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Date of these obituaries: 01-23-2004
William Steenken, 77, former Kenton sheriff
William R. "Whiz" Steenken, who served 13 years as Kenton County sheriff before retiring in 1998, died Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington. The Fort Wright resident was 77.
After graduating from Xavier University, Mr. Steenken sold Burger Beer for Stanley Tranter Distributing Co. in Covington for 27 years before taking his first job in law enforcement in 1978, as a Kenton County deputy sheriff. He liked the job so much that he decided he would continue -- as sheriff.
He ran for the office as a Democrat in 1985 and was elected, capitalizing on many of the friendships he had made traveling around the county selling beer. He was subsequently re-elected twice.
"It was hard not to like him, " said former Kenton County Judge-Executive Clyde Middleton, a Republican. "He had friends on both sides of the political spectrum."
Mr. Steenken preferred to rely on persuasion rather than force to enforce the law, said a daughter, Sydney A. Haggerty, of Fort Wright.
"He never carried a gun, in all the time he was a deputy and sheriff, " she said. "He kept it in a cigar box under the seat of his cruiser, just in case he needed it."
Mr. Steenken retired in 1998 with five months left in his third term because of advanced degenerative arthritis in both knees. That condition worsened during his retirement, and just last week he had decided to have knee replacement surgery, said Haggerty.
In retirement, her father continued his longtime custom of serving 6:30 a.m. Mass at St. Agnes Church. Then he would go to the grocery and shop for that night's dinner.
He also liked to cook Sunday breakfast for as many members of his family who would show up -- sometimes as many as 15.
"He loved to cook for people, he loved to feed people, " Haggerty said.
He and his wife, Helen, traveled in retirement, always by car, to Florida, Texas and New Orleans. Always, the first thing they did was pop a tape of the Rosary into the tape-player, Haggerty said.
He was an Army veteran of World War II.
Surviving in addition to his daughter are his wife, Helen G. Robinson Steenken; another daughter, Margaret M. Clarke of Cincinnati; sons, George W. Steenken of Fort Wright, Matthew W. Steenken of Fort Mitchell and Stewart W. Steenken of Crestview Hills; sisters, Camille Haverkamp and Margie Johnson, both of Fort Wright; brothers, Rev. George Steenken, S.J., of Barrington, Ill., and John "Boots" Steenken of Fort Wright; and 11 grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 6 p.m. Sunday at St. Agnes Church, Fort Wright. Visitation will begin there at 3 p.m. Sunday. Entombment will be in Mother of God Mausoleum, Fort Wright. Memorials are suggested to the charity of the donor's choice. Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington, is handling arrangements.
Evelyn "Evie" Smith Alig, 82, of Ludlow, died at 11:39 a.m. Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. She was a retired legal secretary with Kenton County Judge Executive James Dressman and Circuit Court Judge William Dunn. She was a member of Ludlow Christian Church and Ludlow Senior Citizens.
Survivors include her husband, Thomas G. Alig Sr.; a daughter, Lynn Alig of Ludlow; sons, Thomas G. Alig Jr. of Fort Wright and Jon Alig of Lakeside Park; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Ludlow. Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Thomas. Memorials are suggested to Ludlow Senior Center, 808 Elm St., Ludlow, Ky. 41016.
Helen Bates, 88, of Independence, died at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday at her home. She was a nurse with Booth Hospital, Covington, and a member of Rosedale Baptist Church, Latonia. A daughter, Barbara Joan Bates, died in 1997.
Survivors include her husband, William Bates; daughters, Shirley Vincent of Independence and Patricia Gilpin of Glendale, Ohio; brothers, Clifford Harold Baker of Fort Mitchell, Robert Baker of Laguna Beach, Calif., and Allen Wayne Baker of Covington; a sister, Lucille Weatherford of Covington; three grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Independence. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Home Health Hospice, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014.
Edward Boggs, 92, of Florence, died Thursday at Florence Park Care Center. He was a Seal-Test machine operator with French-Baur Dairy, a member of United Dairy Workers Union and a Navy veteran of World War II. His wife, Ruth Boggs, and a son, Edward Boggs, both preceded him in death.
Survivors include cousins.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2A, Florence, Ky. 41042; or Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 105 W. Fourth St., Fourth and Race Tower, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202.
Omer Carlos "O.C." Brunker, 85, of Cynthiana, died Wednesday at Harrison Memorial Hospital, Cynthiana. He was a retired farmer and employee of Ladish Co. His wives, Eunice Doyle Brunker and Blanche Eads Brunker, and a daughter, Judith Ann Brunker, all preceded in death.
Survivors include a son, David Ronald Brunker of Cynthiana; daughters, Brenda Joyce Nolen of Cynthiana and Beverly Bean Short of Macon, Ga.; brothers, Wallace Gano Brunker of Falmouth and Vernon Leon Brunker of Cynthiana; a sister, Imogene Lois Whitmoyer of Nebraska City, Neb.; four grandchildren, five step-grandchildren, a great-grandchild and nine step-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at Ware Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Republican Cemetery, Cynthiana.
Sceva Imogene Eshman, 72, of California, died Thursday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. She was a homemaker and a member of Second Twelve Mile Baptist Church, Peach Grove. She taught Sunday school classes at the church.
Survivors include her husband, Johnny Eshman; a son, Terry Eshman of Alexandria; a daughter, Vicky Strausbaugh of Alexandria; brothers, Willard Prince of Sebastian, Fla., and Ronnie Prince of Demossville; sisters, Wanda Casson of Cheektowaga, N.Y., Margie Gallagher of California, Carol Haubner of Falmouth and Pam Bowen of Demossville; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Second Twelve Mile Baptist Church, Peach Grove. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the church. Burial will be in Peach Grove Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Gideon International, P.O. Box 147, Falmouth, Ky. 41040. Peoples Funeral Home, Butler, is handling arrangements.
Sam Bradshaw Foushee Jr., 85, of Greensboro, N.C., died Jan. 14 at Moses Cone Hospital, Greensboro. He was a retired employee of the Internal Revenue Service and a Navy veteran of World War II.
Survivors include daughters, Linda Miskovich of Winston-Salem, N.C., Lorinda Plapp of Perry Park and Leslie Catlett of Greensboro; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Services have already been held. Memorials are suggested to College Place United Methodist Church, 509 S. Tate St., Greensboro, N.C. 24705. Hanes Lineberry Funeral Home, Greensboro, handled arrangements.
Mollie Kearns Harrison, 81, of Florence, died Wednesday at her home.
She was a registered nurse with Kissimmee, Fla., Medical Center, and a member of Eastern Star Masonic Lodge in Newport. She was a former member of Dayton Baptist Church. Her husband, Charles Harrison, died in 1997. A son, James W. Kearns, died in 1992.
Survivors include sons, Charles Kearns of Florence and Eddie Kearns of Burlington; a sister, Maxine Collins of Muncie, Ind.; brothers, Elmer Shipley Jr. of Georgetown, Oscar Shipley and Joe Shipley, both of Kissimmee; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 2680, North Canton, Ohio 44720.
Faun Opal Wolfe Hash, 87, of Kannapolis, N.C., formerly of Harrison County, died Sunday at North East Medical Center, Concord, N.C. She was a Gibson Girl in Cincinnati and an employee of the Kroger Co. She was a nurse with the TB Hospital in Paris and a retired employee of IBM.
Survivors include a brother, William L.Wolfe of Cynthiana; sons, Calvert Edwards of Hawkinsville, Ga., Richard A. Copeland of Apache Junction, Ariz., and Robert D. Copeland of Marietta, Ga.; daughters, Geraldine McFarland and Patricia Copeland Dorsey, both of Kannapolis, Marietta Reed of Round Rock, Texas, and Jonnie Copeland Kendall of Austin, Texas; 14 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Ware Funeral Home, Cynthiana. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Pythian Grove Cemetery, Cynthiana.
Alice Jean Huenefeld, 74, of Latonia, died at 10:35 p.m. Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. Alice
She was a retired bookkeeper with St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington, and a member of Holy Cross Church in Latonia, where she was active in the St. Helen's Society. She was a member of Holmes Boosters and was a member of the St. Elizabeth Medical Center Advisory Board.
Survivors include her husband, Bill Huenefeld; sons, Will Huenefeld of Milford, Ohio, Brian Huenefeld of Edgewood and Bob Huenefeld of Covington; daughters, Kathy Sayre of Louisville, Diana Kennedy of Tucson, Ariz., Brenda Gold of West Chester, Ohio, and Karen Hunter of Latonia; a sister, Shirley Burry of Williamsburg, Va.; and 13 grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial was this morning at Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia. Burial was in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill. Memorials are suggested to Holy Cross Alumni Association, 3617 Church St., Covington, Ky. 41015.
Joyce Lee Knoop, 65, of Ludlow, died Thursday at her home.
Arrangements are pending at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington.
Helen Dalphine Johnson, 71, of Florence, died Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence.
Arrangements are pending at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Taylor Mill.
Ruby Pribble Owen, 85, of Butler, died Thursday at River Valley Nursing Home, Butler.
Arrangements are pending at Peoples Funeral Home, Butler.
Richard D. Phillips, 42, of Latonia, died Tuesday at his home.
He was a construction worker with Comfort Inn, Erlanger, and an Army veteran of the Persian Gulf War.
Survivors include a daughter, Courtney Luder of Naperville, Ill.; his mother, Jean Vawter Miller of Harrison, Ohio; sisters, Jane A. Phillips of Latonia and Judith Leis of Salem, Wis.; and a brother, Robert W. Phillips of Tampa, Fla.
Memorial services will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the home of Jane Phillips, 120 Summit Drive, Latonia.
Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia, is handling arrangements.
