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Date of these obituaries: 04-04-2003
Gerald Clore, 'Grandpa' to fellow
Gerald L. Clore joined the Burlington Fire Department in 1948 because he thought the five-year-old organization needed all the help it could get.
When Mr. Clore died Wednesday at his home in Burlington at the age of 77, nearly 55 years later, he was still a member of the fire department.
In that intervening half-century plus, he held nearly every position in the organization, including chief from 1971 to 1976. In recent years, he was best known -- and most appreciated -- for the guidance he gave to young members of the department.
"He was called 'Grandpa' because of his grandfatherly manner in teaching the young people who came in with no experience, " said Ernie Biddle, chief of the department since 1986. "His knowledge and teaching ability with young people are assets that will be hard to replace."
Mr. Clore retired as process engineer from Allis Chalmers in Norwood, Ohio, in 1987.
He spent his retirement fishing, camping, gardening, cooking, playing with his grandchildren and nursing his wife, Mary Jane Clore, through her final illness. She died in November 1996.
"He was very patient, he took such good care of her, " said a daughter, Ellen Young, of Hebron.
He never lost touch with the fire department. His service time is a record for the organization that will probably never be broken, said Biddle.
"He'd come in two, three times a day, " Biddle said. "He was very dependable."
Mr. Clore was a member of Burlington Baptist Church and a former master of Burlington Lodge No. 264 F&AM and a Navy veteran of World War II.
Other survivors include a daughter, Sharon Kay Burns of Petersburg; a son, Gerald M. Clore of Hebron; a brother, Alvin Clore of Burlington; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Burlington Baptist Church. Visitation will be from 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday at Stith Funeral Home, Florence, followed by Burlington Fire Department memorial services. Burial will be in Burlington Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to Hospice of Northern Kentucky, 1403 Alexandria Pike, Fort Thomas, Ky. 41075; or Burlington Fire Department, 6050 Firehouse Drive, Burlington, Ky. 41005.
Luther Pat Case, 75, of Erlanger, died Tuesday at St. Luke Hospital East, Fort Thomas. He was a retired press operator with Ceik Printing Co., Cincinnati, a member of Florence Church of God and an Army veteran of World War II. His wife, Helma Gross Case, died in 1999.
Survivors include daughters, Paula Case of Latonia and Cynthia Mickelson of Newport; brothers, Russell Case of Union and James Lee Case of Alexandria; sisters, Thelma Marshall of Muncie, Ind., Gay Adams of Irving and Aggie Fahlbush of Newport; six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. today at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Florence. Burial will be in Alexandria Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Redwood School and Rehabilitation Center, 71 Orphanage Road, Fort Mitchell, Ky. 41017.
Edna Seals Centers, 77, of Verona, died Thursday at St. Luke Hospital West in Florence. She was a member of Verona First Full Gospel Church of God. Her husband, Finley Centers, preceded her in death.
Survivors include daughters, Connie Benton of Union, Gail Stephenson of Petersburg and Sherry Thomas of Verona; a son, Roger Centers of Walton; a sister, Beatrice Amburgey of New Carlisle, Ohio; brothers, Orville Seals of Corbin and Maryland Seals of Prestonsburg; nine grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Hamilton-Stanley Funeral Home, Verona. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in New Bethel Cemetery, Verona.
Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice in Covington.
Ruth K. Fraley Decker, 73, of Covington, died Thursday at Garrard Convalescent Center in Covington. She was a retired seamstress and tailor.
Survivors include a daughter, Glema Warneford of Morning View; sons, Robert Charles Decker of Cincinnati and Lindsey R. Decker of Morning View; brothers Jack Fraley of Morehead and Monroe Fraley of Cincinnati; sister, Annabelle Kiser of Irontown, Ohio; and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Chambers & Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Independence Cemetery.
Barbara Lee Gripshover, 43, of Union, died Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Charlie Gripshover; daughters, Charlene Gripshover of Walton, Laurie Gripshover and Jenny Gripshover, both of Union; a son, Paul Gripshover of Union; sisters, Betty Hodges of Burlington and Frances Olson of Greenville, Ga.; and brothers, Butch Setters of Union, Sam Setters of Covington and Bud Setters of LaGrange.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Paul Church, Florence. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Burlington. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Fort Mitchell.
Ora Jean Smith, 67, of Owenton, died Wednesday at Central Baptist Hospital, Lexington. He was a farmer and a member of Elk Lick Baptist Church, Booneville.
Survivors include a son, Silas Prather Jr. of Owenton; a daughter, Ertha Jean Smith of Henry County; a brother, Alvin Keith of Owenton; a sister, Alice Pierce of Frankfort; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at McDonald & New Funeral Home, Main Street, Owenton. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Monterey Cemetery.
Joyce Stull, 64, of Grant's Lick, died Thursday.
Arrangements are pending at Peoples Funeral Home, Grant's Lick.
Juanita F. Tipton, 84, of Covington, died Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington. She was a homemaker and a mentor for students in First District School, Covington. She was also a volunteer with St. John Nursing Home, Covington. Her husband, William Tipton, died in 1998.
Survivors include sons, William Tipton II of Fort Thomas, Richard Tipton of Mentor, Ohio, and David Moonitz of Cincinnati; and seven grandchildren.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Mrs. Tipton bequeathed her body to the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, 401 E. 20th St., Covington, Ky. 41014. Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger, is handling arrangements.
Chesley "Lucky" Turner, 80, of Erlanger, died at 12:45 a.m. Wednesday at St. Luke Hospital West, Florence. He was a retired public works employee of the City of Florence and an Army veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Helen Turner; daughters, Nancy Lester and Vicky Jones, both of Burlington, Margaret Kovach of Moone Township, Pa., and Barbara Lady of Darien Center, N.Y.; a son, Charles Powers of Florence; a brother, Carl Turner of Union; sisters, Annalee Cook of Florence, Orpha Adams of Covington and Dorothy Cook of Sellersburg, Ind.; 17 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10:45 a.m. Saturday at Catchen Funeral Home, Elsmere. Visitation will begin there at 9 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Floral Hills Cemetery, Taylor Mill.
