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Date of these obituaries: 12-18-2002
Gordon L. Johnson, 74, `put on earth to fix things'
Gordon L. Johnson "felt like he was put on this earth to fix things, " said his daughter, Kim Smith of Taylor Mill.
Cars.
Motorcycles.
Boats.
But mostly what he fixed was Taylor Mill, his hometown for 42 years until his death Tuesday at age 74.
When its fledgling fire department needed someone to turn an old bread van into a rescue truck, he volunteered. He eventually joined the department and served 31 years, rising to the rank of captain, and serving as its public information officer and representative to the Northern Kentucky Fireman's Association.
When the city needed more recreational opportunities for its residents, he helped to start its recreation committee and played a pivotal role in developing Pride Park.
He helped out with the Taylor Mill School PTA and the Taylor Mill swim club.
When the city decided in 2000 to create a community service award, it named it after Mr. Johnson -- and presented the first one to him.
"Anything they wanted done, and he had time to do it, he would, " said his daughter.
When Mr. Johnson retired about 12 years ago and his wife, Imogene Kelsay Johnson, died, he found himself with even more time to do things.
So he stepped up his volunteerism and started a little side business with friend Ray Finnell, remodeling homes.
Mr. Johnson never let up, even after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor in October. The day before he was to have brain surgery, he was up on the roof of a church, inspecting work that his home repair business was doing.
"He went unbelievably fast, " said his daughter. "Ten weeks after he was diagnosed with it, he was gone."
When he's buried Saturday at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens in Taylor Mill, it will be with full fire department honors, including retirement of his captain's helmet.
He was a retired auto body mechanic with Superior Chevrolet in Cincinnati, a member of Taylor Moose Lodge No. 1469, volunteered at Sunny Acres Methodist Church and was an Army veteran.
Other survivors include a daughter, Robin Whittle of Arlington, Texas; a sister, Lee Rust of Independence; a longtime friend, Rita Hasler of Taylor Mill; and four grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Latonia.
Visitation will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Memorials are suggested to Taylor Mill Thermal Imaging Fund, or Taylor Mill Pride Park Fund, 5225 Taylor Mill Road, Taylor Mill, Ky. 41015.
Christopher D. Banks, 21, of Villa Hills, died Monday in Boone County. He was a student at Northern Kentucky University.
Survivors include his mother, Cynthia Kloeker of Walton; his father and stepmother, Christopher D. Banks and Cheryl Banks of Villa Hills; a sister, Melissa D. Banks of Villa Hills; and grandparents, Ronald and Donna Robinson of Holmes Beach, Fla.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 9 a.m. Saturday at Blessed Sacrament Church, Fort Mitchell. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral home, Erlanger. Entombment will be in St. Mary Mausoleum, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to North Key, 624 Madison Ave., Covington, Ky. 41011.
James J. Burns, 61, of Florence, died Monday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was a dispatcher with Sanitation District No. 1 and a former employee of Crouse/Hinds Co., Ludlow. He was a member of St. Paul Church in Florence and Bellevue Vets, and was a Navy veteran.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Burns; a son, Jeff Burns of Fort Wright; and brothers, Bill Burns of Independence and Clarence Burns of Arlington, Va.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Paul Church. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Erlanger. Burial will be in St. Mary Cemetery, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 2680, North Canton, Ohio 44720.
Kathrine L. Carpenter, 62, of Burlington, died at 4:05 a.m. Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Hospice Unit, Covington. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Carl Carpenter; a daughter, Tammy Kenner of Burlington; a son, Tem Carpenter of Petersburg; brothers, Darrell Miller and Ray Miller, both of Blanchester, Ohio; a sister, Eunice Smallwood of Florence; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Catchen Funeral Home, Elsmere. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 tonight at the funeral home. Burial will be in Petersburg Cemetery.
Burnetta "Sis" Hammer Crowe, 90, of Florence, died at 9 p.m. Monday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. She was a homemaker and a member of St. Anthony Church, Taylor Mill, and Forest Hills Firemen's Ladies Auxiliary. Her husband, Daniel J. Crowe, died in 1987. A daughter, Anna Lee Vogelpohl, died in 1979.
Survivors include daughters, Rose Blackburn of Taylor Mill, Pauline Schawe of Ryland Heights, Carol Sunderhaus of Cincinnati and Diane Johnson of Florence; brothers, Clifford Hammer of Latonia and Herbert Hammer of South Carolina; sisters, Florence Calvert of Florida, Mary Lou Turner of Park Hills, Camilla O'Brian of Colorado Springs, Colo., Alberta Slaughter of California and Marilyn Dressman of Erlanger; 30 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Anthony Church, Taylor Mill. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Middendorf-Bullock Funeral Home, Covington. Burial will be in St. Cecilia Church Cemetery, Independence. Memorials are suggested to Senior Citizens of Northern Kentucky, 1032 Madison Ave., Covington, Ky. 41011.
Peggy Devine, 76, of Covington, died at 4 p.m. Dec. 10 at Rosedale Manor, Latonia. She was a homemaker. There are no immediate survivors.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Catchen Funeral Home, Covington. Visitation will begin there at 1 p.m. Friday. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell.
Rodney Feltner, 38, of Covington, died Saturday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center North, Covington.
Survivors include his wife, Karen Hodges Feltner; daughters, Brandy Feltner of Southgate and Courtney Feltner of California; a son, Rodney Raleigh Taylor Feltner of Covington; his mother, Iris Collier Feltner of Burlington; a sister, Lisa Webster of Morning View; and brothers, Jerry Feltner of Burlington and Randy Feltner of Crittenden.
Memorial services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Florence. Visitation will begin there at noon Thursday. Cremation will be at Hillside Chapel, Cincinnati. Memorials are suggested to the family, in care of the funeral home, P.O. Box 6049, Florence, Ky. 41042.
Mary H. Fischer, 93, of Orlando, Fla., of Covington, died Sunday in Orlando.
Arrangements are pending at Allison and Rose Funeral Home, Covington.
Sister Mary Helen Frederick, C.D.P., 88, of Melbourne, died at 3:40 p.m. Monday at Holy Family Home in Melbourne. She was a retired licensed practical nurse and a member of the Congregation of Divine Providence, working with elderly and children in both Kentucky and Rhode Island.
Survivors include a sister, Helen Dameron of Detroit.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 4 p.m. today at St. Anne Convent, Melbourne. Visitation will begin there at 2:30 p.m. Burial will be in St. Anne Convent Cemetery, Melbourne. Memorials are suggested to Congregation of Divine Providence, 1000 St. Anne Drive, Melbourne, Ky. 41059. Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home, Newport, is handling arrangements.
Reva Ann Gastley, 75, of Covington, died Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Edgewood. She was a member of Visalia Baptist Church.
Survivors include her sons, Dan Powers of Independence and Marc Bruin of Covington; a brother, Levi McClure of Taylor Mill and two grandchildren.
Entombment service will be at 10 a.m. Thursday in Highland cemetery Chapel, Fort Mitchell. Memorials are suggested to St. Elizabeth Medical Center MICU Unit, c/o St. Elizabeth Medical Center Foundation, 1 Medical Village Dr., Edgewood, Ky. 41017.
Clarence Hickey, 61, of Butler, died Friday at his home. He was a retired self-employed painter and a member of Bellevue Vets.
Survivors include sons, Richard Hickey, John Hickey and Adrian Hickey, all of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Brian Hickey of San Antonio, Texas; daughters, Loraine Hickey of Denver, Colo., Shervatte Ruby Gardner and Deidre Hickey, both of Colorado Srings, Colo., Diana Hickey and Christina Hickey, both of Colorado; his mother, Delphia Miller Hickey Merrill of Butler; a brother, Lewis Hickey of Cold Spring; sisters, Patricia Stout of Dayton, Eunice Horn of Peach Grove, Linda Grattan of Southgate and Sherry JoBe of Bellevue; 15 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
Services will be at 1 p.m. today at Cooper Funeral Home, Grants Lick. Visitation will begin there at 10 a.m. today. Burial will be in Wesley Chapel Cemetery, Peach Grove.
Pat Hughes, 78, of Latonia, died at 1:52 a.m. Tuesday at St. Elizabeth Medical Center South, Edgewood. He was a retired employee of R.A. Jones Co., Crescent Springs, and a member of Holy Cross Church in Latonia, Taylor Mill Swim Club and American Legion Post No. 203 in Latonia. He was a Navy veteran of World War II. His wife, Carmelina Mary Lorino Hughes, died in 1998. A son, John Kevin Hughes, died in 1958.
Survivors include a son, Dennis Patrick Hughes of West Harrison, Ind.; daughters, Kathleen Bartlett of Cold Spring, Debby Kreimborg of Taylor Mill, Susan Gross of Taylor Mill and Gina Hines of Miami Heights, Ohio; a brother, William Hughes of Atlanta; 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Mass of Christian burial will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at St. Anthony Church, Taylor Mill. Visitation will begin there at 11 a.m. Thursday. Burial will be in Mother of God Cemetery, Fort Wright. Memorials are suggested to Redwood School and Rehabilitation Center, 71 Orphanage Road, Fort Mitchell, Ky. 41017. Connley Brothers Funeral Home, Latonia, is handling arrangements.
Raymond H. Lehmkuhl Sr., 79, of Fort Mitchell, died Tuesday, at University of Cincinnati Medical Center. He was the former co-owner and founder of LN Concrete Materials Corporation, past president of Kentucky Ready Mix Concrete Association, member of the Northern Kentucky Home Builders Association, Knights of Columbus, and a World War II veteran of the Army. His wife, Alma Richardson Lehmkuhl, preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife, Carol Ann Hillmann Lehmkuhl; a son, Raymond H. Lehmkuhl Jr. of Villa Hills; a daughter, Caroline L. Brown of Edgewood; stepsons, Jim Hillmann and David Hillmann, both of Lakeside Park; a brother, Bernard J. Lehmkuhl of Erlanger; four grandchildren, four stepgrandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Mass Of Christian Burial will be 12:05 p.m. Friday at Mother of God Church, Covington. Visitation will be from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Linnemann Funeral Home, Covington. Entombment will be in Mother of God cemetery Mausoleum, Fort Wright.
Bernadine "Mimi" Busland Schaefer, 91, of Florence, died at 5:15 p.m. Saturday at Florence Park Care Center, Florence. She was a homemaker and a member of St. Gemma Guild and Blessed Sacrament Church in Fort Mitchell, and was a former member of Summit Hills Country Club, Crestview Hills. Her husband, Leo "Lefty" Schaefer, died May 17.
Survivors include a son, E. Andre Busald of Covington; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Services will be at the convenience of the family. Memorials are suggested to Passionist Nuns, 1151 Donaldson Highway., Erlanger, Ky. 41018. Swindler and Currin Funeral Home, Latonia, is handling arrangements.
Eleanor J. Whitaker, 90, of Chillicothe, Ohio, formerly of Ludlow, died Dec. 11 at her daughter's home in DeSoto, Texas. She was a former employee of Gibson Art Co., Ludlow, and a member of First Presbyterian Church in Ludlow, where she was an officer in the Women's Circles and was a Sunday school teacher. Her husband, Wilmoth B. Whitaker, died in 1973.
Survivors include a son, Warren Whitaker of Chillicothe; a daughter, Mary Maggio of DeSoto; six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at White Chapel Memorial Gardens, Huntington, W.Va. Memorial services will be at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church, Chillicothe. Ware Funeral Home, Chillicothe, is handling arrangements.
Gladys Yochum, 95, of Villa Springs, died Monday at Villaspring Health Care Center, Erlanger. She was a homemaker. Her husband, Carl O. Yochum, preceded her in death.
Survivors include daughters, Carla Hutton of Harrison, Ohio, and Dolores Harrison of Rossville, Ga.; a son, Russell Yochum of Orlando, Fla.; brothers, Julian Burroughs of Tennessee, Wendall Burroughs of Virginia and Dick Burroughs of North Carolina; a sister, Jean Tumerick of Kentucky; and 11 grandchildren.
Memorial services will be at 5 p.m. Sunday at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah Witnesses, Florence. Kowalk Funeral Home, Cincinnati, is handling arrangements.
