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Date of these obituaries: 06-22-2002
Claudia Jackson Branham, 91, served church, community
Claudia Jackson Branham spent her life making her community better.
She chaired the board, raised funds and taught the Weekday School of Religion. She served on and chaired the Covington Housing Authority Board for close to two decades.
She led state and local PTA groups, was an elder and Sunday School superintendent at Madison Avenue Christian Church, an officer with Senior Citizens of Northern Kentucky and on the board of Covington Protestant Children's Home.
Mrs. Branham died at 12:15 p.m. Thursday at Wind River Health Care Center in Riverton, Wyoming, where she had moved to be near her son. She was 91.
"Claudia's watchword was 'We just do the best we can, ' " recalled her longtime friend, Mike Farrell of Latonia.
"She was a humble lady who thought of herself as a very ordinary person, but she was an extraordinary woman who gave of her time, gave of her energy and gave of her leadership skills, which were many."
Mrs. Branham made her Northern Kentucky home on Greenup Street in Covington, where stacks of files and paperwork among the pictures of her children and grandchildren attested to her activism.
"Deep into her 70s, she was committed to all of these causes, giving of her time when a lot of other people would have have moved into retirement and be enjoying their golden years, " Farrell said.
In 1992, she was named Outstanding Woman in Northern Kentucky by The Kentucky Post, Thomas More College and Northern Kentucky University. Church Women United presented her with its Valiant Woman award for her efforts to bring women of different faiths together. The Jaycees named her Outstanding Senior Citizen.
She joined the PTA when her eldest son started kindergarten and was still doing PTA work long after both sons were out of school and pursuing careers. She was president of Sixth District Elementary chapter, the Covington PTA Council and the district PTA and vice president of the state PTA.
On the Covington Housing Authority Board, which oversees low-income housing, she was known for her willingness to listen to residents.
One of her longstanding commitments was the Weekday School of Religion, which provided non-denominational Bible classes for students in public schools. The program allowed students to choose to attend the Bible classes instead of a study hall. It provided a basic foundation for children of all or no faiths.
Mrs. Branham was a tireless supporter who became a role model for many children. In an interview in 1980, she said: "Children need an example. They need to feel loved and to feel God."
She said students would contact the school when they got married. "They said we were the only church they ever knew, " she said.
"She was just a Christian lady in so many ways, " Farrell said. "In all the time I spent with her, I never heard her say an unkind word to anyone or about anyone." She taught Sunday school for 65 years at Madison Avenue Christian and was its only remaining founding member. She was 2 when the church's cornerstone was laid in 1912.
When she was honored by the church in 1994 for her service, she said: "It's just always been a pleasure to serve wherever I could. I have done anything I could. I've cleaned and scrubbed and done everything."
She added: "What I've done, I've done for the pleasure of serving the Lord."
Survivors include sons Don of Wyoming and Bob of Washington state, and several grandchildren.
Arrangements are pending at Allison & Rose Funeral Home in Covington.
Stanley Daley, 76, of Alexandria, died Thursday at the Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport. He was a retired agent with Western-Southern Life Insurance Co., a World War II veteran of the Marines, and a member of Masonic Lodge No. 508, Elks No. 273, and HighlandHeights Baptist Church.
A daughter, Karen Daley, died in 1965.
Survivors include his wife, Jewell Daley; sons, Stanley T. Daley of Pittsburgh, Pa., Jim Daley of Alexandria; stepdaughters, Kelli Kelley of Riverside, Ohio, and Kim Magness of Dayton, Ohio; brother, Leroy Daley of Alexandria; sisters, Mildred Thomer of Alexandria and Naomi Bleill and Shirley Strauss, both of Cincinnati; 10 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Fares J. Radel Funeral Home, Highland Heights. Visitation will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Memorials are suggested to Alzheimer's Association, 644 Linn St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45203.
Thelma G. Arthur Simon Heck, 74, of Highland Heights, died Thursday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. She was a receptionist for Legal Aid, Covington, founder and editor of Perfect Love Magazine, author of "Yesterday's Ashes", and a member of White Shrine of Jerusalem No. 10, Alexandria Order of the Eastern Star, Newport Eagles, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana Past Officers Club.
Survivors include daughters, Debbie Hasken of Florence, Donna Keshtvarz of Fort Thomas and Darlene Simon of Southgate; sons, A.J. Simon of Newport, Jeff Simon of Independence, Randy Simon of Alexandria, Rocky Simon of Clarkston, Mich., and Gary Simon and Larry Simon, both of Fort Thomas; sisters, Linda Surrey of Edgewood, Ina Hosley of Erlanger and Lena Brock of Newport; brothers, Coleman Arthur of Alexandria and Sherm Arthur of Newport; 18 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Alexandria Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to American Kidney Fund, 6110 Executive Boulevard, Suite 1010, Rockville, Md. 20852.
Billy Darrell Herrington, 60, of Cynthiana, died Thursday at his home. He was a former Harrison Electric Cooperative employee, an Army veteran and a member of the Indian Creek Christian Church, Cynthiana.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Pratt Herrington; daughters, April Baker of Mount Sterling and Melody Herrington of Nicholas County; brothers, Jackie Herrington of Georgetown and Larry 'Peachie' Herrington of Harrison County; sisters, Alice Carol Baxter of Harrison County and Rosemary Whitaker of Cynthiana; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m Monday at Ware Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Battle Grove Cemetery, Cynthiana.
Memorials are suggested to Indian Creek Christian Church, 51 Waits Road, Cynthiana 41031 or Hospice of the Bluegrass, 508 E. Pike Street, Cynthiana, Ky. 41031.
Louis Thomas King, 68, of Covington, died at 8:40 a.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington. He was a retired waiter for Cincinnati Country Club.
Survivors include his companion, Nell Grice of Covington.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will be at 1 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Cremation will be in Cincinnati Cremation Company, Cincinnati.
Harriett Mae Leidy, 81, of Park Hills, died at 6:10 p.m. Thursday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. She was a retired secretary/stenographer for General Electric Supply.
Survivors include a brother, Harry R. Leidy Jr. of Erlanger; and a sister, Mary Jane Caldwell of Cleveland, Ohio.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Erlanger. Visitation will be at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Howard Phillips, 83, of Bracken County, died Thursday at Meadowview Regional Medical Center, Maysville. He was a retired farmer.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Browning Phillips. Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Robertson County Funeral Home, Mount Olivet. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the funeral home. Burial will be in Bracken Memorial Cemetery, Brooksville.
Lester P. Sand, 87, of Fort Thomas, died Friday at his home. He was a retired plant controller for Jergens, Cincinnati, and a member of Christ Church U.C.C., Fort Thomas.
Survivors include his wife, Charlotte Bahlman Sand; sons, Robert C. Sand of Montgomery, Ohio, and Thomas L. Sand of Price Hill, Ohio; eight grandchildren and 13-great- grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Visitation will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen cemetery Mausoleum, Southgate.
Memorials are suggested to American Heart Association, 2936 Vernon Place, Cincinnati, Ohio 45219.
