Search Archived Marriage Records
Date of these obituaries: 12-11-97
Robert Pitts, leader in Crestview Hills
Robert Hardin Pitts liked politics, but that's not why he became a Crestview Hills city council member.
The people wanted him. They asked Mr. Pitts to run for a vacant seat on the council in 1990, and he won the most votes of any write-in candidate in Crestview Hills, said his daughter, Susan Berns of Crestview Hills.
"People in the neighborhood really respected him, " she said. "My father had integrity, principle, honor. That's how he was, and that's how he raised his kids."
Mr. Pitts, 72, died at 10:45 a.m. Friday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South in Edgewood. The Crestview Hills man had lung cancer. His son, Joseph Matthew Pitts, died in 1989.
Mr. Pitts grew up in Covington and went to Holmes High School. After he graduated, he went into the Army during World War II and served as a paratrooper.
"People used to ask if he was scared when he jumped out of the airplane, " his daughter said. "He said he was scared every time he jumped out of the airplane."
Mr. Pitts fought at the Battle of the Bulge, and earned a purple heart, Ms. Berns said. When he returned from the war, he went to the University of Cincinnati and graduated from the College of Engineering.
He married
his wife, Shirley Sahnger Pitts, in 1955 and eventually got a job as an electrical engineer at General Electric in Cincinnati. He worked there for 34 years.
The couple moved to Crestview Hills, where they raised their family. In his spare time,
Mr. Pitts enjoyed golfing and wood-working.
"He was into fixing things, working on projects for the kids or somebody in the family, " Ms. Berns said. "There wasn't anything he couldn't do."
After he retired, Mr. Pitts became a council member and headed committees on public works and police.
"He was like a walking encyclopedia, " Ms. Berns said. "He read everything in the paper, so he was very well-versed in politics as well as other things.
"He never bragged about anything, " she said. "He believed you just did it because it was the right thing to do."
In addition to his wife and daughter, other survivors include daughter Mary Beth Flaherty of Erlanger; sons, Robert A. Pitts of Fairfax, Ohio, and Thomas B. Pitts of Erlanger; a brother, David Pitts of Lexington; and seven grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Henry Church, Elsmere. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger.
Memorials are suggested to Joseph Pitts Memorial Scholarship Fund, Auburn University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn, Ala. 36849, or St. Henry High School, 3837 Dixie Highway, Elsmere, Ky. 41018.
James Edward Butler, 65, of Katy, Texas, formerly of Highland Heights, died at 7:54 a.m. Sunday at Herman Hospital in Houston. He was a fire inspector at General Electric and was a member of Sacred Heart Church in Fairfield, Ohio. He was a member of the Highland Heights Volunteer Fire Department, International Association of Machinists Local No. 162, and Knights of Columbus No. 8115 Father Roettele Chapter.
Survivors include his wife, Marilyn L. Butler; daughters, Janet Middleton of Edgewood, Linda Kile of Parker, Colo. and Nancy Butler of Katy, Texas; sons, Kenneth Butler of Brandon, Fla., Donald Butler of Katy, Texas, and Thomas Butler of Hamilton, Ohio; a sister, Patricia Burton of Norcross, Ga.; and four grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the church. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 tonight at the Paul R. Young Funeral Home in Hamilton, Ohio. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Ft. Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Christian Appalachian Project, 322 Crab Orchard St., Lancaster, Ky. 40446.
Vera A. Goodridge Dolwick, 80, of Hebron, died Monday at her home. She was a homemaker and a member of Hebron Lutheran Church. Her husband, Gilbert L. Dolwick, died in 1973.
Survivors include a daughter, Elva A. Malott of Hebron; a son, Gary L. Dolwick of Florence; five grandchildren and two great- grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the church. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Hebron. Burial will be in Hebron Lutheran Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to the church, 3140 Limaburg Road, Hebron, Ky. 41048, or Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Ft. Thomas, Ky. 41075.
Roxie Hornsby, 86, of Highland Heights, died at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday at Lakeside Place Nursing Home in Highland Heights. She was a retired nurse for Allegheny Hospital.
Survivors include a son, Alfred Gene Combs; a brother, Garland Miller of Tennessee; and sisters, Mattie Sprague of Highland Heights and Martha Lewis of Jacksonville, Fla.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Southgate. Dobbling Funeral Home, Ft. Thomas, is handling arrangements.
Alma Niewahner Kammerer, 89, of Covington, died Wednesday at St. Charles Care Center in Covington. She was a homemaker and a member of Blessed Sacrament Church, Ft. Mitchell. She was a member of the church Altar Society and St. Henry Senior Citizens. Her husband, Albert A. Kammerer, died in 1972.
Survivors include a daughter, Rosemary Shea of Edgewood; a son, Richard Kammerer of Xenia, Ohio; a brother, Charles Niewahner of Elsmere; seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Charles Care Center Chapel. Visitation will be from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the chapel. Burial will be in St. John Cemetery, Ft. Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to the nursing home, 500 Farrell Drive, Covington, Ky. 41011. Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Erlanger, is handling arrangements.
Margaret Elizabeth Leinmiller, 88, of Dayton, died at 12:25 p.m. Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Ft. Thomas. She was a retired telephone operator for Cincinnati Bell, a member of the Pioneers Club and the Senior Citizens of Northern Kentucky.
Survivors include several nieces and nephews.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Bernard Church, Dayton. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Dayton. Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Ft. Wright.
Elsie Mershon, 84, of Dry Ridge, died Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center Grant County in Williamstown. She was a homemaker and a member of Vine Run Baptist Church, Dry Ridge.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Eckler-Hudson Funeral Home, Dry Ridge. Visitation will begin there at noon Saturday. Burial will be in Jonesville Cemetery.
Clayton Bud Ogden, 71, of Union, died at 3 a.m. Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. He was a farmer and a member of East Bend Baptist Church, Union.
Survivors include a sister, Jean Hubbard of Union; and a brother, Billy D. Ogden of Union.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in East Bend Methodist Church Cemetery, Union. Memorials are suggested to the cemetery, Union, Ky. 41091.
Thelma Rae Pennington Parm, 63, of Maysville, died Tuesday at University Hospital, Cincinnati. She was a retired supply clerk with R. C. A. in Norwood, Ohio.
Survivors include daughters, Sharon Gum and Deborah Chaney, both of Cincinnati; sons, James Dean of Cincinnati and Arnold Mitchell of Hamilton, Ohio; sisters, Nancy Wurzsback of Pineville, Rowena "Penny" Noe of Newport, Mable Campbell of Hamilton, Ohio, Cassie Schweider of Fairfield, Ohio, and Alice Marino of Hazard; brothers, Willie Pennington and Ira Clint Pennington, both of Somerset; a half-sister, Linda Pennington of Texas; half-brothers, Dorse Pennington of Oklahoma and Wayne McIntosh of Texas; 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Newport. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Alexandria Cemetery.
William Earl Scroggin, 67, of Florence, died at 5:10 p.m. Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was a retired employee of Stith Funeral Home, Florence, and a former French Bauer & Permalite Corp. worker.
He was a member of Florence Baptist Church, and a member of Florence Masonic Lodge No. 949 F&AM and Indra Consistory Scottish Rite. He was a former treasurer of the Boone County Knothole Baseball League. He was an Army veteran of the Korean War.
Survivors include his wife, Thelma Rogers Scroggin; a son, Roger Scroggin of Burlington; a daughter, Connie Kohrs of Burlington; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Stith Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery, Erlanger. Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society, 7730 U. S. 42, Suite C6, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Wilmer Thornton, 84, of Butler, died at 2:52 a.m. today at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood.
Arrangements are pending at Peoples Funeral Home, Grants Lick.
