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These notices are dated: 01-18-2005
Johnny Edward Simpson, had strong work ethic
Growing up on his parents' farm near Tollesboro, Johnny Edward Simpson learned a strong work ethic that stayed with him throughout his 76 years.
The Crestview Hills resident, who died Sunday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington, worked for Ashland Oil on an Ohio River barge during the 1940s. He also worked for the Pepsi Cola Co. and the Ford Motor Corp.
In 1958, he opened his first car wash, Towne Car Wash on Ninth Street in Covington, where the cars were washed by hand. A year later, he launched his first automatic car wash, Johnny's, on Madison Avenue in Covington.
In 1965, he opened another Johnny's on Dixie Highway in Erlanger, became a regional distributor of car wash equipment and expanded his car wash business into Cincinnati and Louisville.
During the 1970s, he left the car wash equipment business and opened the first indoor, automated batting cage in Northern Kentucky.
He also took time out to coach a men's collegiate baseball team that once played in Riverfront Stadium.
In 1992, he sold his Johnny's car wash in Erlanger to his son, Jeff, of Crestview Hills, so he could concentrate on designing and building batting cages and conveyor systems across the country.
Five years before his death, he started the construction project of his dreams, a 26-acre baseball park in Maysville for young baseball hopefuls. As soon as construction was finished, however, he was diagnosed with the liver disease that would claim his life.
When he was working, Mr. Simpson liked to travel, and his favorite place was the California coast. He took his family to see Major League baseball games in stadiums across the country, said his wife, Bette Ruth.
"He was a wonderful husband, " she said. "He loved his family and was very proud of them."
Other survivors include sons, Danny Simpson of Bethel, Ohio, Doug Simpson of Crestview Hills; daughters, Sandi Krantz of Cincinnati and Joan Hoelmer of Charlotte, N.C.; a brother, Billy Simpson of Vanceburg; seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Erlanger.
Memorials are suggested to the American Heart Association, Ohio Valley Chapter, 5455 N. High St., P.O. Box 163549, Columbus, Ohio 43216-3549; Lakeside Christian Church, 195 Buttermilk Pike, Lakeside Park, Ky. 41017; Ashland Avenue Baptist Church, 2735 Ashland Ave., Covington, Ky. 41015; or St. Elizabeth Hospice, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Betty Lou Webb Bramlage, 65, of Covington, died Sunday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include sons, Robert Paul Bramlage of Cincinnati and Gilbert Raymond Bramlage of Plaserville, Calif.; a sister, Patricia Colmar of Florence; brothers, Gilbert "Butch" R. Webb of Independence, Louis A. Webb of Erlanger and Scott A. Webb, both of Covington; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Thursday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Fort Wright. Memorials are suggested to American Heart Association, 333 Guthrie St., Suite 207, Louisville, Ky. 40202; or Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 3949 Colerain Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45223.
Mark Dwayne Crosthwaite, 46, of Newport, died Saturday at his home. He was a custodian and a painter, having sold several images and landscapes. He was a member of Walton United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his mother, Louise Crosthwaite of Walton, and a sister, Peggy Menke of Elsmere.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Walton. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in New Bethel Cemetery, Verona. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice.
T.B. Forbes, 85, of Carrollton, died Monday at King's Daughter's Hospital, Madison, Ind. He was a retired farmer and a member of the board of directors of First National Bank, Carrollton. He was a member of the Carroll County Farm Bureau, American Legion Post No. 41 in Carrollton and the Purple Heart Club. He was an Army veteran of World War II. His first wife, Grace Bourne Forbes, died in 1975. His second wife, Patsy Tincher Forbes, died in 1998.
Survivors include daughters, Sue Forbes Bottorff of Seymour, Ind., and Jennie Forbes Norris of Carrollton; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Services will be at 7 p.m. Friday at Tandy-Eckler-Riley Funeral Home, Carrollton. Visitation will begin there at 4 p.m. Friday. Burial will be at I.O.O.F. Cemetery, Carrollton. Memorials are suggested to the Arthritis Foundation, Ohio Valley Chapter, 7124 Miami Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45243; or Tsunami Relief Fund, c/o Tandy-Eckler-Riley Funeral Home, 809 Highland Ave., Carrollton, Ky. 41008.
William "Otto" Gruner, 63, of Fort Thomas, died Saturday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was a retired lithographer and a member of First Baptist Church of Fort Thomas.
Survivors include his wife, Willie Whitney Gruner; a son, Raymond Gruner of Fort Wright; a daughter, Amanda Vinson of Barboursville, W.Va.; his mother, Josephine Glass Gruner of Lexington; a sister, Carol Weddle of Campbellsville; and five grandchildren.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church of Fort Thomas. Visitation will be from 4:30 to 8 p.m. today at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Fort Thomas. Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery, Lexington. Memorials are suggested to First Baptist Church of Fort Thomas, 600 N. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075; or American Cancer Society, American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2A, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Cynthia "Cindy" Guzauskas, 43, of Goshen, Ohio, died Jan. 11 at University Hospital, Cincinnati. She was a chef at Mama Vita's, Miami Township, Ohio.
Survivors include her mother, Joyce Dahlstrom Guzauskas of Alexandria; and a brother, John Guzauskas of Alexandria.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Peoples Funeral Home, Grants Lick. There is no visitation. Ms. Guzauskas will be cremated.
Anne Hart, 89, of Fort Thomas, died Monday at Baptist Convalescent Center, Newport.
Survivors include a sister, Sarah Jane Thompson of Fort Thomas; two nephews and two nieces.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Dobbling Funeral Home, Fort Thomas, is handling the arrangements.
Garnett Reese Lucky, 62, of Cynthiana, died Sunday at his residence. He was a retired fireman from the Cynthiana Fire Department and a member of Elmarch United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Mona Sue Richie Lucky; daughters, Tracy Swinford, Mary Beth Yeager, Pam Nashtock, Karen Hill, and Janie Lebus, all of Harrison County; and nine grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Ware Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. tonight. Burial will be in Battle Grove Cemetery, Cynthiana. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of the Bluegrass, 506 E. Pike St., Cynthiana, Ky. 41031; American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 1131, Fairfax, Va. 22038-1131; or the American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2A, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Col. Tony Sarge Minnick, 52, of Owenton, died Sunday at Highlands of Fort Thomas. He was a sales representative with Convergys, Cincinnati, and an Army veteran. He was a member of Masonic Lodge No. 128 F&AM;, Owenton.
Survivors include his wife, Lois Arwood Minnick; a son, Patrick S. Minnick of Greenwood, Ind.; daughters, Bonnie R. Minnick and Christian D. Minnick, both of Greenwood, Ind.; his father and stepmother, Robert and Donna Minnick of Cloverdale, Ind.; his mother and stepfather, Arlene and John Hudson of Martinsville, Ind.; brothers, Mike Minnick of Cloverdale, Ind., and Mark Minnick of Bedford, Ind.; a sister, Robin Will of Martinsville, Ind.; and one grandchild.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Don Catchen & Son Funeral Home, Elsmere-Erlanger. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, with Masonic services at 7:30 p.m., at the funeral home. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Charlene Carol Davis Moore, 57, of Florence, died Sunday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. She was a homemaker. Her husband, William Moore, and her son, William Terry Moore, preceded her in death.
Survivors include daughters, Sherry Jones of Florence and Tracy Lynn Moore of Latonia; her mother, Hazel Blevins of Demossville; a brother, Mike Blevins of Fort Wayne, Ind.; sisters, Myra Gevedon of Independence and Ramona Reed of Demossville; and three grandchildren.
No services or visitation is scheduled. Cremation will be provided by Northern Kentucky Crematory, Walton. Chambers & Grubbs Funeral Home, Florence, is handling the arrangements.
Lucy Mae Shields, 82, of Hebron, died Sunday at her residence. She was a homemaker and a member of Bullittsburg Baptist Church. Her husband, Cecil B. Shields, preceded her in death.
Survivors include sons, Cecil Paul Shields and David Nelson Shields, both of Hebron, and Jerry Allen Shields of Alexandria; six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Services will be at noon Wednesday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Hebron. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in Carlisle Cemetery.
Dr. Gayle L. Toole, 71, of Nicholasville, died Saturday. He was a minister at Hebron Baptist Church and an Air Force veteran. He was a member of the Nicholasville Optimist Club, Withers Public Library Board of Directors, First Southern Bank Board of Directors, Northern Kentucky Baptist Association, Elkhorn Baptist Association, Kentucky Baptist Convention, and Georgetown College Board of Directors.
Survivors include his wife, Jo Ann Rowlett Toole; a son, Todd Toole of Hillsboro, Ohio; brothers, Walter Toole of Indiana and Garland Toole of Florence; and three grandchildren.
Services will be at 7 p.m. today at Edgewood Baptist Church. Visitation will begin there at 1 p.m. today. An additional service will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Hebron Baptist Church with visitation beginning there at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Burial will be in Owenton Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the Hebron Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 92, Hebron, Ky. 41048; or the American Cancer Society, American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2A, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Ruby Watts, 85, of Hebron, died Saturday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. She was a retired bus driver and a cafeteria cook from the Boone County Board of Education and a member of Gethsemane United Methodist Church of Burlington. Her husband, Thorton Watts, and a son, Roger Dale Watts, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a daughter, Betty Gale Abdon of Burlington; a sister, Thelma Marshall of Burlington; five grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and four great-great grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Gethsemane United Methodist Church of Burlington. Visitation will begin there at noon Wednesday. Burial will be in Hebron Lutheran Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Gethsemane United Methodist Church of Burlington, 2776 Burlington Pike, Burlington, Ky. 41005. Linnemann Funeral Home, Burlington, is handling the arrangements.
