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John Ryan Jr.
VINCENNES - John J. Ryan Jr., 76, died Monday, July 30, 2001, at his home of cancer.
He retired in 1990 as a cabinet maker with Inwood Furniture in Jasper.
He was a World War II Navy veteran, serving in the Battle of Normandy. After the war he enlisted in the Army and played basketball for the Army basketball team, starting as a guard.
He was a graduate of Vincennes Lincoln High School and Vincennes University.
He was a member of American Legion and life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Surviving are his mother, Mabel M. Mauthe Ryan; two sisters, Patricia A. Ryan of Vincennes and Mary F. Morgan of Denver; a half brother, Louis Mauthe of Lakeland, Fla.; and nieces and nephews. His wife, Helen E. (Bauer), died in 1995.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, with burial in Mount Calvary cemetery.
Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, at Duesterberg-Fredrick Funeral Home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the church building fund or Relay for Life.
Mildred Turner
TELL CITY - Mildred Agnes (Heilman) Turner, 82, formerly of Madison and Tell City, died Monday, July 30, 2001, at Community Hospital South in Greenwood.
She retired from the old U.S. Shoe Co. and was a member of Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Madison, the Tell City Senior Citizens, and Madison's American Legion Ladies Auxiliary and Women of the Moose.
Surviving is a niece. Her husband, Elbert R., died in 1985.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Prince of Peace Catholic Church, with burial in Springdale cemetery.
Friends may call from 4 to 8 pm. today at Vail-Holt Funeral Home in Madison, with a rosary at 7:30 p.m.
Kenneth Richardson
VINCENNES - Kenneth E. Richardson, 67, died Monday, July 30, 2001, at Good Samaritan Hospital of cardiac arrest.
He was a coal miner, Korean War Army veteran and member of the American Legion.
Surviving are a daughter, Debbie Lucas of Wheatland; a sister, Patricia Schutter of Bruceville; a brother, Robert of Wheatland; two grandchildren; and his companion, Pauline Twitty.
Graveside services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Memorial Park cemetery.
Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Goodwin Family Funeral Home.
Forrest Boyd
CHRISNEY - Forrest R. Boyd, 71, died Monday, July 30, 2001, at St. Mary's Medical Center in Evansville. The cause of death has not been determined.
He was a retail store owner and member of St. Martin Catholic Church.
Surviving are his wife, Pat (Montgomery); five daughters, Sue, Nora, Shirley, Mary and Paula; 10 sons, Stephen, Paul, Mark, David, Kenny, Lenny, Roland, Larry, Andy and Patrick; four brothers, Edward, Jack, Francis and John; 29 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Martin Catholic Church, with burial in the church cemetery.
Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. today at Youngblood Funeral Home, with a memorial service at 7 p.m.
James Groves
ROME - James J. 'Jamie' Groves, 96, died Monday, July 30, 2001, at his home.
He farmed the land his family owned since 1807.
He was a World War II Army Air Corps veteran, served as an officer in Africa and Italy and received the Legion of Merit for outstanding service in Africa.
He was a graduate of Rome High School and had a degree in chemistry and math from Indiana University.
He was a member of the Reserve Officers Association, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion Post 142, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2939, Hadi Shrine Temple, York Rite, Scottish Rite and National Rifle Association and was past master of the Masonic Lodge.
He was past president of Council on Aging and played an active role in starting the OAKS Senior Citizens Center in Cannelton. He also was instrumental in having the old courthouse in Rome placed in the National Historical Register.
Surviving are his daughter, Ellen Bell of Leopold; a son, John of Rome; two sisters, Dorothy Rickert of Elizabethtown, Ky., and Barbara Spannuth of Bloomington; four grandchildren, Melinda Burke, Hueberta Greathouse, Jim Gipson and John Bell; and eight great-grandchildren. His wife, Dove (Pletcher), died in 1985.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Huber Funeral Home Cannelton Chapel, with burial in Wegenast cemetery, with military rites.
Friends may call from 3 to 8 p.m. today, with a Masonic service at 7 p.m., and from 9 a.m. to service time at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Rome cemetery Association or Visiting Nurse Association.
Melissa Steckler
ST. HENRY - Melissa J. Steckler, 19, died Tuesday, July 31, 2001, at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis of accidental burns that happened earlier this year.
She worked for Taylor Oil Co. She was a 2000 graduate of Heritage Hills High School, completed her freshman year at Ball State University, and was a member of Delta Zeta Sorority and 4-H.
Surviving are her parents, Jerry and Marsha Steckler of St. Henry; six sisters, Charmain, Michelle, Rachael, Jill, Lindsey and Leslie, all at home; a brother, Isaac of St. Henry; and grandparents, Jeanne Wagner and Gilbert and Mary Steckler.
Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Henry Catholic Church, with burial in the church cemetery.
Friends may call from 2 to 9 p.m. Thursday, with a prayer service by her parish and high- school class, and from 8 a.m. to service time at the church.
Becher Funeral Home is handing arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Riley Hospital for Children.
John Westbrook
CHANDLER - John William 'Jay' Westbrook, 70, died Monday, July 30, 2001, at his home of cancer.
He owned J & J Service and Repair in Evansville and had worked as an electrician for nine years at Evansville Regional Airport.
He retired in 1969 after 22 years with the Air Force and had served in the Korean and Vietnam wars.
He was a fisherman and a ham radio operator with the call sign of K9JYT.
Surviving are his wife of 46 years, Pat; a son, John William 'Jay' III of Chandler; two brothers, Jim of Florida, and Tommy of Evansville; nieces and nephews; and his caregiver, Bobby Doan.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday, with military rites, at Koehler Funeral Home Perigo Chapel. The body will be cremated.
Friends may call from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday and from 11 a.m. to service time at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Mount Olive General Baptist Church in Newburgh.
Joetta Fritz
TELL CITY - Joetta (Allen) Fritz, 98, died Tuesday, July 31, 2001, at her home.
She retired as a practical nurse and was a member of the Wolf Creek Baptist Church.
Surviving are nieces and nephews. Her husband, Christian Joseph, died in 1973.
Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Bruington-Jenkins-Sturgeon Funeral Home in Bradenburg, Ky., with burial in Parr-Fans cemetery near Wolf Creek, Ky.
Friends may call from 10 a.m. to service time at the funeral home.
Norman Hall
Norman Hall, 76, was local radio broadcaster
Norman Hall, one of the Tri-State’s broadcasting leaders for more than four decades, died Monday, July 30, 2001, at his Evansville home.
He was 76.
Hall, the former owner of WBNL radio in Boonville, Ind., had had several heart attacks and suffered from Parkinson’s disease.
Margaret, his wife of 53 years, was with him at the time of death.
Larry Schweitzer, who worked for Hall at WBNL for 30 years, spent much of Monday thinking about the countless conversations the two had shared.
“He was a wonderful person, a great guy to work for — and a master storyteller. He could tell jokes and paint a picture with them, ” Schweitzer said.
Hall sold WBNL-AM and FM last winter. Longtime radio professional Ralph Turpen purchased the AM station. John Patrick Engelbrecht, son of South Central Broadcasting’s John David Engelbrecht, purchased the FM station.
“He treated my son with a great deal of respect and dignity, even though the young man was only 20, ” John David Engelbrecht said. “Mr. Hall was a pleasure to deal with, and he seemed pleased he’d be putting his radio station in the hands of someone who wanted to carry on a family tradition. Norman Hall was a true broadcaster in every sense of the word, and a person who had a sense of history as well as destiny.”
Schweitzer said family tradition was important to Hall. “He wanted to find someone who would see it as part of a family business. (Hall) had numerous opportunities to sell the stations, but he wanted it to be ‘just right.’”
One of Hall’s great achievements in radio, Schweitzer said, was getting the approval of the Chicago Cubs organization to air the Cubs’ baseball games in this area. Hall once told a Courier reporter that he battled for a couple of years to get the Cubs’ approval, even resorting to a letter-writing campaign. The Cubs finally agreed when Hall sent them a box filled with letters.
“This is our 42nd or 43rd year of carrying the Cubs, ” Schweitzer said. “I was just thinking ... this is the year they might go to the World Series, and he won’t make it with them. You have thoughts like that when you get news like this.”
Hall also was active in broadcasting games himself — and it didn’t matter the sport or the level. He covered Boonville, Castle and Tecumseh high schools’ football and basketball games, and could also be found announcing a Saturday morning baseball game.
“He loved sports, loved his job so much, ” said Margaret Hall. “I always felt that was very nice, because so many people don’t enjoy their work. I was always so proud of him.”
Arrangements are pending at Boone Funeral Home East Chapel.
