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Date of these obituaries: 05-09-2003
Dr. Bernard Harmeling, 67, dentist
Dr. Bernard L. Harmeling, an Erlanger dentist and forensic odontologist who helped to identify hundreds of victims of accidents and disasters, died Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington. The Florence resident was 67.
Odontololgists identify bodies by using dental records.
Dr. Harmeling employed his expertise in that field in a number of high profile cases, including the Beverly Hills Supper Club fire in which 165 people died in 1977 and an Air Canada plane fire that killed 23 people at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 1983. He also identified the body of Covington police officer Michael Partin in 1998 about 4� months after Partin fell into the Ohio River while chasing a criminal suspect across the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge.
"It was something that he wanted to do, it was a challenge, " said Dr. Harmeling's daughter, Susan McClure of Florence. "He liked being a part of all that."
He took courses to be certified as a forensic odontologist and with his friend, Dr. Frank Wright of Cincinnati, worked in that field about 15 years, his daughter said.
Dr. Harmeling was inspired to become a dentist because of his own positive experience with a dentist when he was a young boy.
"He had a tooth ache and this dentist took care of it, " McClure said. "So he decided then that he was going to become a dentist.
He practiced for about 40 years, and treated three generations of some families.
Dr. Harmeling retired about three years ago after a recurrence of colon cancer first diagnosed in 1997. The disease metastasized in the last year and a half, McClure said.
"It was hard because he was always the take-charge guy, the one who helped everyone else, " McClure said. "Then when he got sick, he couldn't do that any more."
He was a member of Mary Queen of Heaven Church in Erlanger, the International College of Dentists, the American and Kentucky dental associations, the American and Kentucky boards of forensic odontology and Summit Hills Country Club. He was an Air Force veteran.
Other survivors include his wife, Betty Harmeling; daughters, Lisa Curry of Union, Paula Duncan of Erlanger, and Lisa Husson of Tewksbury, Mass.; sons, Gary Harmeling of Hebron, Charlie Parton of Erlanger, Greg Harmeling of Las Vegas, John Parton of Burlington and Chris Harmeling of Independence; his mother, Marie Harmeling of Fort Wright; sisters, Mary Ann Bethel of Deltona, Fla., and Elaine Updike of Florence; and 13 grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Mary Queen of Heaven Church, Erlanger. Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Mary Queen of Heaven Church, 1150 Donaldson Highway, Erlanger, Ky. 41018.
Caleb Douglas Adams, son of George Callen "Cal" and Krystal Gabhart Adams of Demossville, was stillborn Monday at University Hospital, Cincinnati.
Other survivors include his grandparents, Bobby and Kathleen Simons Gabhart of Mackville and Marjorie Wells Adams of Butler; and great-grandchildren, Delora Simons of Lexington and Ohna Adams of Cynthiana.
Services were Thursday at Riverside Cemetery, Falmouth.
Memorials are suggested to Gardnersville Baptist Church Building Fund, 3240 Highway 491 West, Demossville, Ky. 41033.
Woodhead Funeral Home, Falmouth, handled arrangements.
Charles Samuel "Sam" Beighle, 87, of Erlanger, died Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Edgewood.
He was a retired proprietor of Beighle Brothers IGAs in Walton, Dry Ridge, Carrollton and Owenton. He was a member of Gardnersville Baptist Church, Wilmington Masonic Lodge and a charter member of the IGA Grocery Association.
Survivors include his wife Martha J. Westerkamp Beighle of Erlanger; daughter, Joan K. Smith of Union; sister, Elsie Ervin of Crittenden; brothers, Ed Beighle of Williamstown, Paul Beighle of Verona, Truett Beighle of Florence and Monty Beighle of Crittenden; three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Forest Lawn Chapel, Erlanger. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Chambers & Grubbs Funeral Home, Walton. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Memorials are suggested to the National Kidney Foundation, 250 E. Liberty St., Suite 710, Louisville, Ky. 40202 or to Carroll County Ambulance Service, 750 Clay St., Carrollton, Ky. 41008.
William Michael Collier, 51, of Dallas, formerly of Independence, died Saturday at his home.
He was a marketing manager with Strand Lighting Co., Dallas, and a member of Independence Christian Church.
Survivors include his parents, William G. and "Billie" Collier of Independence; a sister, Linda Collier of Independence; and a brother, Jeff Collier of Independence.
Memorial services are private at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Independence Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to American Diabetes Foundation, 745 W. Main St., Louisville, Ky. 40202.
Chambers & Grubbs Funeral Home in Independence is in charge of arrangements.
Margaret E. Cross, 99, of May's Lick, formerly of Maysville, died Monday at Vanceburg Health Care Center. She was a member of Second Christian Church in May's Lick. She was preceded in death by her husband, Willie Cross, son Elwood Cross and daughter Susanna Young.
Survivors include seven grandchildren, several great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Palmer Funeral Home, May's Lick. Visitation will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in May's Lick Cemetery.
Loretta B. Ling, 88, of Fort Thomas, died at 4:25 p.m. Wednesday at Carmel Manor Nursing Home, Fort Thomas.
She was a retired owner of Ling's Bakery in Dayton, and a member of the Over 55 Club at St. Bernard Church in Dayton, and the Dayton and Fort Thomas homemakers clubs. Her husband, Howard R. Ling, died in 1989.
Survivors include a daughter, Flora Woellert of Cincinnati; a son, Jerry Ling of Fort Thomas; nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Bernard Church. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Memorials are suggested to St. Bernard Church, 401 Berry St., Dayton, Ky. 41074; or Carmel Manor, 100 Carmel Manor Drive, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Berttie Evelyn Engle Murphy, 70, of Florence, died Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood.
Her husband, James William Murphy Sr., and a son, James Russell "Rusty" Murphy preceded her in death. Survivors include sons, Michael James Murphy of Glencoe and James William Murphy Jr. of Union; daughters, Laura L. Tincher of Verona, Kathleen Sue Niece of Warsaw, Berttie Elizabeth Ferguson of Florence and Evelyn Kaye Murphy of Burlington; a brother, James Engle of Fort Thomas; sisters, Lydia Randall of Florence, Laura Lou Kidd of Walton, Ester Mae Schultz of Edgewood and Grace Dissinger of Latonia; 19 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Hamilton-Stanley Funeral Home, Verona. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in New Bethel Cemetery, Verona.
Rita E. Points, 79, of Falmouth, died Thursday at Grant Manor Health Care Center, Williamstown.
She was a retired farmer, factory worker and nurse aide. Her husband, Willie Points, died in 2002.
Survivors include sisters, Wynona Wasserboehr and Virginia L. Kaplan, both of Falmouth; and a brother, Lloyd Elbert Tomlin of Winchester, Ohio.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Woodhead Funeral Home, Falmouth. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Falmouth.
Memorials are suggested to American Diabetes Association, 8899 Brookside Ave., West Chester, Ohio 45069; Pendleton County Senior Citizens, 1111 Chipman St., Falmouth, Ky. 41040; or Hardin-Browning VFW Post No. 109, Falmouth, Ky. 41040.
Ronald Neal Pratt, 61, of Robertson County, died Wednesday at his residence. He was a retired mechanic and a United States Air Force veteran.
Survivors include his mother, Eleanor Amalene Ratliff Pratt Case of Maysville; sons, Ronald Ashley Pratt of North Middletown and Adam Neal Pratt of Robertson County; brothers, Roger Pratt of Midwest City, Okla. Gary Pratt of Cocoa, Fla. And Dean Pratt of Piqua; sisters, Willa Jean Pratt of Palm Bay, Fla., Valetta Pratt of Mancos, Colo. And Pamela Pratt and Caroline Penniman, both of Washington, and Janet Fontenot of Richmond; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Robertson County Funeral Home, Mt. Olivet. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Piqua Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the Robertson County Library.
Catherine M. Veatch, 75, of Bellevue, died Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. She was a child-care worker at Toddler Inn with St. Elizabeth Medical Centers.
Survivors include a brother, Norman Veatch of Bellevue, and a sister, Sandra Smith of Taylor Mill.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Robert Wellman, 70, of Pendleton County, died Tuesday at his home.
He was an employee of Conrail Systems in Cincinnati, a member of Trinity Southern Baptist Church in Falmouth and a Navy veteran of the Korean War.
Survivors include his wife, Myrtle Hitch Hodges Wellman; a stepson, Sam Hodge of Falmouth; a stepdaughter, Donna Rawlings of Alexandria; and sisters, Judy Bell and Betty Singer, both of Falmouth, and Ruby Delaney of Milford, Ohio.
Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Riverside Cemetery, Falmouth.
Memorials are suggested to American Heart Association, 1885 Dixie Highway, Suite 250, Fort Wright, Ky. 41011. Woodhead Funeral Home, Falmouth, handled arrangements.
