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Date of these obituaries: 08-28-2003
Ophelia Boeh, nurse, dedicated to family
Even in death, Ophelia Gardner Boeh will keep on blessing her grandchildren.
The family of the Fort Thomas woman, who died Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital East in Fort Thomas, asked that memorials be sent to the Down Syndrome Association of Central Kentucky.
One of Mrs. Boeh's five granddaughters has Down syndrome.
"Her life centered around the grandchildren. She didn't miss anything they did, " said Mrs. Boeh's son, David Boeh of Bellevue. "Anyone who knew her, knew her as a grandmother."
It wasn't always that way, of course.
Born in Paris, Tenn., Mrs. Boeh soon moved to Murray and grew up there. After a year at Murray State University, she got a job at Spears Hospital in Dayton, which had a nursing school.
One of her teachers was Dr. Daniel Boeh, a recent medical school graduate. They married
in 1940.
Unlike many women of that era, Mrs. Boeh didn't quit work after her children were born. She continued to practice nursing at the hospital, and, when it closed in the late 1950s, she ran her husband's office until he retired.
"She enjoyed being a nurse. She enjoyed helping people, " her son said.
In her last 30 or so years, her life revolved around her family.
"If I could have hand-picked a mother-in-law, I could not have picked a better one, " said her son's wife, Mary Jo Boeh.
Mrs. Boeh also continued to meet with members of the 38 Club, a group of about 20 women, all 1938 graduates of the hospital's nursing school. They met monthly after graduation until most became too old, her son said.
Macular degeneration prompted Mrs. Boeh to stop driving in 1986. She was considered legally blind for the past two or three years, and no longer attended services at St. John's United Church of Christ in Newport.
Yet even at 91 years old, she still treasured her independence. Until about three weeks ago, she lived at the Barrington, an independent and assisted living home in Fort Thomas.
"She was a very determined woman, " her daughter-in-law said.
Other survivors include son Dr. Daniel G. Boeh of Paducah, five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. John United Church of Christ. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas. Memorials are suggested to Down Syndrome Association of Central Kentucky, 121 Dantzler Drive, Lexington, Ky. 40503. A.C. Dobbling and Son Funeral Home, Bellevue, is handling arrangements.
Laurette Burkart, 87, of Highland Heights, died at 10:15 a.m. Saturday at her home. She was a retired dental assistant.
Survivors include a daughter, Debra Foss of Alexandria.
Services were this morning at Asbury Methodist Church, Highland Heights. Ms. Burkart bequeathed her body to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Memorials are suggested to Mary Rose Mission, 1543 Russell St., Covington, Ky. 41014. Don Catchen and Son Funeral Home, Elsmere, is handling arrangements.
Mary Allison Dirst, daughter of Chad and Karen Ralenkotter Dirst of Chicago, was stillborn Saturday in Chicago.
Other survivors include grandparents, Karen Dirst of Minooka, Ill., and Joseph and Gertrude Ralenkotter of Edgewood; and great-grandmother, Margaret Dirst of Minooka.
Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Mary Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Erlanger, is handling arrangements.
Edgar G. Irwin, 86, of Taylor Mill, died at 7 a.m. Monday at Florence Park Care Center. He was a retired employee of Cincinnati Gas & Electric, a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, Latonia, and an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Leah F. Curry Irwin; daughters, Jean Horie of Honolulu, Hawaii, and Janet Vegas of Hawaii; a sister, Edith Parman of Latonia; grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Alzheimer's Disease Association, 644 Linn St., Suite 1026, Cincinnati, Ohio 45203. Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Latonia, is handling arrangements.
Patricia A. Macke, 85, of Covington, died at 9 a.m. Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington. She was a homemaker and a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, Covington. Her husband, Joseph M. Macke, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a daughter, Susan Macke Porter of Wyoming, Ohio; three grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Trinity Episcopal Church, Covington. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio 45229; Welcome House of Northern Kentucky, 205 Pike St., Covington, Ky. 41011; or Kenton County Animal Shelter, 1020 Mary Laidley Drive, Fort Mitchell, Ky. 41017. Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia, is handling arrangements.
Janice Louise Bowling Schmid, 35, of Verona, drowned Tuesday in Fort Wright. She was a homemaker and a member of Bradford Lodge Order of the Eastern Star.
Survivors include her husband, Bob Schmid; sons, Charles Garnett of Latonia and John Garnett of Verona; a stepson, Steven Schmid of Florence; a stepdaughter, Sara Schmid of Florence; her mother, Janice Daniels Bowling of Covington; a brother, Gary Bowling of Covington; and grandmother, Demia Daniels of Morning View.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at the funeral home, followed by Eastern Star services.
Burial will be in Independence Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Charles and John Garnett Fund, in care of Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, P.O. Box 55, Walton, Ky. 41094.
Jo Anne Smith, 64, of Brooksville, died at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday at he rhome. She was a homemaker and a member of Mount Olivet Christian Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Thrasher Smith; daughters, Sheila Anderson of Augusta, Sandra Linville of Maysville and Sherry Merrill of Brooksville; a son, Joseph Smith of Ewing; sisters, Shirley Stulz and Mary Lou Denton, both of Alexandria; a brother, Robert Stulz of Milford, Ohio; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Moore and Parker Funeral Home, Brooksville. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Bracken Memorial Cemetery, Brooksville. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Hope, 1 West McDonald Parkway, Maysville, Ky. 41056; or American Cancer Society, 6612 Dixie Highway, Suite 2A, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Norma R. Snell, 73, of Newport, died at 1:50 p.m. Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. She was a retired data entry worker with Velva Sheen, Cincinnati. A son, Gregory Snell, preceded her in death.
Survivors include a daughter, Glenna Kremer of Newport; brothers, John Piccirillo of Newport and Pete Piccirillo of Cincinnati; sisters, Carolina Buemi of Newport and Philomena Daniel of Villa Hills; six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Memorial Mass of Christian burial will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Therese Church, Southgate. Mrs. Snell bequeathed her body to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Newport, is handling arrangements.
