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Date of these obituaries: 04-27-1998
Baseball scout James "Red' Brown, helped many win college scholarships
James "Red" Brown and baseball were synonymous in Northern Kentucky.
Mr. Brown, 75, of Newport, died Friday night in Lakeside Place Nursing Home, Highland Heights.
A scout for three Major League teams at various times during his life, Mr. Brown was known as a man with both a great knowledge of baseball talent and for helping youngsters and others associated with the game.
"He was a wonderful ambassador for professional baseball," said Carl Lowenstein, a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Mr. Brown scouted on a part-time basis, most recently for the St. Louis Cardinals, and before that for the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees. "He'd help you out. He was a valuable guy, a wonderful guy," said Lowenstein.
"When the full-time guys came to the city, he would help us out, with information on the what a kid had been doing," said Lowenstein.
Beyond those who had professional talent, Mr. Brown helped many young players obtain college baseball scholarships, Lowenstein said.
"College coaches would call him, or he'd call them. He helped many, many kids get college scholarships," Lowenstein said.
A native of Silver Grove, Mr. Brown was the proud possessor of three World Series rings, presented to him by the Major League teams he worked for.
"He liked other sports too, but baseball was his life," said Mr. Brown's wife, Virginia.
"Baseball was what he really loved," added his daughter, Jody Ann Davis of Erlanger.
Mr. Brown was a retired car man with the C & O Railroad, and was associated with Major League Baseball for some 40 years. Before that he played and coached at the amateur level, including coaching a number of Knothole Baseball teams.
An Army veteran, Mr. Brown was a member of the Northern Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame and the Newport Elks Lodge.
Other survivors include a son, James D. Brown of Wilder.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Dobbling Funeral Home, Ft. Thomas. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Ft. Thomas.
Memorials are suggested to Big Steff Inc., P. O. Box 1844, Newport, Ky. 41071.
Jess A. Bramel, Sr., 79, of Ft. Wright, died at 4:27 p.m. Sunday at Veterans Administration Hospital, Lexington.
Arrangements are pending at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia.
ReEtta Gammons Coombs, 83, of Carrollton, died Saturday at King's Daughters Hospital, Madison, Ind. She was owner of Blue Gables Court motel in Carrollton, and a member of Carrollton Christian Church. Her husband, H. T. "Tommy" Coombs, died in 1984.
Survivors include a daughter, Sherry Yvonne Godbey of Coppell, Texas; a son, Harry Bain Coombs of Carrollton; a brother, Udell Gammons of Canton, Ohio; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Tandy-Eckler-Riley Funeral Home, Carrollton. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in IOOF Cemetery, Carrollton.
John Garnett Franklin, 82, of Cynthiana, died Friday at his home. He was a retired farmer, and a member of Elmarch United Methodist Church in Cynthiana, where he was a former Sunday school superintendent and song leader.
Survivors include his wife, Alta Hatfield Franklin; a son, Karle W. Franklin of Lexington; a daughter, Myrna Joy Van Horn of Morning View; a brother, Charles A. Franklin of Harrison County; sisters, Annie McKinney of Cynthiana, Lina Dailey of Bourbon County, Edna Ruth Argo of Harrison County and Alleen Dailey of Lexington; five grandchildren and four great- grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Elmarch United Methodist Church. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 tonight at Drake Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Burial will be in Battle Grove Cemetery, Cynthiana. Memorials are suggested to Kidney Foundation of Central Kentucky, 2417-B Regency Road, Lexington, Ky. 40503; or Gideons International, 500 N. Main St., Williamstown, Ky. 41097.
Clifford Griffin, 80, of Elsmere, died at 9:29 p.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was a retired mechanic with Dover Leasing Co., Cincinnati, a former mechanic with Albers Co., Cincinnati, and a member of Crestview Mall Walkers.
Survivors include his wife, Christine Evans Griffin; daughters, Wanda Parker of Union, June Covey of Williamstown and Debbie Huffman of Erlanger; a brother, Manuel Griffin of Dry Ridge; sisters, Hester Webster of Williamstown and Eva Clifton of Owenton; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Memorials are suggested to American Heart Association, 1885 Dixie Highway, Suite 250, Ft. Wright, Ky. 41011.
Elmo Hedges, 82, of Dry Ridge, died Sunday at St. Joseph Hospital, Lexington. Arrangements are pending at Eckler-Hudson Funeral Home, Dry Ridge.
Arthur S. Henson, 92, of Hebron, died at 5:45 p.m. Friday at his home. He was a retired car inspector with Southern Railroad and a member of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Lakeside Park. His wife, Grace Vandventer Henson, died in 1986. A son, James Henson, died in 1937.
Survivors include sons, George Henson, Lee Henson and E. Thomas Henson, all of Hebron, and Robert Henson of Covington; daughters, Jeannine Hudson of Tombstone, Ga., Sue Henson of Florence and Karen Eggleston of Hebron; 45 grandchildren, 95 great-grandchildren and 18 great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Lakeside Park. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Hebron. Burial will be in Sand Run Baptist Church Cemetery.
Pauline Jones, 73, of Williamstown, died Sunday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center Grant County, Williamstown.
Arrangements are pending at Elliston-Stanley Funeral Home, Williamstown.
Viola T. Keller, 80, of Newport, died Friday at St. Luke Hospital East, Ft. Thomas. She was a retired secretary to the superintendent of nurses of Christ Hospital, Cincinnati, and a volunteer at the hospital. She was a member of St. Paul United Church of Christ, Ft. Thomas.
Survivors include a sister, Lois Caldwell of Newport.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Paul United Church of Christ. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Radel Funeral Home, Newport. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate.
George Littrell Sr., 82, of Taylor Mill, died at 5:10 a.m. Saturday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington. He was a retired metal fabricator with Newman Brothers Inc., Cincinnati, and a member of Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Independence and Bradford Lodge, Latonia.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Ruth Bickers Littrell; a son, George Littrell Jr. of Independence; daughters, Sue Hegge of Walton and Scheri Fawns of Ryland Heights; sisters, Minnie Potts of Taylor Mill, Agnes Breeden of Dry Ridge and Lu Denhart of Walton; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Independence. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to American Heart Association, 1885 Dixie Highway, Suite 250, Ft. Wright, Ky. 41011.
Edwin Lee O'Connell Sr., 65, of Latonia, died at 9:30 a.m. Friday at his home. He was a chef with Town and Country Restaurant, Ft. Mitchell, and an Army veteran of the Korean War.
Survivors include his wife, Ethel O'Connell; sons, Edwin L. O'Connell Jr. of Covington, Jerry O'Connell of Clovis, N.M., Andrew O'Connell of Norwood, Ohio, and Johnny O'Connell of Park Hills; stepsons, Paul Phelps of Covington, Charlie Phelps and Chuck Stanley, both of Elsmere; daughters, Joni Forrester and Carol Carr, both of Covington; stepdaughters, Charlene Stanley of Falmouth, Wanda Stephens of Dayton, Judy Andrews and Gerry Fields, both of Covington, Shirley Jent of Florence, Patty Strickland of Latonia, Sandy Bohart of Alexandria and Cheryl Lynn Abney of Taylor Mill; half-brothers, Thomas Bosse of Edgewood, Al Bosse of Covington and Ralph Bosse of Erlanger; sisters, Jean Vance of Tollesboro and Delores Carroll of Cincinnati; 29 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Tuesday at Don Catchen and Son Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will be there from 4 to 8 tonight. Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Ft. Wright.
Lillian K. O'Banion, 95, of Carrollton, died Friday at Green Valley Health and Rehabilitation Center in Carrollton. She was a retired farmer. Her husband, Tom O'Banion, preceded her in death.
Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Tandy-Eckler-Riley Funeral Home, Carrollton. Burial will be in Dallasburg Masonic Cemetery, Wheatley.
Dieter Opitz, 64, of Newport, died Saturday at his home. He was a retired maintenance manager with PNC Bank, Cincinnati.
Survivors include his wife, Johanna Opitz; daughters, Maren Murphy, Kerstin Opitz and Heidi Opitz, all of Newport; a son, Klaus Opitz of Latonia; a sister, Inge Pyttlik of Manheim, Germany; and one grandson.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Paul Episcopal Church, Newport. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Radel Funeral Home, Newport. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Memorials: to St. Paul Episcopal Church, Court Place and York, Newport, Ky. 41071; or Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Ft. Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Mildred Paust-Allen, 85, of Erlanger, died at 7:01 p.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. She was a homemaker and a member of Blessed Sacrament Church, Ft. Mitchell.
Survivors include a son, Barry D. Paust of Erlanger; a stepson, William D. Allen of Texas; five grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Blessed Sacrament Church. Visitation will be from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral home, Erlanger. Entombment will be in St. Mary Mausoleum, Ft. Mitchell. Memo rials may be made to the church.
Carolyn H. Payne, 83, of Highland Heights, died at 2:20 a.m. Saturday at Lakeside Place Nursing Home, Highland Heights. She was a retired waitress with Mom's Grill, Newport. Her husband, Manuel Payne, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a son, Donald Ray of Maineville, Ohio; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Graveside services: 10 a.m. Wednesday at Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Muehlenkamp- Erschell Funeral Home, Newport, is handling arrangements.
Arnold Lee Pence, 66, of Burlington, died at 8:30 p.m. Friday at his home. He was a retired machine operator with General Electric, Cincinnati, a member of Big Bone Baptist Church, and an Army veteran of the Korean War.
Survivors include his wife, Susie Boles Pence; daughters, Mildred Scherder, Dorothy Pence and Sabrina James, all of Burlington; a son, William Pence of Burlington; a brother, Felix Pence of Wilmington, Ohio; sisters, Mildred Rohrer and Edna Gadberry, both of Cincinnati, Lorraine Kinman of Brooksville and Nora Wilhelm of Eubank; and nine grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Burial will be in Burlington Cemetery. Memorials: St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Michael Robert Schuck, the son of Robert K. and Pamela L. Schuck of Taylor Mill, was stillborn Friday at Christ Hospital, Cincinnati.
Other survivors include a brother, Alexander Ryan Schuck, and a sister, Lauren Alycia Schuck, both of Taylor Mill; grandparents, Paul and Ann Schuck of West Chester, Ohio, and Jack and Delores Cook of Edgewood; and great-grandparents, Doris Waddell of Covington, Mildred Nooks of Milan, Ind., and Willie Gillespie of Norwood, Ohio.
Services will be private. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 2011 Madison Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45208. Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill, is handling arrangements.
Raymond August Steinmetz, 72, of Covington, died at 3:45 p.m. Friday at Garrard Convalescent Center in Covington. He was a retired machinist with William Powell Valve Co., Cincinnati, a member of American Legion Post No. 203 in Latonia, and a Navy veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Lenora Pricilla Steinmetz; sons, Marc Steinmetz and Doug Steinmetz, both of Covington, and Greg Steinmetz of Taftville, Conn.; daughters, Pamela Steinmetz and Sandra Goddette, both of Uncasville, Conn.; brothers, Frank Steinmetz of Halls Gap, and Nobel Steinmetz of Hamilton, Ohio; sisters, Shirley Dews of Fairfield, Ohio, and Jane Steinmetz of Hamilton, Ohio; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Burial will be in Veterans Administration Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio.
