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Date of these obituaries: 08-03-02
Robert Averdick, retired appliance store owner
Robert J. Averdick, retired Covington businessman who used his sales skills to help others, died Friday at Mary Rose Mission in Covington. He was 78.
In 1992, Averdick saw a news report on Hurricane Andrew and its effect on children who had lost their toys. Other charities were supplying essentials, but Averdick, took it on himself to provide for the kids.
He organized a toy drive in his home town of Covington and another long-distance drive through his old VFW post in Opa Locke, Fla.
It was the kind of generosity Averdick had been showing all his life. As a struggling owner of Bob Averdick Inc. appliance and furniture store in Covington in the 1960s, it wasn't unusual for him to donate a television to a school or to work out next-to-nothing sales prices for equally struggling families.
"He was such a giving guy, " said his son, Gary Averdick of Ryland Heights. "Dad didn't need much to be happy. When he got money, it was given away to somebody who needed it."
If he found a good cause, he would leap to support it. He helped launch a golf outing that supports Prince of Peace School in Covington. He filled small bottles with water from a spring at a Northern Kentucky religious shrine and passed it out to friends with hand-stamped notices suggesting they donate to the shrine.
"Nobody asked him to do it, but he was a salesman, " said another son, Mike Averdick of Covington.
"He was always generous and he had a good sense of humor - a trait of his family. They're all lively conversationalists. That comes from being three-quarters Irish."
In 1996 he came across phonograph records of famous news broadcasts and contacted a reporter he had heard on the radio, offering the gift.
Mr. Averdick had served in the Army Aviation Engineers during World War II. He returned from Guam and Okinawa to marry Esther Sommerkamp. They had five sons, Mike, Steve, Gary, Joe, and Bill.
His family was his source of pride and filled his heart. He reveled in his grandchildren. He was a regular at family card games and organized annual St. Patrick's Day gatherings.
He was diagnosed with liver cancer last year. As he fought the cancer, his small Covington apartment became family central as relatives joined his fight, said Gary Averdick.
Arrangements are pending at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington.
Melvin Lee Anderson, 67, of Cincinnati, died Friday at his home. He was a winderman at Cindus Corp. and a veteran of the Marine Corps.
Survivors include his sons, Everett Anderson of Harrison, Ohio, Ricky Anderson of West Liberty, Harrison Lawson of Melbourne, Ray Anderson of Covington and Scott Lawson of Cincinnati; daughters, Marlene Carnes of Highland Heights, Cathy McComas of Falmouth, Jane Turner of Corbin, and Judy Statton and Mary Ann Mason, both of Cincinnati; brothers, George Anderson of Florida and William Anderson of Ohio; 26 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Peoples Funeral Home, Falmouth. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery, Falmouth. Memorials are suggested to the family, C/O Peoples Funeral Home, 407, Shelby St., Falmouth, Ky. 41040.
Elnora H. Armour, 93, of Bromley, died Thursday at Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport. She was a clerk with the former Goldsmith Department Store, Covington, and a member of Bromley Christian Church. Her husband, Walter Gene Armour, died in 1999.
Survivors include several nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. until the time of services Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Bromley Christian Church, 214 Kenton Street, Bromley, Ky. 41016.
Anna Dealtha Franks Blackburn, 93, of Dry Ridge, died Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. She was a homemaker and a member of Dry Ridge Presbyterian Church, and worked at Franks Grocery, Mount Zion, Williamstown Ball Factory, and Farmers Bank, Dry Ridge, and started the Parent Teacher Association at the Mount Zion School, Dry Ridge, and the lunchroom at the Mount Zion School. Her first husband, William Barnett Franks, died in 1970 and her second husband, John Blackburn, died in 1989.
Survivors include her daughters, Ruth Workman of Dry Ridge, Juanita Mitchell of Cold Spring and Phyllis Scott of Carrollton; a sister, Roberta Kaylor of Crestview; six grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Eckler-Hudson Funeral Home, Dry Ridge. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in the Mount Zion Cemetery, Dry Ridge. Memorials are suggested to Dry Ridge Presbyterian Church, 15 Warsaw Ave., Dry Ridge, Ky. 41035; or to the charity of the donor's choice.
Edna Bowen, 90, of Demossville, died Friday at her home. She was a homemaker and a member of the Unity Baptist
Church, Pendleton County. Her husband, H. Russell Bowen, died in 1990.
Survivors include her sons, Charley Bowen, James Bowen and Tom Bowen, all of Demossville; daughters, Judy Pennington of Burlington and Betty R. Schlueter, Louise Mason and Mildred Belew, all of Demossville; sisters, Yueltia Sponcil of Demossville and Edith Eddy and Mable Gilbert, both of Covington; a brother, James Herbert Barton of Indianapolis, Ind.; 25 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren and 11 great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Woodhead Funeral Home, Falmouth. Visitation will be from from 5 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Memorials are suggested to Burial will be in Gardnersville Cemetery, Pendleton County. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Hope, 1 West McDonald Parkway, Maysville, Ky. 41056; or Gideons International, N. Ky. West Camp, P. O. Box 965, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Jewell Wainscott Burgess, 81, of Williamstown, died at 11:05 a.m. Friday at her home. She was a former restaurant cook and caregiver and a member of Stewartsville Baptist Church, Grant County. Her husband, Jimmie Burgess, died in 1972.
Survivors include her daughters, Kathryn Evans of Williamstown and Geraldine Marksberry of Dry Ridge; a son, Jimmie Larry Burgess of Stewartsville; a sister, Sybil Gould of Dry Ridge; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Sunday at Elliston-Stanley Funeral Home, Williamstown. Visitation will be from noon until the time of services Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Williamstown Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Stewartsville Baptist Church, 4050 Stewartsville Road, Williamstown, Ky. 41097.
Louis K. Cannon, 89, of Erlanger, formerly of Latonia, died at 10:14 p.m. Thursday at St Luke Hospital West, Florence.
He retired as the owner & pharmacist of Cannon Pharmacy, Latonia, He was a member of Holy Cross Church, Latonia, past president of Northern Kentucky Pharmacists Association, a member of the Holy Cross Holy Name Society, St. Vincent DePaul Society, Knights of Columbus Bishop Carrell Post No. 0702, and past grand knight of the Bishop Carrell Post.
Survivors include his wife, Rita Schindler Cannon of Latonia; sons, Dennis Cannon of Mauldin, S.C., David Cannon of Louisville, Dale Cannon of Edgewood and Timothy Cannon of Latonia; a daughter, Martha Cannon of Covington; 11 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:45 a.m. today at Holy Cross Church. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until the time of services today at the church. Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Fort Wright. Memorials are suggested to Holy Cross Church, 3612 Church St., Covington, Ky. 41015; or St. Vincent DePaul Society, 3612 Church St., Covington, Ky. 41015.
Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia, is handling the arrangements.
Mary "Peg" Toner Collins, 48, of Morehead, formerly of Crestview, died Wednesday at St. Joseph's Hospital, Lexington.
Survivors include her husband, John Collins; a daughter, Kellie Collins of Morehead; a son, John Alexander "Alex" Collins of Morehead; brothers, Patrick Toner of Cold Spring, Mike Toner of Fort Wright, William Thomas Toner of San Antonio, Texas, and Jim Toner and Steve Toner, both of Tampa, Fla.
She was employed as the librarian at Rowan County Senior High School and was a member of Jesus Our Savior Catholic Church, Morehead.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. today at Jesus Our Savior Catholic Church. Burial will be in New Alfrey Cemetery, Morehead. Northcutt & Son Funeral Home, Morehead, was in charge of the arrangements. Memorials are suggested to the Rowan County Education Association Scholarship Fund, 121 East Second St., Morehead, Ky. 40351.
Marion E. Durham, 72, of Bellevue, died Thursday at his home. He was a Diem-Wing worker, Cincinnati.
Survivors include his wife, Mildred Durham; sons, Dennis R. Durham of Newport and Terry Durham of Bellevue; daughters, Rosemary Durham of California, Deborah Sargent of Alexandria and Melinda Ann Young of Bellevue; brothers, Alfred Durham of Kokomo, Ind., and Paul Durham of Corbin; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Bellevue. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
Margaret Gruber, S.N.D., 86, of Park Hills, died at 2:54 a.m. Thursday at Lourdes Hall, St. Joseph Heights, Park Hills.
Sister Mary Mercia entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Covington in 1933 and made her first vows in 1935. Sister was an elementary teacher and librarian in the dioceses of Covington and Lexington, as well as in the archdioceses of Cincinnati, and Mobile, Ala. In her later years she helped in smaller communities by cooking for the sisters, most recently, Sister served as a seamstress for the sisters at St. Joseph Heights.
Survivors include her brother, Louis J. Gruber of Cincinnati.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 9 a.m. today at St. Joseph Heights Convent Chapel, Park Hills. Burial will be in St. Joseph Heights Convent Cemetery.
Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington, is handling the arrangements.
Gary Charles Gurren, 53, of Crestview Hills, died at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at his home. He was a real estate agent with Star One Realtors, Crescent Springs, and a former fireman with the Covington Fire Department.
Survivors include his wife, Tammy Gurren; sons, David Gurren and Jeff Gurren, both of Memphis, Tenn.; stepson, Jason Gibbons of Hebron; parents, Patrick and Margaret Gurren of Clearwater, Fla.; sisters, Michelle Plante and Margaret Muth, both of Clearwater; brothers, Patrick Gurren Jr. and Steve Gurren, both of Clearwater; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. until the time of services Tuesday at the funeral home. Cremation will be in Southwest Ohio Crematory, Milford, Ohio. Memorials are suggested to Gary Gurren Memorial Fund, c/o PNC Bank, 3023 Dixie Highway, Edgewood, Ky. 41017.
John J. Johnson, 77, of Covington, died Friday at his home.
Arrangements are pending at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington.
Arthur Joseph Kamp, 81, of Fort Thomas, died at 8:10 p.m. Thursday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. He was a retured owner/operator of Kamp's Flooring, Newport. His wife, Geraldine Wingler Kamp, died in 2001.
Survivors include his sons, Anthony Kamp of O'Fallen, Ill., and James Kamp of Edgewood; a sister, Helen Fischer of Fort Thomas; and two grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 12:30 p.m. Monday at St. Catherine of Siena Church, Fort Thomas. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Prayers will be at noon Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas.
Michael Albert Kappes, 50, of Alexandria, died Thursday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
He was a retired technician with Proctor and Gamble, Cincinnati, a former member of the Flying Aces, a member of Alexandria Community Band, the Army Reserve Band, and a ham radio operator with Campbell County Disaster Management during the Beverly Hills Fire and 1997 Falmouth flood.
Survivors include his wife, Phyllis Kappes; a stepdaughter, Karen LeForce of Fort Thomas; stepsons, Chris Zinkhon of Alexandria and Tom Zinkhon of Wilder; sisters, Linda Ackman of Amelia, Ohio, and Cynthia Burns of New Richmond, Ohio; brothers, George Kappes and Steven A. Kappes, both of Moscow, Ohio; and seven grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas. Memorials are suggested to American Diabetes Association, 745 W. Main Street, Louisville, Ky. 40202.
Virginia Lee Lail, 80, of Bromley, died Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
She was a retired cafeteria employee with River City School, Villa Hills, and a member of Bromley Christian Church, past president Bromley PTA, past secretary for Bromley Fire Department, and past member of Bromley City Council. Her husband, William Lail, died in 1975, and a son, Walter Rick Lail, died in February.
Survivors include her son, Roger W. Lail Sr. of Bromley; a daughter, Roxann Clark of Erlanger; a brother, Robert Vahlsing of Bromley; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Hebron Lutheran Cemetery, Hebron. Memorials are suggested to Bromley Christian Church, 214 Kenton St., Bromley, Ky. 41016; or Bromley Fire Department, 226 Boone St., Bromley, Ky. 41016.
Ralph McCarthy, 71, of Cold Spring, died Thursday at his home.
Arrangements are pending at Alexandria Funeral Home.
Rondal "Nelson" McHargue, 73, Highland Heights, died Friday at Northern Kentucky Care and Rehabilitation Center, Highland Heights.
He was a retired conductor for CSX Railroad, a member of Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Independence, local chairman of Railroad Union No. 496, and an Army veteran of the Korean War.
Survivors include his wife, Susie Baker McHargue; a daughter, Brenda Cason of Independence; a son, Michael Nelson McHargue of Independence; a brother, Ralph McHargue of Lilly; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Hickory Grove Baptist Church. Visitation will be from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Hill. Memorials are suggested to Hickory Grove Baptist Church Building Fund, 11969 Taylor Mill Road, Independence, Ky. 41051.
Emma Marie Niemeyer, 87, of Erlanger, died Friday at Baptist Village, Erlanger. She was a former clerk at Edgewood Dry Cleaners and a member of Florence Christian Church.
Survivors include her sons, Robert C. "Rocky" Niemeyer of Morehead, Duane Niemeyer of Covington and Bill Niemeyer of Independence; 12 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Monday in Rose Hill Cemetery, Ashland. Visitation will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger, and from noon until the time of services Monday in the cemetery.
Anita F. Placke, 49, of Latonia, died at 11:20 p.m. Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. She was director of nursing for Garrard Convalescent Center, Covington.
Survivors include her mother, Dorothy Miller of Cincinnati.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill. Visitation will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Baltimore Pike Cemetery, Cincinnati. Memorials are suggested to Garrard Convalescent Center, 425 Garrard St., Covington, Ky. 41011.
Kathlenn Reynolds, 55, of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, formerly of Northern Kentucky, died Thursday at Gov Juan Luis Hospital, St. Croix.
Arrangements are pending at Woodhead Funeral Home, Falmouth.
Lisa Flora Thomas, 47, of Maysville, died at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Joseph Hospital, Lexington. She was a medical transcriber for Maysville Obstetric and Gynecologic, Maysville, an admissions clerk for Meadowview Regional Medical Center, Maysville, and a member of New Hope Christian Church, Maysville.
Survivors include her husband, Rusty Thomas; sons, Nicholas Thomas and Michael Thomas, both of Maysville; stepmother, Gerri Flora of Maysville; and a brother, Victor Flora of Highland Heights.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at New Hope Christian Church. Visitation will be after 5 p.m. Sunday at Brell Funeral Home, Maysville, and from 1 p.m. until the time of services Monday at the church. Burial will be in Green Acres Cemetery, Maysville. Memorials are suggested to New Hope Christian Church, 6048 Perry Lane, Maysville, Ky. 41056.
