of Elsmere; a brother, Jamie York of Elsmere; a sister, Donna Richard of Florence; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Don Catchen and Son Funeral Home, Elsmere. Visitation will begin there at 8 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
