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Date of these obituaries: 12-26-1998
Elizabeth Birnbryer, "great mother,' saw Florence grow from tiny village
Elizabeth 'Elsie' Schmidt Birnbryer's family was one of the first to settle in Florence.
Mrs. Birnbryer, who died Wednesday at the age of 99, was born in Covington but her family moved to Florence when she was a little girl.
She watched the tiny village grow into a bustling city that is now one of the largest in Northern Kentucky, said her daughter, Virginia Otten of Edgewood.
'She watched it grow and grow. They tore down her house not too long ago. It was near Turfway Park,' Mrs. Otten said.
Mrs. Birnbryer, of Edgewood, died at St. Luke Hospital East in Fort Thomas. She was a retired employee of Davenport Box Factory in Cincinnati and a member of St. Henry Church in Elsmere.
Her husband, August 'Gus' Birnbryer, died in 1963.
Mrs. Birnbryer helped save her family from a fire in Florence when she was 10, her daughter said.
'Her house burned down and she ran through the fields yelling, "Fire, fire!' She helped the firemen get in there,' Mrs. Otten said.
The Schmidts lost their home, but the house was later rebuilt, Mrs. Otten said. It was the rebuilt home that was recently torn down.
Mrs. Birnbryer enjoyed gardening and playing cards. She attributed her longevity to working hard and staying active, her daughter said.
Mrs. Birnbryer also enjoyed reading and often spoke her mind, her daughter said.
'I was the only child and she was strict with me,' Mrs. Otten said. 'But it did me good. She was a great mother.'
Other survivors include many nieces and nephews.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Pius X Church, Edgewood. Visitation will be from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Monday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Memorials are suggested to Parish Kitchen, P. O. Box 1234, Covington, Ky. 41012; or Erlanger-Elsmere United Ministries, 525 Graves Ave., Erlanger, Ky. 41018.
Virginia Marie Browning Arnold, 85, of Madison, Ind., formerly of Williamstown, died Friday at River Valley Living Center, Madison. She was a homemaker and a member of Oakland Christian Church, Pendleton County.
Survivors include her husband, Emmitt J. 'Buddie' Arnold of Williamstown; sons, Larry Ray of Madison, Ind.; Danny Lee of Florida; Donnie Allen of Crittenden; a daughter, Regiana Arnold of Florence; a brother, Lonnie Gayle Browning of Falmouth; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Oakland Christian Church, Falmouth. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Monday at the church. Burial will be in Oakland Christian Church Cemetery, Pendleton. Eckler Hudson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Carol Dean Cooper, 56, of Brooksville, died at 7:45 a.m. Friday at her home. She was a retired transporter for the Kentucky Department of Social Services and was a member of Ladies Auxiliary of V.F.W., Maysville.
Her son, Robin Earl Power died in 1993.
Survivors include a son, Jarrod Nathan Cooper of Brooksville; sisters, Ronnie J. Sidebottom of Brooksville and Brenda J. Crackel of West Union, Ohio; and brothers, Dwight G. Cooper, Billy A. Cooper, Terry C. Cooper and Richard K. Cooper, all of Brooksville.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Moore & Parker Funeral Home, Brooksville. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Brooksville Cemetery, Brooksville.
Elizabeth M. Ferguson, 77, of Lake Worth, Fla., formerly of Covington, died Monday at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Florida.
Survivors include sons, Russell Ferguson of Hollywood, Fla., Raymond Ferguson of Fort Mitchell and Rodney Ferguson of Lake Worth, Fla.; a sister, Lillian Staggs of Independence; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Dorsey Funeral Home, Lake Worth, Fla. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Pinecrest Cemetery, Lake Worth, Fla.
Luther M. Hickman, 84, of Cold Spring, died at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. He was a retired aeronautical engineer for General Electric, Evendale. He was a member of Alexandria United Methodist Church and was a World War II Navy Air Force veteran.
Survivors include a brother, Jack Hickman of Alexandria.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Alexandria Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Memorials are suggested to Alexandria United Methodist Church, 316 W. Main St., Alexandria, Ky. 41001.
Harold Simpson, 92, of Cincinnati, formerly of Boone County, died Wednesday at Deaconess Hospital, Cincinnati. He was a self-employed builder.
Survivors include daughters, Denise Simpson and Vickie Goodson of Cincinnati; a son, Robert White; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Corinthian Baptist Church, Seventh and Saratoga streets, Newport. Visitation will begin at noon Monday at the church. Burial will be in Wesleyan Cemetery, Cincinnati. Jones and Simpson Funeral Home, Covington, is handling arrangements.
Robert M. Spear, 67, of Bromley, died at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington. He was a retired printer in the Veterans Administration printing office, Cincinnati. He was a Navy veteran.
Survivors include his wife, Anne Jones Spear; and a sister, Stella Miller of North Vernon, Ind.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Cremation will be at Baxter Cremation Co., Cincinnati. Ronald B. Jones Funeral Home, Ludlow, is handling the arrangements.
