Search Archived Marriage Records
Date of these obituaries: 11-02-2002
Albert Klensch, managed cathedral restoration
Albert H. Klensch, founder and CEO of the construction consulting company that managed the restoration of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, died at 7:10 a.m. Thursday at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Ariz.
He was 75.
Mr. Klensch served in the Navy during World War II and went into the construction business with his older brother, Robert, forming Robert T. Klensch General Contractors. Al Klensch was vice president and took charge of the field work, said his son, Christopher G. Klensch of Edgewood.
The company specialized in commercial and industrial work.
Al Klensch married
Mary Helen Niehauser in 1953 and they had six children. A daughter, Susan Marie, died shortly after birth in 1957.
Mr. Klensch, of Crestview Hills, was a member of St. Anthony Church in Taylor Mill, where he was a lector, a member of the Holy Name Society and a longtime festival chairman. He also chaired festivals at LaSalette Academy when his daughters were students there.
He was a member of the Covington Elks, past president of Latonia Kiwanis and a member of the St. Luke Hospitals Community Foundation.
"He had the gift of giving, " said Christopher Klensch. "Giving of his time, giving of his love. He gave his total support to his family and to his community.
"There was no falseness in my father. He was respected and admired by a lot of people. He was a genuine person who believed in treating other people with respect."
In 1982, the Klensch brothers dissolved their business and Al started Klenco Construction Consulting Co. of Taylor Mill. Robert became a consultant for his younger brother.
By 1994, Al Klensch named his son Christopher president. Al remained CEO.
"He was ready to spend more time with his wonderful grandchildren who he adored, " said his daughter, Karen Riedinger of Edgewood.
He was in the stands cheering at their sporting events and encouraging them at school programs. He also carved out time to hone his golf game between meetings and consulting duties.
He was especially proud of his company's role in the restoration of the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, which will be the site of his funeral Mass.
Mr. Klensch became ill about three years ago, suffering intermittent fevers. Doctors could not discover a cause. Several times he battled pneumonia, then recovered, only to end up in the hospital again a few months later.
He went to the Mayo Clinic last month. His condition took a drastic turn a few weeks ago.
"My father was a very religious person, " said his daughter. "He never prayed for himself. In the midst of his suffering, he'd say `Thank you God for everything I have.'"
Additional survivors include his wife, Mary Helen Niehauser Klensch; sons, Albert J. Klensch of Johnson City, Tenn., and Jeffrey L. Klensch of Edgewood; another daughter, Mary Beth Butler of Louisville; brothers, Robert T. Klensch of Edgewood and Frank P. Klensch of White Oak, Ohio; sisters Ruth Scheper of Fort Wright, Helen Jones of Edgewood and Norma Hansen of Groesbeck, Ohio, and 14 grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington. Visitation will be from 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill. Burial will be in St. John Cemetery, Fort Mitchell.
Memorials are suggested to St. Luke Community Foundation, 7380 Turfway Road, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Frances Roberts Code, 90, of Crittenden, died Thursday at her home.
She was a homemaker and farmer, and a member of First Baptist Church, Walton. Her husband, Joseph Code, died in 1977. Her daughter, Frances Code, died in 1937.
Survivors include sons, Tom Code of Crittenden and Larry Walton; and a daughter, Betty Jane Roland of Oshkosh, Wis.; sisters, Bessie McLaughlin of Aurora, Ind., Alice Hale of Charlottesville, Va., and eight grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at First Baptist Church of Walton. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Walton, and at 10 a.m. Monday at the church. Burial will be in St. Patrick's Cemetery, Verona.
Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2A, Florence, Ky. 41042 or to Gideons International, N. Ky. West Camp, P.O. Box 965, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Lawrence Duddey, 73, of Latonia, died at 7:50 a.m. Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North Hospice Unit, Covington.
He was a retired machinist for Formica Corp., Cincinnati, former owner and operator of L.H. Duddey Upholstery, Covington, and a Navy veteran.
Survivors include his wife, Wanda J. Duddey; sons, Lindsey Duddey of Fort Mitchell, Robbie Duddey of Taylor Mill and Daniel Duddey of Latonia; a brother, Thomas Duddey of the state of California; sisters, Lee Elliott of Latonia and Patty Ann Wagner of Alexandria; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Anna K. Gillis, 84, of Fort Mitchell, died at 2:40 a.m. Friday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
She was a homemaker. Her first husband, Earl Furnish, died in 1966, and her second husband, Walter Gillis, died in 1988.
Survivors include her daughter, Brenda Wessling of Wilder; sons, Robert Furnish of Erlanger and Ronald Furnish of Cincinnati; sisters; Effie Paden of Newport and Frances Colston of Covington; a brother, Raymond Anderson of Florida; seven grandchildren and two great-grand- children.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to the American Diabetes Association, 8899 Brookside Ave., West Chester, Ohio 45069.
Fares J. Radel Funeral Home, Newport, is handling arrangements.
Betty Grady, 80, of Ludlow, died Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North Hospice Unit, Covington.
Arrangements are pending at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow.
Vicky Leffler, 50, of Taylor Mill, died Wednesday at her home.
Arrangements are pending at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill.
Kenny W. McCormick, 47, of Wilder, died at 2:45 p.m. Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was an Army veteran.
Survivors include his sons, Kenny McCormick Jr. and Matthew McCormick, both of Independence; a daughter, Jennifer Parks of Newport; parents, Edith and Thomas McCormick of Covington; brothers, Thomas McCormick of Bellevue and Robert McCormick of High Point, N.C.; sisters, Judith Buchanan of Dayton and Pamela Jennings of Covington; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 8 p.m. Monday at Catchen Funeral Home, Elsmere. Visitation will be from 6 p.m. until the time of services Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Hill Crest Cemetery, Dry Ridge.
Maude McNay, 74, of Walton, died Friday at her home.
Arrangements are pending at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home in Walton.
Loraine Goetz Olberding, 90, of Highland Heights, died at 7:10 p.m. Oct. 3 at Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport. She was a homemaker and a member of St. Joseph Church, Cold Spring and the St. Mary Ladies Society. Her husband, August "Gus" Olberding, died in 1970.
Survivors include daughters, Jean Franzen of Alexandria, Lynn Cheesebrew of Cincinnati and Sue Rice of Beavercreek, Ohio; a sister, Norma Freppon of Fort Thomas; a brother, Norbert Goetz of Bellevue; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Joseph Church. Visitation is from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Prayers will be at 9:30 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas.
Memorials are suggested to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 120 Wall St., 19th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10005.
Phoebe Rosalie Osborne, 83, of Fort Thomas, died Thursday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. She was a former instructor at Woodfill School, Fort Thomas, and a member of Church of God, Cold Spring. Her husband, Lewis F. Osborne, died in 1972.
Survivors include her daughter, Rebecca Banta of Rockford, Ill.; a son, Philip Osborne of Fort Thomas; a brother, William H. Colbert of Canton, Ohio; three grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Church of God. Visitation will begin at noon Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Flour Creek Cemetery, Butler.
Memorials are suggested to Galilean Children's Home, P.O. Box 880, Liberty, Ky. 42539; or Boys of the Martyrs, P.O. Box 54, Caney, Kan. 67333-9980.
Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Grace Pleiman, 88, of Fort Thomas, died at 12:41 p.m. Friday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
Arrangements are pending at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas.
Velma B. Reinersman, 77, of Covington, died at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington.
She was a homemaker and a member of Holy Cross Church, Latonia, Catholic Golden Age Club and St. Patrick's Irish Rovers.
Survivors include her husband, Vernon L. Reinersman of Covington; daughters, Elizabeth L. Turner of Florence and Mary Ann Moore and Teresa M. Moore, both of Covington; sons, Lawrence J. Reinersman of Cincinnati, Rev. Gerald L. Reinersman of Villa Hills, Steven P. Reinersman of Kilgore, Texas, William J. Reinersman of Elsmere, Paul H. Reinersman of Burlington, Thomas M. Reinersman and Kenneth E. Reinersman, both of Covington, and Mark E. Reinersman and Joseph A. Reinersman, both of Taylor Mi11; sisters, Marian Rehkamp and Delores Rogers, both of Covington; a brother, Earl Rehkamp of Covington; 25 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Holy Cross Church, Latonia. Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Conn1ey Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia. Prayers will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Entombment will be in St. Mary cemetery Mausoleum, Fort Mitchell.
Memorials are suggested to Holy Cross Church, 3612 Church St., Latonia, Ky. 41015 or to Parish Kitchen, 141 Pike St., Covington, Ky. 41011.
Georgian Jane Grenier Spence, 61, of Covington, died at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Edward "John" Spence of Covington; sons, John F. Spence of Covington and William T. Spence of Cincinnati; daughters, Sandra C. Spence of Covington, Anne M. Mayes of Union and Dorothy J. Bradley of Taylor Mill; sisters, Dorothy Grenier of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Loretta Grenier and Diane Grenier, both of Canada; and 11 grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. there. Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Fort Wright.
Memorials are suggested to the American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2A, Florence, Ky. 41042 or to American Heart Association, 1885 Dixie Highway, Suite 250, Fort Wright, Ky. 41011.
Helen Joy West, 58, of Erlanger, died Tuesday at St Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
She described herself as a "domestic engineer." She also was an artist and a poet, and a member of Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. Her husband, Wendalin West Sr., died in 1995.
Survivors include a son, Wendalin West Jr. of Florence; daughters, Lana Story of Hebron, Mary Kuchle of Crittenden, Alma Swinford of Crestview Hills, Angela Brown of Covington and Constance West of Florence; brothers, Kenneth Brockman of Erlanger, Scott Brockman of Independence and Gary Brockman of Florence; sisters, Gloria Brockman of Las Vegas, Nev., Shirley Christy of Union, Joan West of Pendleton County and Langda Martin of Florence; and 13 grandchildren.
Services will be at 3 p.m. today at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Visitation begins at 1 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society NCICFUL, P.O. Box 102454, Atlanta, Ga. 30368-2454.
