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Date of these obituaries: 01-28-2003
G. 'Hoss' Kramer, ran construction crews
His name is not on any of them, but George William "Hoss" Kramer left a legacy in the many buildings in the tri-state his construction crews helped build.
In a long career as a superintendent with H.W. Miller Construction and then Klensch Construction Co., Mr. Kramer worked on such buildings as the old Erlanger public library, St. John's Orphanage (now the Diocesan Children's Home) in Fort Mitchell, St. Charles Care Center and Lodge in Covington and the Lebanon, Ohio, Correctional Institution.
"He knew his stuff, and he was well-known in the commercial construction business around here, " said his daughter, Judith K. Davis, of Richmond, Va.
Mr. Kramer, of Taylor Mill, died in his sleep Sunday at the Baptist Convalescent Center in Newport. He was 86.
Another legacy of his career was his nickname.
"He was known as a fair man who wanted to get things done and done directly, " said Davis. "One day on the job, he had a young worker who wasn't moving fast enough for him, so he said, 'Com'on, Hoss, let's get that done.' The worker said 'OK, Hoss, ' and my dad was 'Hoss' for good after that."
Mr. Kramer, who was a union carpenter, applied his skills to his own home. With his wife, two daughters and whatever friends he could recruit as his crew, he built a new house for his family in Taylor Mill.
"We all hung sheet rock and nailed nails where he'd let us, " said Davis. "He did everything except the plaster, the brick, the electricity and the plumbing."
Mr. Kramer was a World War II Navy veteran who witnessed the signing of the peace treaty with Japan on the deck of the USS Missouri from a vantage point on the bridge of the USS Hambleton, a destroyer moored alongside the battleship.
"He served four years in Europe and the Pacific, " Davis said. "He used to like to say he'd been to the Casbah, and 'it's not anywhere you'd want to go.' That was because it had sewage running down the street."
Mr. Kramer, who worked as an assistant golf pro in Miami Beach as a young man, returned to the game after retiring in 1981. He was a member at Twin Oaks Golf Club and his reminiscences were used in compiling the club's history."He was a great person for detail, " said Davis. "He delighted in finding obscure facts. And he probably told the corniest jokes of anyone I ever knew."
He was a member of Latonia Baptist Church. A son, Dennis William Kramer, died in 1952.
Other survivors include his wife, E. Kathryn Abbott Kramer; another daughter, Cynthia A. Peters of Cincinnati; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens chapel, Taylor Mill, with an honor guard service to follow. Burial will be in Floral Hills Memorial Gardens. Memorials are suggested to Latonia Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 15103, Covington, Ky. 41015. Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia, is handling arrangements.
Charlotte Branch, 83, of Latonia, died at 11:55 a.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington.
She was a homemaker. Her husband, Earl Branch, died in 1994.
Survivors include her daughters, Earlene Summitt of Indianapolis, Ind., Charlene Laffin of Dallas, Texas, and Rose Marie Samuel of Latonia; sons, Earl Branch Jr. of Fort Thomas, Mike Branch of Newark, Ohio, William Branch of Erlanger and Rick Branch of Indianapolis; a sister, Mary Babines of Indianapolis; 33 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Benedict Church, Covington. Visitation will be from 9 to 10:45 a.m. Thursday at Catchen Funeral Home, Covington. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas.
Florence Elizabeth Burns, 92, of Tipton, Ind., formerly of Covington, died at 7:57 p.m. Sunday at Methodist Hospital, Indianapolis. She was a homemaker. Her husband, Jack Burns, died in 1979.
Survivors include sons, Irvene Burns of Bloomington, Ind., and Gary Lee Burns of Covington; daughters, Gloria Jean Reed of Arcadia, Ind., and Brenda Sue Blevins of Las Vegas; a brother, Larry Hensley of Union; 17 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia. Visitation will begin there at noon Wednesday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Ken Childers, 68, of Independence, died at 5:15 a.m. Monday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington. He was a retired public relations manager with Cincinnati Bell Telephone and a member of Bradford Lodge No. 123 F&AM, Independence.
Survivors include his wife, Mollyann England Childers; sons, Jeff Childers and Adam Childers, both of Independence; a brother, Jack Childers of Lexington; a sister, Sharon Gabbart of Williamstown; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Independence.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Burial will be in Independence Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Eric David Davidson, 31, of Bethel, Ohio, formerly of Northern Kentucky, died at noon Saturday at his home.
Survivors include his parents, Ted Davidson of Covington and Elaine Davidson of Paducah; brothers, Joe Davidson of Bethel, Scot Davidson of Escondido, Calif., Tracy L. Garnett and Jeffrey Garnett, both of Ludlow; and grandparents, Virgil and Barbara Jacobs of Shelby County, and Margaret Cook of Paducah.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Catchen Funeral Home, Elsmere. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Adaline Lindsey Druck, 96, of Loveland, Ohio, formerly of Newport, died Friday at Lodge Care Center, Loveland. She was a retired office manager with Henry H. Lindsey Accountants and a member of Caledonian Society and First Church of Christ Scientists, Newport.
Survivors include a daughter, Alice L. Kueckels of Cincinnati; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Thursday at Radel Funeral Home, Highland Heights. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Thursday.
Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Memorials are suggested to First Church of Christ Scientists, 639 Nelson Place, Newport, Ky. 41071.
Nora Elizabeth Ducker, 83, of Covington, died Friday at her home. She was a homemaker and a volunteer with St. Elizabeth Medical Center North gift shop in Covington.
Her husband, Woodrow Ducker, died in 1983.
A son, David Ducker, died in 2002.
Survivors include a son, John Ducker of Owenton, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Wednesday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Carolyn Ernst, 87, of Covington, died at 3 a.m. Saturday at Villaspring Health Care Center, Erlanger. She was a retired seamstress with Mack Shirt Co., Cincinnati. Her husband, Stanley Ernst, died in 1968.
Survivors include a sister, Helen Koors of Florence, nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. John Church, Covington. Burial will be in St. John Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice. Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington, is handling arrangements.
John A. Gilene, 44, of Cold Spring, died Saturday at University Hospital, Cincinnati. He was disabled.
Survivors include his wife, Mahala Gilene; a daughter, Erica Perry of Latonia; stepdaughters, Tracy Winger of Newport and Caroline Hughes of South Carolina; stepsons, Mark Spicer of Newport, David Smith of Cold Spring and Daniel Smith of Japan; his mother, Pauline Milford of Cincinnati; a sister, Mary Metz of Cincinnati; a brother, Jackie Milford of Cincinnati; and a grandchild.
Services will be at 8 p.m. Thursday at Radel Funeral Home, Highland Heights. Visitation will begin there at 5 p.m. Thursday. Cremation will be at Radel Funeral Home & Crematory, Cincinnati. Memorials are suggested to Kentucky Motorcyclists Association, P.O. Box 17407 Louisville, Ky. 40217.
Mary F. Harrison, 73, of Williamstown, died Saturday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center Grant County, Williamstown. She was a nurse's aide with Lakeside Place Nursing Home, Highland Heights.
Survivors include her husband, Harold Edward Harrison; a daughter, Patsy Marie King of Williamstown; two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Elliston-Stanley Funeral Home, Williamstown. Visitation will begin there at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Falmouth.
Ottis Jenkins, 86, of Corinth, died at 9:10 a.m. Monday at his home. He was a farmer and a member of Stonewall First Church of God, Sadieville. He was a deacon and member of the board of trustees of the church. His wife, Sylvia Mae Jenkins, died in 1982.
Survivors include daughters, Thelma Jean Martin of Hesler, Hazel McMillian of Corinth and Anita Charlene Jenkins of Corinth; a sister, Theola Fryman of Union; brothers, Elbert F. Jenkins and James E. Jenkins, both of Corinth, and Avery L. Jenkins of Sadieville; four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Stonewall First Church of God, Owenton. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Rogers-McDaniel Funeral Home, Corinth, and from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday at the church. Burial will be in Corinth Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Stonewall First Church of God, in care of Thelma Martin, 5350 Georgetown Road, Owenton, Ky. 40359.
Carol Larison, 65, of Kenton County died Monday at her home.
Arrangements are pending at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence.
Rebekah McCroskey, 76, of Fort Thomas, died Friday at Northern Kentucky Care and Rehabilitation Center, Highland Heights. She was a teacher with Highland High School in Fort Thomas and Indian Hill Junior High School in Cincinnati. Her husband, Leon McCroskey, preceded her in death. There are no immediate survivors.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075. Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Dorsey W. McDonald, 79, of Norwood, Ohio, died Sunday in Veterans Administration Hospital, Cincinnati. He was a roofer and sheet metal worker, a member of the Southgate VFW Post and an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Maude Adams McDonald; sons, Allen L. McDonald of Erlanger and William T. McDonald of Ludlow; a daughter, Debrah L. Kolp of St. Louis; a sister, Nondice J. Shtlern of Fenwick, W.Va.; three grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandchild.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Wilson Funeral Home, Manchester, Ohio. Visitation will begin there at noon Wednesday. Burial will be in Manchester, Ohio, Cemetery.
Anna Connett Milleck, 80, of Highland Heights, died at 12:10 p.m. Sunday at a residence in Cincinnati. She was a homemaker. Her husband, Walter J. Milleck, died in 1981.
Survivors include a daughter, Deborah Freels of Cincinnati; a son, Walter "Butch" Milleck of Fort Thomas; five grandchildren and a great-grandson.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Joseph Church, Cold Spring. Visitation will be from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Wednesday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, followed by prayers. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Cincinnati, 4310 Cooper Road, Blue Ash, Ohio 45242.
Robert Lawrence Osswald, 57, of Statesville, N.C., formerly of Highland Heights, died Saturday at his home. He was an employee of Statesville Auto Auction, was a former consultant with CMD Systems in Charlotte, N.C., was a member of Lakeside Presbyterian Church, Lakeside Park, and a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War.
Survivors include his wife, Katherine Mitchon Osswald; daughters, Christa Kelly Osswald of Dallas and Jentry Elizabeth Osswald Eck of Taylor Mill; and a brother, Thomas Osswald of Greensboro, N.C.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Forest Park Presbyterian Church, Statesville. A reception at the church will follow services. Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2A, Florence, Ky. 41042; American Heart Association, 2936 Vernon Place, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219; or American Diabetes Association, 8899 Brookside Ave., West Chester, Ohio 45069. Nicholson Funeral Home, Statesville, is handling arrangements.
Emogene King Percell, 81, of Augusta, died at 3:35 a.m. Monday at Meadowview Regional Medical Center, Maysville.
She was a homemaker.
Her husband, Thomas Percell, died in 1981. A son, George Percell, also preceded her in death.
Survivors include daughters, Nellie Linville of Maysville, Lois Sweet of Dover, Margie Saunders, Opal Reed and Linda Percell, all of Augusta; a sister, Ella Mae Curtis of Germantown; 21 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Moore and Parker Funeral Home, Augusta.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Burial will be in Mount Zion Cemetery, Augusta.
Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Ralph "Butch" Patrick Watson, 34, of Covington, died Friday at VNA Hospice House in Vero Beach, Fla., after an extended illness.
He was an auto detailer.
Survivors include daughters, Ashley Nicole Watson of Florence and Sara Watson of Cincinnati; a son, Ralph P. Watson III of Florence; his mother, Patricia Watson of Sebastian, Fla.; sisters, Robin Raiff of Sebastian and Melissa Day of Covington; brothers, Ronald Kraus of Columbus, Ohio, Steven Kraus of Orlando, Fla., and Michael Watson of Sebastian; and grandmother, Catherine Watson of Covington.
Services will be at 4 p.m. today at Thomas S. Lowther Funeral Home, Vero Beach.
Visitation will begin there at 3 p.m.
Memorials are suggested to VNA Hospice of Indian River County, 1111 36th St., Vero Beach, Fla. 32860.
