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Date of these obituaries: 07-09-2002
'Ren' Knasel, always neighborly
Every neighborhood has that one person who sits on a porch and greets passers-by with a wave and a friendly smile.
In his Edgewood neighborhood, Reynold Lee "Ren" Knasel was that person.
"He was well known in the neighborhood - very friendly, " said Judy Piepmeier of Fort Wright, Mr. Knasel's older daughter.
When he was younger, Mr. Knasel even cut his neighbor's grass when they'd ask him to, Piepmeier said.
But heart problems kept him from such strenuous activity as he got older. On Sunday, Mr. Knasel's conditions worsened, and he died at 4:15 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood. He w as 70.
Before his death, Mr. Knasel had taken up cooking. He made chili and vegetable and bean soup most often, but last Thanksgiving he donned a chef's hat and cooked turkey and all the trimmings for his family.
"Soups were his specialty, " his daughter said.
Mr. Knasel was a milkman for a number of years, working side jobs to make ends meet for his family before he was promoted to vice president of sales at Meyer Dairy.
He was a member of St. Pius X Church, Edgewood, a former member of Holy Cross Boosters and the Newport Optimist Club, and former president of the Rosedale Social Club.
Other survivors include his wife, Joan Kaiser Knasel; a son, R. Lee Knasel Jr. of Fort Wright; a second daughter, Diana Glass of Erlanger; brothers, Edward Knasel of London, England, Mo Knasel and Jim Knasel, both of Latonia, and Marvin Knasel of Independence; sisters, Laverne Schewe of Villa Hills and JoAnn Koch of Cincinnati; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at noon Wednesday at St. Pius X Church. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Fort Mitchell.
Memorials are suggested to Holy Cross High School Ren Knasel Memorial Fund, 3617 Church St., Covington, Ky. 41015.
Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Latonia, is handling arrangements.
Mable Marie Jackson Blackaby, 86, of Demossville, died Sunday at Grant Manor, Willia mstown.
She was an employee of Levi Strauss, Florence.
Survivors include sons, Lee Blackaby of Flatwoods and James Blackaby of Demossville; daughters, Velma Capano of White Oak, Ohio, Erma Jean Gilbert of Independence, Kathy Ramsey of Falmouth, Harvana Clark of Irvine, Calif., and Mary Burnett of Alabama; brothers, Charlie Jackson of Falmouth and Kenneth Jackson of Covington; sist ers, Irene Caldwell of Falmouth, Delsie Roberts of Butler and Dorothy Reeves of Oklahoma; 21 grandchildren and 15 great -grandchildren.
Services will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Peoples Funeral Home, Falmouth. Visitation will begin there at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Gerald L. Butt, 74, of Walton, died Sunday at his home.
He was a research development engineer with Stewart Decatur Security and a Navy veteran of the Korean War. Sons Kevin Butt and David Butt preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara A. Martin Butt; a son, Bill Butt of Walton; a daughter, Debbie Sturdivant of Hebron; a sister, Jean Hamilton of Oklahoma; and four grandchildren.
Private services will be at the convenience of the family. Morris & Hislope Funeral Home, Science Hill, is handling arrangements.
Leslie Martin Coleman, 89, of Falmouth, died Saturday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
He was a retired farmer and a member of St. Francis Xavier Church in Falmouth and the Catholic Order of Foresters.
Survivors include daughters, Carolyn Wachtel and Regina Guyette, both of Scottsdale, Ariz., Brenda Sorrell of Independence and Debbie Stenger of Burlington; sons, Larry Coleman of Falmouth, Mike Coleman of Dothan, Ala., and Marc Coleman of Canonsburg, Pa.; a sister, Edna Mae Aulick of Fort Thomas; 15 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Francis Xavier Church, Falmouth. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at Woodhead Funeral Home, Falmouth. Burial will be in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery, Falmouth.
Memorials are suggested to St. Francis Xavier Church, 202 Second St., Falmouth, Ky. 41040 or in Masses.
John L. Cook Jr., 76, of Owenton, died Monday at Central Baptist Hospital, Lexington.
He was a retired employee of National Distillery and a member of Richland Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Ann Keith Cook; a daughter, Vicki Gortney of Owenton; and a granddaughter.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at McDonald Funeral Home, Seminary Street, Owenton. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in IOOF Cemetery, Owenton.
Memorials are suggested to 2936 Vernon Place, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219.
Elizabeth Mellor Dorger, 82, of Florence, died at 9:20 p.m. Sunday at her home.
She was a personal secretary with Howard and Frances Luther, Cincinnati, and a member of Mary Queen of Heaven Church, Erlanger.
Survivors include her husband, J. Samuel Dorger Sr.; sons, James S. Dorger Jr. of Glen Ellyn, Ill., Mark W. Dorger of Loveland, Ohio, Philip H. Dorger of Burlington, Albert G. Dorger and David F. Dorger, both of Florence, and Michael P. Dorger of Taylor Mill; a daughter, Maria C. Dorger of Taylor Mill; nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Mary Queen of Heaven Church, Erlanger. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Erlanger. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Fort Mitchell.
August L. Elsener, 84, of Springfield, Ohio, formerly of Covington, died at 6:07 p.m . June 19 at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio.
He was a retired pharmacist with Muir Drug Store in Springfield and a member of St. Teresa Church in Springfield, the Springfield Pharmacy Association, St. Vincent de Paul Society and Elderly United. He was an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Anne Elsener; a son, Gus Elsener of Prairie Village, Kan.; daughters, Mary Hill Furlong of Enon, Ohio, Rose Anne Mauro of Greensboro, N.C., and Donna Whalen of Xenia, Ohio; a sister, Bertha Schamer of Covington; brothers, Charles Elsener of Fort Wright and Edward Elsener of Cincinnati; 13 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Services already have been held. Burial was in St. Bernard Cemetery, Springfield.
Memorials are suggested to St. Vincent de Paul Society, 2425 E. High St., Springfield, Ohio 4 5505.
Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington, is handling local arrangements.
Alice Fair, 69, of Verona, died Monday at her home.
She was a homemaker and a member of Southfork Christian Church, Gallatin County.
Survivors include her husband, Leslie Fair of Verona; a son, Dave Fair of Verona; daughters, Anna Schroth of Crescent Springs, Dolly Wessel of Burlington and Joy Beighle of Dry Ridge; a brother, George Buck of Campbellsville; sisters, Bessie Lay of East Enterprise, Ind., and Maxine Burton of Columbia; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Hamilton-Stanley Funeral Home, Verona. Visitation wil l be from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Beaver Lick Christian Church Cemetery, Walton.
Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Loretta May Fisk, 57, of Newport, died at 5:50 p.m. Thursday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
She was a homemaker.
Survivors include sons, Donnie Fisk and William Fisk, both of Newport, and Doug Fisk and Dudley Fisk, both of Cincinnati; a daughter, Tera Fisk of Newport; her father, Ed Schnitzler of Highland Heights; sisters, Shirley Glass of Crittenden, Louise Hardin of Salado, Texas, Ethel House of Covington, Jean Kuntz of Alexandria, Rita Wells of Newport and Patty Wissing of Chicago.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Alexandria Funeral Home. Visitation begins there at noon Thursday. Burial will be in Alexandria Cemetery.
Linda S. Gegner, 27, of Covington, died at 5:45 a.m. Monday at her home.
She wa s an aide at Rosedale Manor, Latonia.
Survivors include sons, Freddie Gegner and Cody Gegner, both of Covington; her parents, Treena Gegner and Norbert Brautigan, both of Covington; and a sister, Jaime Gegner of Covington.
Services will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Catchen Funeral Home, Covington. Cremation will be at Hillside Chapel, Cincinnati.
Virginia M. Graue, 84, of Fort Mitchell, died at 2:05 a.m. Monday at Woodcrest Manor Care Center, Erlanger.
She was a homemaker. Her husband, William H. Graue, died in 1993.
Survivors include daughters, Margaret Burress of Bristol, Tenn., and Christina Gaeth of Sturgeon Bay, Wis.; sons, William Graue of Dayton, Ohio, and James Graue of Chicago; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Blessed Sacrament Church, Fort Mitchell. Visitation will be from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington. Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Fort Wright. Memorials are suggested in the form of Masses.
Rev. Lawrence W. Keller, 77, of Cincinnati, formerly of Northern Kentucky, died at 1:16 p.m. Sunday at Mercy Franciscan Hospital, West Park campus, Cincinnati.
He was a priest, and a teacher at St. Therese Elementary School in Southgate, Newport High School, Xavier University in Cincinnati and St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.
Survivors include a sister-in-law, Joan Keller of Southgate.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at St. Therese Church. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. Wednesday at the church. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Memorials are suggested to St. Augustine Church, 205 E. Fourth St., Augusta, Ky. 41002 or to Mercy Franciscan Hospital, 2950 West Park Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45238.
Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Thomas J. McMahon Jr., 87, of Villa Hills, died Sunday at his home.
He was a retired attorney with the Internal Revenue Service, Cincinnati, and an Army veteran of World War II. His wife, Dolores Graue McMahon, preceded him in death.
Survivors include daughters, Mary Matthews of Cincinnati, Kathleen Quentin of Fort Wright, Michele Menninger and Nancy McMahon Minks, both of Villa Hills; a son, Thomas J. McMahon III of Villa Hills; sisters, Mary Jane Betz of Park Hills, Patricia Robbins of Crestview Hills and Sister Judith McMahon, C.D.P., of New York City; and 15 grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at noon Thursday at St. Joseph Church, Crescent Springs. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Fort Wright.
Memorials are suggested to Right to Life, 1822 Madison Ave., Covington, Ky. 41014 or to St. Elizabeth Home Hospice, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger, is handling arrangements.
Edward Perkins Jr., 71, of Union, died Sunday at his home.
He was a retired mechanical engineer with Dubois Chemicals in Cincinnati, a deacon and Sunday school teacher at Walton First Baptist Church and an Army veteran.
Survivors include his wife, Della Gallagher Perkins; daughters, Robin Murphy of Inez, Donna Gayle Utz of Union and Jennifer Sexton of Blanchester, Ohio; sisters, Violet Hager of West Liberty, Bertha Knecht of Latonia and Beatrice Pelphrey of Dayton, Ohio; brothers, Everett Adams of Alexandria, Ray Adams of Glendale, Ariz., and William Adams of Baker, Ore.; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Turner Ridge Cemetery, Pendleton County.
Memorials are suggested to First Baptist Church Building Fund, 47 S. Main St., Walton, Ky. 41 094 or to Gideons International, P. O. Box 18488, Erlanger, Ky. 41018.
Bertha Rankin, 76, of Alexandria, died at 8:25 p.m. Sunday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
She was a horticulturist with a landscaping company in Cincinnati. Her husband, John Rankin, died in 2002. A daughter, Kathryn Rankin, died in 1982.
Survivors include sons, John Michael Rankin of San Francisco and John Timothy Rankin of St. Louis; daughters, Teri Rankin of Cold Spring, Debra Magers of San Francisco, Marg Rankin of Fort Thomas and Mary Avilez of Alexandria; sisters, Dorothy Burgess of Cabot, Ark., Rose Baily and Alberta Machesny, both of Pa rk, Ill., and Jean Brown of Phoenix; brothers, Alvin Brown and George Brown, both of Little Rock, Ark.; and 12 grandchild ren.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Alexandria Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
Anna Jean Deming Smith, 48, of Ludlow, died Saturday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington.
She was a homemaker and a member of Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall, Covington.
Survivors include her husband, Gary W. Smith; a daughter, Melanie J. Smith of Benton; a son, Eric W. Smith of Princeton; sisters, Mary Pompilio of Fort Thomas, Dorsey Doan of West Unity, Ohio, and Elizabeth Shields of LaGrange; and two grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall, Covington. Cremation will be at Fares J. Radel Funeral Home, Cincinnati.
Memorials are suggested to Cincinnati Zoo., 3400 Vine St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45220.
Fares J. Radel Funeral Home, Newport, is handling arrangements.
George "Bud" Steffen, 69, of Alexandria, died at 12:14 p.m. Monday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
He was a retired employee of the Campbell County Fiscal Court and a farmer. He was a member and usher at St. Mary Church, Alexandria, and a member of the Holy Catholic Order of Foresters and St. Mary Holy Name Society.
Survivors include his mother, Margaret M. Steffen of Alexandria; sisters, Betty Rauch of Alexandria and Margie Born of Indianapolis; and brothers, Herbert Steffen of Pompano Beach, Fla., and Melvin Steffen of Southgate.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary Church, Alexandria. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the church. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Alexandria.
William T. White, 74, of Sardis, died at 9:50 p.m. Sunday at his daughter's home in Mount Olivet.
He owned White's Grocery and Restaurant in Sardis and was a farmer and a member of the Maysville Eagles Lodge. His wife, Louella Burns White, died in 1991.
Survivors include a daughter, Jennie Myers of Mount Olivet; a sister, Elizabeth Mitchell of Robertson County; three grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Palmer Funeral Home, Mays Lick. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Shannon Cemetery, Mays Lick.
Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Hope, Hospice of Hope, 1 W. McDonald Parkway, Maysville, Ky. 41056.
Margaret Merrill Willoughby, 84, of Covington, died Sunday at Florence Park Care Center, Florence.
She was a homemaker and a member of Oakland Avenue Baptist Church, Covington. Her husband, Shirley Willoughby, preceded her in death.
Survivors include her daughters, Darlene Rich of Florence and Shirley Scroggins and Beverly Jean Green, both of Dry Ridge; sons, Vernon Edward Willoughby of Crittenden and Alan Wayne Willoughby of Covington; sisters, Irene Moore of Covington and Fannie Martin of Brooksville, Fla.; half-brothers, Andy Merrill Jr. of Florence, Elmer Merrill of Crittenden and Gary Merrill and Billy Merrill, both of Dry Ridge; half-sisters, Lucille Lee of Crittenden, Cathy Nickells and Carolyn Nickells, both of Dry Ridge, and Joyce Denny and Evaline Davis, both of Williamstown; 16 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandson.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Elliston-Stanley Funeral Home, Williamstown. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in Hill Crest Cemetery, Dry Ridge.
