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Date of these obituaries: 11-22-2002
Rev. Robert Ellis, 71, pastor in three states
The Rev. Robert E. Ellis, 71, spent 43 years of his life pastoring small churches, and he liked it that way.
"That seemed to fit into what he could handle better than large ones, " said his widow, Genevieve Ellis of Independence. "He wasn't such a great organizational person. He was a laid-back, loving person who loved his people."
Mr. Ellis, who died at 11:16 a.m. Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood, was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. He attended Bible college in Canada and earned a diploma in theology.
His first ministry was in Washington state, where he volunteered for the Air Force when the Korean War broke out. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen while stationed in Japan.
While stationed in Rome, N.Y., he visited a friend at Nyack Missionary College near New York City, where he met his future bride. They were married
in June 1958.
After working with Youth for Christ a few years, the pair was transferred to Kansas, where Mr. Ellis decided to become a minister with the Church of God.
He served churches in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia, frequently as the song leader as well as pastor, accompanied by his wife's piano playing.
He enjoyed preaching and preparing sermons the most, his widow said, but he also working with youths and children.
Poor health forced the couple to move to Independence in 2001, where they shared a home with their daughter, Melodie Ellis.
Mr. Ellis stayed faithful to the Church of God until the end. In his last days, he attended the First Church of God in Latonia.
Other survivors include a sister, Irene Grant of Quesnel, British Columbia.
Services will be at 7 p.m. today at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill. Visitation will begin there at 4 p.m. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to First Church of God, Southern and Ashland Aves., Covington, Ky. 41015.
Estill Bates, 70, of Latonia, died at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. He was a musician and a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Ludlow.
Survivors include his wife, Helen Bates; sons, Estill Keith Bates of Latonia and Can Martin Bates of Florence; stepsons, Paul Edward Rogers of Columbia, S.C., Barry Bryant of Clay City and Darryl Bryant of Independence; daughters, Karen Pennington of Florence and Carol Ferris of Independence; sisters, Bonnie Caudill of Clarksville, Tenn., Marlene Collins, Shirley Collins and Grethel Pease, all of Whitesburg; 15 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Latonia. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell.
Silver Bell Black, 71, of Dry Ridge, died Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood.
Arrangements are pending with Rogers-McDaniel Funeral Home in Corinth.
Charlene A. Steidle Chard, 80, of Ludlow, died at 12:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. She was a retired sales clerk with J.C. Penney Co., Covington, and was the former owner of Purple Patch of Ludlow. She was a member of Latonia Christian Church, and a former member of the Ludlow PTA, band boosters and athletic boosters. Her husband, William M. Chard Sr., and sons, William M. Chard Jr. and Ronald Chard, all preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son, Gilbert "Gil" Chard of Lexington; sisters, Gladys Servizzi of Florence and Lucille Steidle of Covington; and nine grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Saturday at First Baptist Church, Ludlow. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Ludlow Volunteer Fire Department, 234 Oak St., Ludlow, Ky. 41016. Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Ludlow, is handling arrangements.
Roy Dixon Sr., 88, of Verona, died Thursday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence.Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill, is handling arrangements.
Deborah Jones Dugan, 50, of Covington, died Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. She was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church of Ludlow.
Survivors include her husband, James Dugan; sons, Charles Dugan and Roger Jones, both of Covington; a daughter, Shelly Fleckinger of Erlanger; her parents, James Jones and Doris Brewster, both of Covington; brothers, Ronnie Jones of Erlanger and Bill Jones of Ludlow; sisters, Judy Long of Gatlinburg, Tenn., Theresa Rothfuss of Latonia, Pam Eggleston of Glencoe and Bobbie Chandler of Covington; and six grandchildren.
Services will be at 7:30 p.m. today at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow. Visitation will begin there at 4:30 p.m. Cremation will be at Southwest Ohio Crematory, Milford, Ohio. Memorials are suggested to Hoxworth Blood Center, in care of Sandy Ayers, 3130 Highland Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45267.
A.C. Hall, 79, of Dry Ridge, died Thursday.
Arrangements are pending at Eckler Hudson Funeral Home, Dry Ridge.
Mary Jane Harms, 76, of Elsmere, died Wednesday at her home. She was a homemaker. Her husband, Leroy Arthur Harms, preceded her in death.
Survivors include sons, Jerry E. Harms of Elsmere and Leroy A. Harms Jr. of Youngstown, Ohio; a sister, Thelma Marie Smith of Ocala, Fla.; and a brother, Addison Walton of Desoto, Texas.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Forest Lawn Mausoleum Chapel, Erlanger. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Saturday. Entombment will be in Forest Lawn Mausoleum, Erlanger. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Thomas A. "Buzz" Jordan, 55, of Union, died Wednesday at his home.
Arrangements are pending at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington.
Thelma B. McKinney, 81, of Covington, died Wednesday at Garrard Street Convalescent Home, Covington. She was a retired waitress with Liberty Chili Parlor. Her husband, Kenzie McKinney, and a daughter, Glenna Faye Fredricks, both preceded her in death.
Survivors include daughters, Barbara Ragan of Newport and Bonnie Crout of Florence; 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Graham-Dunn Funeral Home, Carrollton. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Ryssah Mae Sexton, 82, of Highland Heights, died Wednesday at Northern Kentucky Care and Rehabilitation Center, Highland Heights. There are no immediate survivors.
Graveside services will be at Michigan Memorial Park Cemetery, Flat Rock, Mich. Cooper Funeral Home, Grants Lick, is handling arrangements.
Charlisce Sharon Simmons, 42, of Cynthiana, died Thursday at Harrison Memorial Hospital, Cynthiana. She was an employee of Dover Manor.
Survivors include her husband, Gary M. Simmons; sons, Justin Simmons of Harrison County and John Simmons of Flemingsburg; her mother, Pat Tate Stevens of Sandy Hook; half-brothers, Billy Stevens, Ricky Stevens and Dale Stevens, all of Sandy Hook, and Mickey Stevens of Flemingsburg; and half-sisters, Connie Atkins of Owensboro and Jo Ison of Isonville.
Services will be at 8 p.m. today at Ware Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Visitation will begin there at 4 p.m. Burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at East Carter County Cemetery, Carter County.
John I. Stacy, of Newport, died Thursday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington. He was a musician.
Survivors include a daughter, Doris Jean Estep of North Carolina.
Services will be private. Burial will be in Hazard. Cooper Funeral Home, Grants Lick, is handling arrangements.
Margaret M. "Granny" Weckbach Steffen, 90, of Alexandria, died at 9 p.m. Tuesday at her home. She was a homemaker and a member of St. Mary Church in Alexandria and several seniors groups. Her husband, George Frank Steffen, died in 1966. A son, George "Bud" Steffen, died July 8.
Survivors include daughters, Betty Rauch of Alexandria and Marge Born of Indianapolis; sons, Herb Steffen of Pompano Beach, Fla., and Melvin Steffen of Southgate; a brother, Robert Weckbach of Alexandria; 14 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary Church, Alexandria. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Alexandria Funeral Home. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Alexandria.
Ann Agnes Sullivan, 81, of Maysville, died at 7:01 a.m. Thursday at Meadowview Regional Medical Center, Maysville. She was a teller with Security Bank and Trust Co., Maysville, and a member St. Patrick Church in Maysville. She was a member of the first parish council at the church, the Altar Society and Knights of Columbus Auxiliary. Her husband, James F. Sullivan, died in 1988.
Survivors include daughters, Judy Case of Lexington and Mary Jane Sharp of Maysville; a son, James Sullivan Jr. of Frankfort; a sister, Rosemary Pfeffer of Maysville; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Patrick Church, Maysville. Visitation will be 5 to 8 p.m. today at Brell Funeral Home, Maysville. Burial will be in St. Patrick Church, Maysville. Memorials are suggested to St. Patrick School, 318 Limestone St., Maysville, Ky. 41056.
Barbara Trimnell, 63, of Crescent Springs, died at 11:45 p.m. Wednesday at Woodspoint Nursing Home, Florence. She was a retired data processor with the Internal Revenue Service.
Survivors include sons, Chris Trimnell of Latonia and Tom Trimnell of Crescent Springs; daughters, Cathryn Oldendick and Patricia Sue Weaver of Cincinnati; a brother, James Hornbeck of Las Vegas; a sister, Elma Kramer of Union; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Henry Church, Elsmere. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Monday. Memorials are suggested to Humane Society of Kentucky, P.O. Box 369, Union, Ky. 41091; or American Lung Association, 1636 Nicholasville Road, Suite 1, Lexington, Ky. 40503. Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Latonia, is handling arrangements.
Elsie Valz, 95, of Fort Thomas, died Wednesday at Cottingham Retirement Center, Cincinnati. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include sons, Jack Valz of Milford, Ohio, and Thomas Valz of Fort Thomas; brothers, Dr. Leo Thomas, James Thomas and Robert Thomas Jr., all of Fort Thomas; and a sister, Jean Thomas of Fort Thomas; eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to Shriners Burn Hospital, 3229 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45229.
Mary E. Ward, 83, of Erlanger, died Thursday at Village Springs Care Center in Erlanger.
Arrangements are pending at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow.
Brenda Sue Ratliff Whitaker, 54, of Walton, died Wednesday at her home. She was a member of Verona Full Gospel Church of God.
Survivors include a daughter, Kimberly Crutcher of Florence; sons, Timothy Kash Ratliff of Dry Ridge and Thomas Paul Ratliff of Hamilton, Ohio; sisters, Nina Bias of Dunkirk, Ind., and Joyce Samples of Procious, W.Va.; brothers, Kenneth "Bear" Keiffer of Elysi, Ohio, and David "Horsie" Keiffer of Dunkirk; and six grandchildren.
Services will be at 5 p.m. Sunday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will begin there at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Burial will be in Hazel Green Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Kimberly Crutcher, in care of Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, P.O. Box 55, Walton, Ky. 41094.
