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Date of these obituaries: 12-24-2002
Geneva Butts, devoted her life to children
In most of the major causes that Geneva Butts tackled during her life, she got involved because of her children. But that devotion translated into benefits for hundreds of other families in her communities.
When she lived in Las Vegas in the 1960s, she started the St. Robert Bellarmine Guild -- equivalent to the PTA -- at Our Lady of Las Vegas School, which her children attended. She headed it for about five years as president, and by the time she stepped down, it had about 250 member families.
In the late 1990s, spurred on by her determination to provide long-term care for her daughter, Mary Ann, who has Down syndrome, she began lobbying state and federal officials for the Northern Kentucky Association of Retarded Children. Her efforts helped get legislation passed that established group homes and provided other resources in the area for handicapped people.
"She was real involved with her seven children, but to get involved with us she had to get involved in the community, " said her daughter, Pamela S. Tullis, of Fort Thomas.
Mrs. Butts, of Covington, died Sunday at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati after a lengthy illness. She was 74.
Mrs. Butts circulated petitions, buttonholed legislators and campaigned through the media in her quest to get group homes for retarded adults in Northern Kentucky. When that effort finally bore fruit and the first group home opened in Northern Kentucky, she passed on an opportunity to get her own daughter a slot there, saying it should be given to someone who needed it more, Tullis said.
"She was really dedicated to us, she gave up her whole life for her kids, " said Tullis. "She took care of my sister all these years, and she never complained about it."
Mary Ann Butts finally went to live in one of the group homes in June, about eight months after her mother was hospitalized because of a blood clot that cut off circulation to her small intestine.
Her mother battled that illness for more than a year before she finally succumbed to it, Tullis said.
"She was a fighter."
Mrs. Butts was a retired switchboard operator with CSX Railroad.
Surviving in addition to her two daughters are her husband, Robert P. Butts Sr.; sons, Robert P. Butts Jr. of Erlanger, William Butts and Raymond G. Butts, both of Newport, and Joseph E. Butts of Alexandria; another daughter, Phyllis L. Nelson of Mason, Ohio; a brother, Winfred Green of Highland Heights; a sister, Joyce Gangloff of Melbourne; 13 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11:30 a.m. Friday at St. Therese Church, Southgate. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Radel Funeral Home, Newport. Burial will be in Johns Hill Cemetery, Highland Heights. Memorials are suggested to Northern Kentucky Association of Retarded Children, 104 Pike St., Covington, Ky. 41011; or American Diabetes Association, 8899 Brookside Ave., West Chester, Ohio 45069.
June Melick Baumgarten, 77, of Bullhead, Ariz., died Thursday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington. She was a retired medical administrator.
Survivors include a son, Carl Bruce Schlabaugh of Colorado Springs, Colo.; a daughter, Kira Sue Delaney of Long Beach, Calif.; sisters, Barbara Joyce McGowan of Hemet, Calif., Judy Schmidt of Bullhead and Lorene Mollenhour of Ortonville, Mich.; a brother, Norman Melick of South Bend, Ind.; and two grandchildren.
Private services will be at the convenience of the family. Cremation will be at Cincinnati Cremation Co. Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Ludlow, is handling arrangements.
Louise A. Foltz Bree, 70, of Sarasota, Fla., formerly of Covington, died Saturday in Sarasota.
Survivors include her husband, Robert Bree; daughters, Kimberley Bree of Underdahl, Fla., and Julie Scarbrough of Sarasota; a sister, Inelda Duechle of Edgewood; a brother, Jerry Foltz of Edgewood; and 35 grandchildren.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Packer Funeral Home, Sarasota, is handling arrangements.
Robert Henry Dedden, 74, of Erlanger, died Monday at his home. He was a retired carpenter with Tom Flesch Construction Co.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara Dedden; sons, David Dedden of Sadieville and Donald Dedden of Erlanger; daughters, Bobbie Leek of Florence and Melanie Dedden of Albany, Ga.; his stepmother, Rose Dedden of Florence; brothers, Raymond Dedden of Marina, Calif., and William Dedden of Erlanger; a sister, Donna Dedden of Florence; stepbrothers, Donald Scherer of Union and Ed Brewsaugh of Florence; stepsisters, Doris Schuchart of Edgewood, Jeannie Masden of Erlanger and Delores Connelly of Bowling Green; 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Henry Church, Elsmere. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Friday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075; or St. Henry Church, 3813 Dixie Highway, Elsmere, Ky. 41018.
James William Farmer, 85, of Alexandria, died Sunday at Blue Ash Nursing Home, Cincinnati. He was a retired employee of Ford Motor Co.
Survivors include a son, Gary Farmer of Alexandria; a brother, Samuel L. Farmer of Augusta, Ga.; and a grandson.
Services will be private. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Cooper Funeral Home, Grants Lick, is handling arrangements.
Grace Lee Denham Floyd, 76, of Ludlow, died Saturday at her home. She was a retired housekeeper with Christ Hospital, Cincinnati, and an avid volunteer. Her husband, Clifford Floyd Sr., died Feb. 27. A daughter, Arnita Jackson, died in 1995.
Survivors include a son, Cliffford Floyd Jr. of Berry; sisters, Opal Martin of Liberty, Christine McLean of Cincinnati, Magdalene Wiles of Nebo, Isolene Adams of Russell Springs, Ernestine Hawes and Pauline Thompson, both of Reading, Ohio, Evelene Burton of Dry Ridge and Angeline Elliott of Hartwell, Ohio; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Ludlow. Visitation will begin there at noon Friday. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Shriners Burns Institute, 3229 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45229.
Dorothy Mae Gardiner, 90, of Ludlow, died Sunday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington.
Arrangements are pending at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow.
Christine Guy, 92, of Melbourne, died Monday at her home. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include sons, Arthur Guy of Cold Spring, Earl Fields of California, Walter Fields of Melbourne, David Guy of Charlotte, N.C., William Guy of Cattlesburg and Charles Guy of Dayton; daughters, Wilma Deaton of Southgate, Ruth Daniel of Florida, Ethel Bauer of Melbourne and Mary Bauer of Florida; 38 grandchildren, 60 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Cooper Funeral Home, Grants Lick. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery.
Margaret T. Donovan Massa, 90, of Ludlow, died at 1:24 p.m. Saturday at Hillebrand Nursing Center, Cincinnati. She was a former saleswoman with Pogues and McAlpin's department stores and a member of the former Pep Golden Girls Dance Revue. Her husband, Eugene Massa, died in 1986.
Survivors include a sister, Elizabeth McDonough of Rockville, Md., and a brother, James R. Donovan Sr. of Cincinnati.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Sts. Boniface and James Church, Ludlow. Visitation will be from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Friday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Ludlow. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Fort Mitchell.
Gladys Morgan McGill, 100, of Dillonvale, Ohio, formerly of Williamstown, died Thursday in East Galbraith Nursing Home, Cincinnati. She was a homemaker and a member of Corinth Christian Church. Her husband, Wilbur McGill, died in 1965. A daughter, Lovel McGill Bailey, also preceded her in death.
Survivors include daughters, Loraine McGill Marksberry of Dillonvale; grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Eckler-Hudson Funeral Home, Dry Ridge. Burial will be in Corinth Cemetery.
Stanley A. Meihaus Sr., 88, of Fort Mitchell, died at 11:30 p.m. Sunday at his home. He was retired from the Internal Revenue Service, where he was an assistant regional commissioner.
Survivors include his wife, Ellen Kennedy Meihaus; sons, Stanley A. Meihaus Jr. of Coldwater, Ohio, James D. Meihaus of Union, Robert J. Meihaus of Fort Mitchell and Donald E. Meihaus of Erlanger; daughters, Peggy M. Haskell of Edgewood, M. Jeane Nagle of Villa Hills and Carol M. Rasp of Fort Mitchell; 25 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Blessed Sacrament Church, Fort Mitchell. Visitation will begin there at 11:30 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to St. Charles Care Center, 500 Farrell Drive, Covington, Ky. 41011; or St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Jean Claire Mulligan, 73, of Highland Heights, died at 6:08 p.m. Friday at Northern Kentucky Care and Rehabilitation Center, Highland Heights. She was a former secretary and a member of St. Jerome Church, Cincinnati.
Survivors include a daughter, Cheryl Mulligan of Bellingham, Wash.; a son, Brian Mulligan of Indiana; and three granddaughters.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Memorials are suggested to St. Jerome Church, 5858 Kellogg Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45228. Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Cecile Louise Page, 82, of Cynthiana, died Sunday at Harrison Memorial Hospital, Cynthiana. She was a homemaker and a member of St. James AME Church in Cynthiana, where she was a trustee. She was a member of Harrison County Homemakers and Harrison County Senior Citizens. Her husband, Stanley Page; a son, Kenneth Page; and daughter, Gwendolyn Francis Page, all preceded her in death.
Survivors include sons, Lavon Page and Gary Page, both of Tucson, Ariz.; a daughter, Annetta Harshaw of Tucson; grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at St. James AME Church, Cynthiana. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Friday. Burial will be in Cherry Grove Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to St. James AME Church, 312 W. Pleasant St., Cynthiana, Ky. 41031.
Roger Martin Schweitzer, 81, of Alexandria, died at midnight Monday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was owner of Roger Schweitzer & Sons Inc., Cincinnati, a former member of the Highland Heights Optimist Club and former coach with the Campbell County Rural Knothole League Association. He was a member of Pendleton Country Club and a Navy veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Rita "Toni" Schweitzer; sons, Gerry Schweitzer and Steve Schweitzer, both of Alexandria, Paul Schweitzer of The Woodlands, Texas, and Roger Dale Schweitzer of Cincinnati; a sister, Irma Gosney of Newport; a brother, James Schweitzer of Cincinnati; nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Alexandria Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Alexandria. Memorials are suggested to St. Mary SMART Campaign, 121 W. Main St., Alexandria, Ky. 41001; or Alzheimer's Disease Association, 644 Linn St., Suite 1026, Cincinnati, Ohio 45203.
Mark J. Stockmeyer, 44, of Park Hills, died at 7:13 p.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington. He was a maintenance supervisor with Comair Airlines and a member of Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington.
Survivors include a brother, James O. Stockmeyer Jr. of Covington; and sisters, Katherine Clore of Hebron and Mary Jo "Jody" Brulport of Cold Spring.
Services will be at noon Friday at Mother of God Church, Covington. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Burial will be in St. John Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Daniel Strain, 41, of Erlanger, died at 12:40 p.m. Sunday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was disabled.
Survivors include his parents, Donna Parsons Strain of Erlanger and Robert Strain of Swartz Creek, Mich.; a brother, Doug Strain of Portland, Ore.; and sisters, Laurie Strain and Cindy Kraemer, both of Florence.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Independence, is handling arrangements.
Mae Wright, 93, of Belleair Beach, Fla., formerly of Carroll County, died Sunday at Largo, Fla., Medical Center. She was a homemaker and a member of Sanders Baptist Church. Her husband, Floyd T. Wright, died in 1979. A son, Edward, died in 1937.
Survivors include daughters, Hazel Davis of New Richmond, Ohio, Betty Pike of Belleair Beach, Fla.; sons, Joe Clay Wright of Owingsville and Floyd Wright Jr. of Singer Island, Fla.; a sister, Cassie Harrington of Cincinnati; a brother, Woodrow Arnett of Salyersville; 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Tandy-Eckler-Riley Funeral Home, Carrollton. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Ghent Masonic Cemetery.
