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Date of these obituaries: 08-16-2001
Augustine Miller, made wedding gowns
Augustine Duncan Miller made wedding gowns for more than 1, 000 brides. In the process, the gifted seamstress made memories that people cherished for life and friendships that endured until her death.
"She loved people, and she loved making people happy and having a part in their special day, " said a daughter, Cheri Davis of Taylor Mill.
Mrs. Miller died Wednesday morning at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood. She was 71. A native of Warsaw, she began sewing clothes for her children as a means to save money. Her next step was to get a sewing machine and begin doing alterations and clothing for people outside her family who were impressed with her handiwork.
For the next 45 years, the rest of her life, Mrs. Miller would make all kinds of clothing, including the blue suit she will be buried in.
But she developed a real passion for outfitting brides, bridesmaids and flower girls. "She found her niche, " said Ms. Davis. "Girls from all over the tri-state would come to mom to make their dresses."
Designed to showcase each bride's unique charm, the gowns were as varied as the women who wore them. Besides creating traditional dresses, Mrs. Miller had a whimsical creativity that found an outlet in the wedding outfit she made for one daughter in the 1970s hot pants under a long train set off by sequined, white go-go boots.
Mrs. Miller would shop for fabric with the brides-to-be, customize clothing without the help of patterns, and rush to church to fix any last-minute, wedding-gown calamity.
In return, the young women gave her their gratitude and pictures of themselves in her dresses .
Tuesday night, hours before her death, Mrs. Miller asked Ms. Davis to do what she could to make things right with some brides-to-be whose gowns she would be unable to finish.
"I called these girls (Wednesday) morning, and it was the most amazing thing, " Ms. Davis said. "They didn't care about the dress. They all started crying about my mom." Mrs. Miller was a member of Sunny Acres United Methodist Church in Taylor Mill.
Other survivors include her husband of 52 years, Beckham Miller; a son, Monte Miller of Taylor Mill; daughters, Becky Goodman of Williamstown, and Danae Bryant of Independence; brothers, Tommy Duncan of Warsaw and Dan Duncan of Grapevine, Texas; a half-brother, Donald O'Connor of Warsaw; and seven grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home in Taylor Mill. Visitation will be there from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday. Burial will be in Floral Hills cemetery in Taylor Mill.
Memorials are suggested to Sunny Acres United Methodist Church, 5160 Taylor Mill Road, Taylor Mill, Ky. 41015 or to St. Elizabeth Medical Center Cardiac Unit, 1 Medical Village Drive, Edgewood, Ky. 41017.
Anna Elliott Gregory, 90, of Taylor Mill, died at 10:57 a.m. Wednesday at Florence Park Care Center.
She was a homemaker and a member of Decoursey Baptist Church, Taylor Mill. Her husband, James Gregory, died in 1986.
Survivors include sons, Vernon Gregory of Villa Hills and David Gregory of Taylor Mill; brothers, Lester Elliott, Clyde Elliott and Estil Elliott, all of Corbin; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Latonia. Visitation will begin there at noon Friday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
Memorials are suggested to Decoursey Baptist Church, 8276 Decoursey, Covington, Ky. 41015.
John "Jack" Harmeyer, 78, of Fort Thomas, died at 11:34 p.m. Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas.
He was a retired owner of Harmeyer Paint and Wallpaper and the retired vice president of Perry and Derrick Paints, a member of Highland Country Club and an Army veteran of World War II. His first wife, Martha Harmeyer, died in 1987.
Survivors include his wife, Laverne Driess Harmeyer of Fort Thomas; daughters, Mary E. "Betsy" Ballinger of Southgate, Anne H. Thiem of Taylor Mill and Susan J. Meyer of Burlington; sons, Fred C. Harmeyer, Bob J. Harmeyer and Andy G. Harmeyer, all of Fort Thomas; a stepdaughter, Connie Beiting of Fort Thomas; a sister, Mary Wenstrup of Sarasota, Fla.; and 12 grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Therese Church, Southgate. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Prayers will be at 9:30 a.m. Satu rday at the funeral home. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas.
Memorials are suggested to Campbell Lodge Boys Home, 150 Skyline Drive, Cold Spring, Ky. 4107 6; or Brighton Center, 741 Central Ave., Newport, Ky. 41071.
Richard C. "Dick" Jones, 68, of Bellevue, died at 3:15 a.m. Wednesday at University Hospital, Cincinnati. He was a retired custodian for the Newport Board of Education and a former assistant football coach at Bellevue High School.
He also was a member of Lawler-Hanlon VFW Post No. 5662, Newport, American Legion Post No. 15 3 in Bellevue and Bellevue Vets. He was a Navy veteran.
Survivors include his wife, Freda Gladson Jones; sons, Kurt Jones of Cold Spring and Steve Hannon of Edgewood; a sister, Shirley Jones of Cincinnati; brothers, Bob Jones of Alexandria and Jim Jones of Walton; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Newport. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Alexandria Cemetery.
Bertha Henryetta Fortner Kramer, 83, of Independence, died Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
She was a homemaker and a member of Independence Christian Church and Order of the Eastern St ar. Her husband, Robert Kramer, died in 2000. A son, William Kramer, died in 1991.
Survivors include a daughter, Lois Cornell of Northern Kentucky; sons, Larry Kramer of Crittenden and Bertrum Kramer of Erwin, Tenn.; six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence. Visitation will begin there at noon Friday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
Memorials are suggested to Banklick Christian Church, 4150 Madison Pike, Covington, Ky. 41017 .
Flora E. Krebs, 80, of Covington, died at 12:35 a.m. Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Med ical Center North, Covington.
She was a retired payroll clerk with Gibson Greeting Card Co., Cincinnati.
Survivors include a cousin, Beverly Crockett of Evanston, Ill.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Friday. Burial will be in Richwood Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
Mary O'Mahoney, 89, of Cincinnati, formerly of Maysville, died at 7:38 p.m Tuesday at Deaconess Hospital, Cincinnati.
She was a saleswoman.
Survivors include a niece and six nephews.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Patrick Church, Maysville. Burial will be in St. Patrick Cemetery, Maysville.
Brell Funeral Home, Maysville, is handling arrangements.
William T. Wright, 74, of Flagler Beach, Fla., formerly of Erlanger, died at 10 a.m. July 4 at Flagler Pines Nursing Home, Bunnell, Fla.
He was a maintenance worker with Delta Airlines, a member of Nortonville Baptist Church and an Army veteran of the Korean War.
Survivors include nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Forest Lawn cemetery Chapel, Erlanger. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Erlanger, is handling arrangements.
