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Date of these obituaries: 02-15-2000
Boone High's Phyllis Cornelius, devoted to students, family
Phyllis Ann Bowling Cornelius loved the kids at Boone County High School, where she worked as the cafeteria manager for 10 years. She knew every one by name, her husband said, and made the students feel special.
Apparently, they loved her, too.
Students bought Valentine's Day carnations at school Monday and piled them high by the register where Mrs. Cornelius, of Erlanger, worked until November when she was diagnosed with cancer.
"She just seemed to brighten up the school," said her husband, Jim Cornelius, who went to the school to see the students' memorial.
Mrs. Cornelius died at 1:45 a.m. Monday at her home. She was 53.
"Everyone just seemed to be magnetized to her," Cornelius said. "It was amazing how my wife could relate to kids."
Mrs. Cornelius was the mother of two and grandmother of three. One granddaughter, Isabel, was born just two weeks ago.
She and her husband were enjoying being grandparents and traveling together. Last year they went to Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, Cornelius said. They often made trips to Red River Gorge to go hiking.
Born in Lily, Ky., Mrs. Cornelius was one of 11 children. A sister, Oma Harris, and a brother, Harold Bowling, preceded her in death.
As a child, when her sisters and brothers would leave for school at the one-room schoolhouse, she would cry, her husband said. So her parents asked the school if she could enroll at 4. They said yes, and Mrs. Cornelius graduated from high school at 16.
"She was quite a lady," Cornelius said.
Other survivors include sons, James Ivan Cornelius of Florence and Brian Scott Cornelius of Elsmere; sisters, Linda Gayle Wells of Florence, Joan Warren of McEwen, Tenn., Christine Brown of Florence, Mae Rowe of Chicago, Ruby Hodges of Fairfield, Ohio, and Ollie Johnson of London; brothers, James Edward Bowling of Costa Mesa, Calif., and Rex Fletcher of Cincinnati; and three grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Burlington. Visitation will be from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the funeral home. Burial will be in Burlington Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2, Florence, Ky. 41042; or St. Elizabeth Home-Health Hospice, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Regina E. Hampton Ainsworth, 93, of Edgewood, died Friday at Gallatin Health Care Center, Warsaw. She was a retired bookkeeper with Escue Pontiac in Covington. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Ray Zaner and Basil Ainsworth, and a son, Arthur H. Kuckein.
Survivors include a daughter, Patty J. Miller of Edgewood; five grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075. Fares J. Radel Funeral Home, Cincinnati, is handling arrangements.
Thomas J. Atkins, 75, of Erlanger, died at 4:24 a.m. Monday at Veterans Administration Hospital, Cincinnati. Mr. Atkins was a retired clerk with the Internal Revenue Service in Florence.
He was a former security guard and a member of Ralph Fulton VFW Post No. 6423 in Elsmere, the 40 and 8, and Crescent Springs Presbyterian Church. He was a member of the American Legion and was supreme commander of the Military Order of Cootie.
Survivors include his wife, Bea Atkins; daughters, Beverly Cvelbar of Solon, Ohio, and Toni Kick of Medina, Ohio; a stepbrother, Henry Braun of Cleveland; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Crescent Springs Presbyterian Church. Visitation will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Memorials are suggested to Veterans Administration Nursing Home, 1000 S. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Claude H. Decker, 81, of Guilford, Ind., formerly of Newport, died Sunday at Woodland Hills Care Center in Lawrenceburg. He was a retired employee of the Seagram's Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Ind., and a member of New Alsace, Ind., American Legion Post No. 452 and Disabled American Veterans. He was a Marine Corps veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Catherine Steinmetz Decker; daughters, Debra Miller of Danville, Ind., Linda Bedel of Naperville, Ill., and Brenda Collier of New Alsace; sons, John Decker, Jim Decker and Larry Decker, all of New Alsace, Robert Decker of Versailles, Ind., and Ron Decker of Batesville, Ind.; and 25 grandchildren.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Paul Church, New Alsace. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 tonight at Cook Funeral Home, Sunman, Ind., with rosary services at 7 p.m. Burial will be in St. Paul Cemetery, New Alsace. Memorials are suggested to St. Paul School, 9788 N. Dearborn Road, New Alsace, Ind. 47022; or in the form of Masses.
Leona Wiser Dunavent, 88, of Owenton, died Saturday at Owenton Manor Nursing Home. She was a homemaker. Her husband, J. C. Dunavent, and a brother, Gayle Wiser, both preceded her in death.
Survivors include a brother, Jim Wiser of Independence.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at McDonald Funeral Home, Seminary Street, Owenton. Visitation will begin there at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in Squiresville Cemetery, Owen County.
Richard Elbert, 72, of Independence, died at 1:35 a.m. today at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood.
Arrangements are pending at Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Independence.
James Ronald French, 54, of Edgewood, died at 7:03 a.m. Saturday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood. He was a retired customer service agent with Delta Air Lines, and was an Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War.
Survivors include his wife, Karen P. Weinstein French; a son, Cody James French, at home; and daughters, Amy French of South Carolina and Kayla Ann French, at home.
Memorial services will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Erlanger. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Tenn.
Thelma Reese Burgher Galloway, 93, of Mason, Ohio, died at 9:20 p.m. Saturday at Grant Manor Care Center, Williamstown. She was a retired seamstress with Federated Department Stores, Cincinnati, and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She was a volunteer with the Shriners Burns Institute, Cincinnati. Her husband, Henry Galloway, died in 1976.
Survivors include a son, William Lee Taylor of Indiana; a sister, Ola Busch of Germantown, Ohio; five grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Newport. Burial will be in Rest Haven Cemetery, Cincinnati. Memorials are suggested to Grant Manor Care Center, 201 Kimberly Drive, Williamstown, Ky. 41097.
Ruby M. Gilliam, 72, of Cincinnati, formerly of Newport, died Friday at University Hospital in Cincinnati. She was a homemaker. Her husband, Rommie Lee Sorrell, died in 1988.
Survivors include sons, Jerry Sorrell of Lake Charles, La., Frank Tyndall of Cincinnati, Eugene A. Tyndall of Ohio, Larry Kennedy of Stokesdale, Ala., and Steve Kennedy and Allen Kennedy, both of Durham, N.C.; a daughter, Lisa Cherry of Cincinnati; a brother, Paul Cherry of Durham; and seven grandchildren.
Services were this morning at Radel Funeral Home, Newport. Burial was in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
Voncella Gribble, 62, of Port Orange, Fla., formerly of Covington, died Sunday at Halifax Medical Center, Dayton Beach, Fla.
Arrangements are pending at Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow.
John Bussie Huff, 71, of Union, died Monday at his home.
Arrangements are pending at Stith Funeral Home, Florence.
Reva V. Stamper Landrum, 70, of Florence, died at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Luke Hospital West in Florence. She was a retired packer with Equitable Bag Co. in Covington, and a former employee of Levi Strauss Co., Florence.
Survivors include her husband, Robert "Poppy" Landrum; sons, Kenneth Landrum of Indianapolis and Jerry Landrum of Florence; daughters, Virginia Landrum of Covington and Debbie Beach of Florence; brothers, Russell Stamper of Leesburg, Fla., Clarence Stamper of Walton, Donald Stamper of Hebron and Clyde Stamper of Covington; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Wednesday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in Gardnersville Cemetery.
Ricky G. Poore, 40, died Saturday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
Arrangements are pending at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill.
Richard Louis Roth, 48, of Florence, died Sunday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was a barber, formerly with Plaza Styles in Fort Mitchell, and a member of American Legion Post No. 20, Vietnam Veteran Chapter No. 88, Erlanger Lions, and Ralph Fulton VFW Post No. 6423 in Elsmere. He was a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War.
Survivors include his wife, Arlene Roth; a son, Jason Roth of Florence; his parents, Milton and Betty Roth of Burlington; a brother, Terry Roth of Florence; and sisters, Deborah Doughman of Paris and Karen Gutzeit of Burlington.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at First Church of Christ, Burlington. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Burlington. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Memorials are suggested to First Church of Christ, Santa's Workshop for Needy Children of Boone County, 6080 Camp Ernst Road, Burlington, Ky. 41005; or the charity of the donor's choice.
Anna Mae Scruggs, 78, of Covington, died Friday at Fairfield Mercy Hospital, Cincinnati. She was a homemaker. Her husband, William L. Scruggs, died in 1978. A son, Henry "Mack" Jennings, died in 1987.
Survivors include daughters, Mamie L. Brown, Mildred C. Brown, Cheryl Walton, Jo Ann Jennings, Mary C. Jacobs and Julia M. Scruggs; sons, Robert Brown, John C. Jennings, David Jennings and Luther F. Scruggs; her mother, Mildred Perry; 51 grandchildren and many great- grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and great-great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Ninth Street United Methodist Church, Covington. Visitation will begin there at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in Mary Smith Memorial Cemetery, Elsmere. Jones and Simpson Funeral Home, Covington, is handling arrangements.
Robert Traylor, 47, of Owenton, died Sunday at Owen County Memorial Hospital in Owenton. He was an auto body repairman and a firefighter in Oklahoma, and a member and trustee of Cedar Hill Baptist Church, Owen County.
Survivors include his wife, Sheila Jarvis Traylor; daughters, Lori Catlett of Crittenden, Bobbie J. Traylor of Burlington, Amanda Jones of Owenton and Beth Traylor of Monterey; sisters, Marlene Eads, Geraldine Wright and Monta Traylor, all of Frankfort; stepsisters, Marna Hillard and Debbie Civick, both of Harrah, Okla.; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at McDonald Funeral Home, Main Street, Owenton. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Thompson-Skinner Family Cemetery, Owen County. Memorials are suggested to Kidney Foundation, 2330 Victory Parkway East, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206.
Jack R. Wald, 73, of Fort Thomas, died Sunday at his home. He was a retired auditor with Midland Guardian Co., Cincinnati, and a member of Fort Thomas Lodge No. 808 F&AM and Christ Church United Church of Christ, Fort Thomas. He was a member of the church choir, and an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include cousins.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the church. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Memorials are suggested to the Christ Church United Church of Christ, 15 S. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075. Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling arrangements.
