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Date of these obituaries: 07-18-2003
Mary Rector, 95, was church organist
Mary Anna Belle Rector's dedication to her church helped her to carry on -- and prolong -- a remarkable family tradition.
Mrs. Rector was in the middle of five generations of church organists. She played for many years at First Baptist Church in Walton, carrying on in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother.
And she passed on her love of sacred music to her daughter, Irma Rector Parks, of Dry Ridge, and her granddaughter, Dara Hale of Ghent.
Mrs. Rector, a homemaker, died Wednesday at Baptist Convalescent Center in Newport. She was 95.
Raised in a Christian family in the Hickory Grove community of Kenton County, Mrs. Rector had a "strong heritage of the Christian faith, " said Parks, and she immersed herself in church work.
She directed the children's choir at First Baptist, taught Sunday school there for more than 40 years, and was a member of the Women's Missionary Union and the Northern Kentucky Association of Baptist Women. As she was nearing the end of her time at the Walton Church, she volunteered as organist at Grace Baptist Church in Independence.
Her mother showed her by example the value of church membership, Parks said.
"She took me to church, she didn't send me, " said Parks, organist at Dry Ridge Baptist Church.
Mrs. Rector's other great love was her family.
She kept her grandchildren and great-grandchildren enthralled by reciting poetry, mostly children's rhymes, and singing a song in which she ticked off every book in the Bible.
"She could do that up until the last few months of her life, " Parks said.
Mrs. Rector's husband, Bryan Rector, died in 1979.
Surviving in addition to her daughter are three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 7:30 tonight at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Walton.
Visitation will begin there at 4 p.m. Burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Independence Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to First Baptist Church, 47 S. Main St., Walton, Ky. 41094.
Sophia Bolling, of Covington, died Wednesday at her home. She was a member of Holy Cross Church, Latonia, and an avid volunteer with the church, Holy Cross Elementary and High schools, Covington Latin, the Girl Scouts, Villa Madonna Academy, Seminary Guild, Mary's Hope, and Healthy Moms and Babes. She was a past president of the former St. Helen's Society of Holy Cross, a past president of the Home and School Guild with Holy Cross Elementary and membership secretary of the Taylor Mill Swim Club. She was an Army veteran of World War II, serving as a nurse in France. Her husband, James P. Bolling, died in 1997.
Survivors include sons, James P. Bolling of Jacksonville, Fla., and Christopher F. Bolling of Edgewood; daughters, Barbara Bolling Beimesch of Taylor Mill and Beth Bolling Joos of Harrison, Ohio; sisters, Helen Boltzer of Baltimore, Mary Breese of Richboro, Pa., and Anne Bishel of Carrollton, Ohio; and eight grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 12:30 p.m. Monday at Holy Cross Church, Latonia. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Monday. Entombment will be in Mother of God Mausoleum, Fort Wright. Memorials are suggested to Holy Cross Church, 3612 Church St., Covington, Ky. 41015. Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia, is handling arrangements.
Frankie Leeann Casterline, 23, of Chicago, formerly of Independence, died Tuesday in Chicago. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include a daughter, Alyssa Roberts, at home; a son, Nicholas Roberts, at home; her mother, Edith Casterline of Erlanger; her father and stepmother, Frank Casterline and Bonnie Winkler of Independence; sisters, Tiffaney Casey and Stephanie Casterline, both of Independence; a grandfather, Walter Casterline of Independence; and fiancee, Jerry Roberts of Chicago.
Services will be at 5 p.m. Sunday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence. Visitation will begin there at 2 p.m. Sunday. Burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas. Memorials are suggested to the family, in care of Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, P.O. Box 55, Walton, Ky. 41094.
Elena Barrett Geary, 88, of Newport, died at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Vitas Hospice Unit, Hamilton, Ohio. She was a homemaker. Her husband, Thomas Geary, died in 1980. A son, Patrick Geary, died in 1976.
Survivors include daughters, Susan Geary Hiltz of Albuquerque and Elizabeth McAtee of Cincinnati; sisters, Dorothy Comer of Covington, Marie Cottam of Beyo, Utah, and June Edinger of Florida; and three grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Holy Spirit Church, Newport. Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Fares J. Radel Funeral Home, Newport. Burial will be in St. Stephen Cemetery, Fort Thomas. Memorials are suggested to Holy Trinity School, 235 Division St., Bellevue, Ky. 41073.
Lillei Mae Hardin, 72, of Florence, died Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington. She was a retail manager with Spiegel and Montgomery Ward catalog companies.
Survivors include sons, Henry Curry of Dry Ridge and Robin Curry of Burlington; sisters, Joyce Starr of Ashland, Brenda Boyer of Abingdon, Va., Faye Duncan and Phylis Dillon, both of Florence; brothers, Kenneth Hall of Williamson, W.Va., Dale Hall of Charter and Robert Hall of Germantown, Ohio; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Cremation will be at Southwest Ohio Cremation Co., Milford, Ohio. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014. Linnemann Funeral Home, Burlington, is handling arrangements.
Anna Louise Smitson Poe Menz, 84, of Berry, died at 3 a.m. Thursday at Harrison Memorial Hospital, Cynthiana. She was a homemaker and a member of Two Lick Baptist Church, Germantown. Her husband, Eugene Menz, and a son, Raymond Darrell Poe, both preceded her in death.
Survivors include sons, Ronald Lee Poe of Foster, Archie Leland Poe of Afton, Ohio, Jerry Dewayne Poe of Mount Perry, Ohio, and Johnny Dale Poe of Avon; daughters, Mary Carolyn Wigglesworth of Berry, Marjorie Ruth Wright of Lexington and Sandra June Cooper of Pebbles, Ohio; grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Palmer Funeral Home, Germantown. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery, Germantown.
Edith Eugenia "Dena" Moore, 64, of Falmouth, died Wednesday at her daughter's home in Falmouth. She was a member of Falmouth United Methodist Church and attended Butler Baptist Church. Her husband, Fred Cain Moore Jr., died Jan. 19.
Survivors include a son, James W. Moore of Falmouth; daughters, Deloris Moore of Falmouth and Tracey Miller of California; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Woodhead Funeral Home, Falmouth. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Mount Vernon Cemetery, Pendleton County. Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Hope, 1 West McDonald Parkway, Maysville, Ky. 41056.
Josie Rudell Richmond Robbins, 90, of Carrollton, died Thursday at Green Valley Health and Rehabilitation Center, Carrollton. She was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church, Carrollton. Her husband, John William Robbins, died in 1994. A son, Bobby Gene Robbins, died in 1997.
Survivors include a son, Billy Joe Robbins of Carrollton; five grandchildren, a step-grandchild, nine great-grandchildren, four step-great-grandchildren and two step-great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Tandy-Eckler-Riley Funeral Home, Carrollton. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in IOOF Cemetery, Carrollton.
Iva Rose Rogers, 97, of Bardstown, formerly of Belleview, died Wednesday at Windsor Gardens Assisted Living, Bardstown. She was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church, Frankfort. Her husband, Hualpha H.A. Rogers, died in 1964.
Survivors include sons, Bernard Rogers of Springboro, Ohio, Charles Rogers of Bardstown, Donald Rogers of Lexington and James Rogers of New Smyrna Beach, Fla.; eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Stith Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will begin there at noon. Burial will be in Belleview Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Nelson County, 111 N. Third St., Bardstown, Ky. 40004.
