Search Archived Marriage Records
Date of these obituaries: 11-29-2000
Joseph O'Brien, salesman, former state tennis champ
When Joseph O'Brien was a little boy, his father would take him to a playground to practice tennis and baseball.
It didn't matter that young Joe was born with a left arm that ended at the elbow. His father taught Joe how to serve a tennis ball by flipping it off his left arm. Joe became so adept at tennis that in 1932, while he was a junior at Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, he won the Kentucky tennis singles championship.
"He was very good. He was wonderful, " said Mr. O'Brien's sister, Helen Stegeman of Fort Thomas. "I was very proud of him. He did so many things in sports, with one arm. You wouldn't expect him to be that good."
Mr. O'Brien, 87, of Fort Thomas, died Monday at his home.
He was a salesman with International Salt Co. and a former Kentucky State High School tennis champion. Mr. O'Brien was ranked No. 1 in men's singles in the Ohio Valley rankings in 1935 and 1937. In 1986, he was enshrined in the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame.
Mr. O'Brien played baseball, tennis and basketball at Highlands. He was known for his smooth strokes on the tennis court and was willing to play all comers, including such greats as Bobby Riggs, Tony Trabert and Billy Talbert.
Mr. O'Brien also played a few sets with movie stars Claudette Colbert and George Raft.
Mr. O'Brien earned an athletic scholar ship to the University of Kentucky, but only played a year before leaving college to sell insurance.
He was good enough to become a professional tennis player, but decided to go with steady work because tennis in the 1930s and 1940s wasn't the money-making venture that it is today.
Still, Mr. O'Brien played in many out-of-town tournaments after winning another singles championship in the Northern Kentucky Open in 1937.
As a father, Mr. O'Brien was patient, kind and attentive, said his daughter, Sandra Smith of Cincinnati.
"He was so unselfish, " Mrs. Smith said. "He was willing to share his wisdom with anyone."
Mrs. Stegeman said their parents instilled self-confidence in her brother. He confirmed that during a 1981 interview with The Kentucky Post.
"I never figured I had a handicap, " Mr. O'Brien said. "My mother and dad always took the attitude that I was no different from anybody else. That helped me a lot."
Mr. O'Brien is also survived by a granddaughter.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Thomas Church, Fort Thomas. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas.
Memorials are suggested to Association for the Blind, 2045 Gilbert Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202; or Joseph O'Brien Tennis Scholarship Fund at Northern Kentucky University.
Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements. Anna Katherine Butler-Cummins, 78, of Paris, died Monday at Bourbon Community Hospital in Paris. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include a son, Daniel Cummins of Paris; a daughter, Lu Ann Hanna of Tavares, Fla.; a half-sister, Wanda Butler Stephen of San Antonio; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Brooksville Cemetery. Moore and Parker Funeral Home, Brooksville, is handling arrangements.
Naomi Ruth Wilbers Wahn Cain, 66, of Phoenix, formerly of Northern Kentucky, died Tuesday at Good Samaritan Hospital, Phoenix.
Arrangements are pending at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia.
Albert Caldwell, 88, of Independence, died Tuesday at Rosedale Manor, Latonia.
Arrangements are pending at Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Independence.
James S. Chadwell, 78, of Verona, died Tuesday at his home. He was a retired forklift operator with Phillip & Carrey's Celotex.
Survivors include a daughter, Kim Chadwell of Verona; a sister, Stella Saylor of Independence; a brother, Charles Chadwell of Oxnard, Calif.; two grandchildren; four great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
James Edward Cummins, 54, of Hollywood, Fla., formerly of Maysville, died Nov. 7 in Hollywood. He was a member of Hollywood, Fla., Christian Church and was president of the Driftwood Optimist Club and Star International League. He was a Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Lee Cummins; a son, James E. Cummins Jr.; his parents, Alvie and Virginia Case Cummins of Homosassa, Fla.; brothers, Gary Cummins of Sumter, S.C., and Jeffrey Cummins of Hernando, Fla.; and one grandchild.
Services were Nov. 11 at Fred Hunter's Hollywood Memorial Gardens Home.
Barbara S. Evans, 57, of Newport, died at 6:05 a.m. Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. She was a bar maid with Captain's Cove, Newport.
Survivors include a daughter, Kimberly Evans of Newport; a son, Greg Evans of Newport; her mother, Marian Sullivan of Newport; a sister, Theresa Sullivan of Newport; and brothers, Earl Sullivan and Brian Sullivan, both of Newport.
Services will be at 8 p.m. Thursday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Newport. Visitation will begin there at 5 p.m. Thursday. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas.
Imogene Fowler Hedges, 83, of Mount Olivet, died Monday at Maysville Regional Medical Center. She was a homemaker and a member of Mount Olivet Christian Church. She was a former owner of Mount Olivet Dry Goods, a former mail carrier and a former nursing assistant with Hayswood Hospital. Her husband, Melbourne Hedges, and a son, Donald Wayne Hedges, both preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son, Dan Hedges of Mount Olivet; six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Robertson County Funeral Home, Mount Olivet. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Brooksville Cemetery.
Harold Lloyd Long, 78, of Columbia, Mo., formerly of Covington, died Nov. 12 in Jefferson City, Mo. He was a retired statistician and active in physical fitness education and medical research. He was an Army Air Corps veteran, serving as a weather observer in Australia and New Guinea in World War II.
Survivors include a brother, Robert E. Long of Altamonte Springs, Fla.; and a sister, Barbara Jean Long Bauer of Sequim, Wash.
Private services will be at the convenience of the family. Memorials are suggested to Salvation Army, 3503 Warsaw Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45205; or Harold Long Fund for Books on Evolutionary Biology Research, Missouri River Regional Library, P. O. Box 89, Jefferson City, Mo. 65102. Memorial Funeral Home, Columbia, handling arrangements.
Marjorie Anna Merling, 80, of Fort Thomas, died Friday at her home. She was a retired executive secretary with Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati.
Survivors include a brother, James Merling of Miami; a niece and two nephews.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Thomas Church, Fort Thomas. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas. Memorials are suggested to American Diabetes Association, 8899 Brookside Ave., West Chester, Ohio 45069. Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Helen A. Michael, 92, of Ludlow, died Tuesday at St. Charles Care Center, Covington.
Arrangements are pending at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow.
Robert E. Ohmer, 70, of California, died at 1:56 a.m. Monday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. He was a retired mechanic and an Army veteran.
Survivors include a daughter, Malinda Olson of California; sisters, Rosemary Ohmer of Cleveland, Dorothy Givens of Bristol, Tenn., Ruthie Webster of Silver Grove and Catherine Julick of the state of California; and one granddaughter.
Memorial services will be at 6 p.m. Friday at Rockhouse, California. Cremation will be at Hillside Chapel, Cincinnati. Alexandria Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
William Ernie Skelton, 60, of Florence, died Monday at Florence Park Care Center. He was a self-employed carpenter.
Survivors include sons, William E. Skelton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., Thomas J. Skelton of Claryville, Christopher Skelton and Stephen Skelton, both of Newport; daughters, Danielle Skelton of Newport and Jennifer Carr of Florence; brothers, Robert Skelton of Richwood and Roy Skelton of Covington; five grandchildren; and his fiancee, Shirley Dubay of Walton.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to William E. Skelton Trust Fund, 9942 Decoursey Pike, Covington, Ky. 41015.
James Wesley Vermillion, 86, of Covington, died Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was a truck driver and a member of Germantown Christian Church. His wife, Elsie Tucker Vermillion, died in 1978.
Survivors include sons, Jerry Vermillion of Lexington, Kenny Vermillion of Covington and James T. Vermillion of Crittenden; a stepdaughter, Mary O'Conner of Bethel, Ohio; sisters, Dorothy Tuel of Germantown and Martha Florence of Carlisle; three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Palmer Funeral Home, Germantown. Visita tion will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Germantown. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
Harold Wilson, 71, of Erlanger, died Sunday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. He was a retired driver with Gordon's Transportation.
Survivors include his wife, Rosie Katherine Wilson; a son, Howard Wilson of Florida; daughters, Nancy C. Woodall of Taylor Mill and Kathy Garrison of Florence; stepdaughters, Marsha Hartman of Walton, Glenda Stevens of Sevierville, Tenn., and Jeanette Neu of Latonia; brothers, Garrett Gross of Loyall, James Gross of Ashland and Tom Gross of Pennsylvania; 19 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Walton. Visitation will begin there at noon Thursday. Burial will be in Walton Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the family, in care of Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, P. O. Box 55, Walton, Ky. 41094.
