Benjamin Jones
Benjamin Franklin Jones, 73, of Patriot, passed away Monday, February 19th, at Dearborn County Hospital in Lawrenceburg.
He was born August 3rd, 1933, in Gallatin County, Kentucky, the son of Bennie and Myrtle (Barnhill) Jones, who both preceded him in death. Ben, or Franklin as many knew him, grew up in Gallatin County and attended Warsaw public schools. He worked on the family farm on Walnut Valley near Warsaw. He was inducted into the U.S. Army June 16th, 1953, in Cincinnati. He rose to the rank of Private First Class, serving his country in the 25th Infantry Division during the Korean War. He received the Korean Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, United Nations Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal. He was honorably discharged April 9th, 1955, at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
He was united in marriage February 20th, 1954, to Leah Cook in Warsaw, Kentucky. Unto this union three sons arrived to bless their home.
After he was discharged from the army they made their home in Gallatin County for a short time before moving to the Patriot community on Goose Creek. The next year they moved to Meades Ridge near Patriot where they would live for the next 51 years.
He began a 34-year career at Seagram’s Distillery in Lawrenceburg in 1956 and retired in 1990. He was a farmer at heart and farmed with his family and his father-in-law, Marshall Cook. He enjoyed life, raising cattle and tobacco. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, raising Beagle dogs, feed and watching birds. He also enjoyed watching sports, NASCAR, the Reds, Bengals and his beloved Kentucky Wildcats.
He served on the Posey Township Advisory Board and was a strong Democrat. He loved the political fish fries and gatherings. He was a member of Patriot Baptist church, Vevay American Legion Post 185 and the Florence Masonic Lodge #27 F&AM.
Survivors include his wife, Leah Jones of Patriot; his sons, Michael Jones and wife Marlene, Mark Jones and wife Becky, and Patrick Jones, all of Patriot; his grandchildren, Moriah, Jarrod, Evan, Rachel, Ian and Brittney; his great-grandchildren, Courtney and Benjamin; his sister, Wandalee Brown of Toledo, Washington; his brothers, Donnie Gene Jones of Warsaw, Kentucky, Arthur Wayne Jones and Stephen Jones, both of Gallatin County, Kentucky.
Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday, February 23rd, by Reverend Ronald Sandidge at Patriot Baptist Church. Burial will be in East View Cemetery in Patriot with military rites conducted at the graveside by Vevay American Legion Post 185 and Vevay VFW Post 5396. Friends may call from 4-8 p.m. today (Thursday) at Haskell & Morrison Funeral Home in Vevay, and from noon until service time Friday at the church. Masonic services will be conducted by Florence Masonic Lodge #27 F&AM at 7:30 p.m. today (Thursday) at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Patriot Baptist Church or East View Cemetery. Online condolences may be sent to the family via the funeral home’s website at www.haskellandmorrison.com.
Ruth Moll
Ruth Moll, 81, of Quercus Grove, passed away Monday, February 19th, at The Waters of Rising Sun.
She was born September 24th, 1925, the daughter of Robert and Mabel (Mellon) Houze. She was a retiree of Schenley Distilleries.
She is survived by her husband, Carl Moll of Quercus Grove; her son, Robert Moll of Canaan; her daughter, Carol King of Madison; her grandsons, Gene Hite of Quercus Grove, Tony Hite of Aurora, and Ronnie King, Jr., of Madison; her granddaughter, Jerri King of Madison; and her brother, Denver Houze of Vevay.
Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, February 23rd, with burial in Mt. Carmel Cemetery near Aberdeen. Humphrey-Taylor-Detmer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Charles Robert Griffin
Charles Robert Griffin, 73, of near Rising Sun, passed away Monday, February 19th, at Dearborn County Hospital in Lawrenceburg.
He was born July 14th, 1933, in Harrison, Ohio, the son of Jerry and Alta (Johnson) Griffin. He was a retired supervisor for the Kroger Bakery in Indianapolis. He was a member of the Aurora VFW and Hope Baptist Church in Dillsboro where he served as a deacon. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, rising to the rank of Airman First Class.
On November 30th, 2002, he married Shelby Jean Griffin, who survives.
Other survivors include his sons, Robert Guy Griffin of Rising Sun, Kenneth “Bill” Griffin and wife June and Michael Griffin and wife Bobbi, all of Franklin; his daughter, Deborah McNear and husband Charlie of Indianapolis; his brothers, Kenneth Griffin of Vevay, Paul Griffin of near Rising Sun, Gerald Griffin of Priest River, Idaho, George Griffin of North Carolina, and Jerry Lynn Griffin of Vevay; his sisters, Dorothy Gillispie of Apopka, Florida, Rita Madison of Madison, and Shirley Rucker of Indiana; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary (Davis) Griffin on October 28th, 1998; his brother, Jerry Eugene Griffin; his sister, Dolly Bowling; his grandson, Kenneth William Griffin II; and his great-grandson, Jonathan Padilla.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday, February 23rd, by Pastor Tom Holt at Hope Baptist Church in Dillsboro. Burial will be in East View Cemetery in Patriot. Friends may call at the Markland Funeral Home in Rising Sun from 5-8 p.m. today (Thursday). Memorial contributions may be made to the Leukemia Society of America.
Paul Pfennig, Sr.
Paul William Pfennig, Sr., 84, of Ashton Court, New York, formerly of Rising Sun, passed away Wednesday, February 14th, at Clifton Springs Nursing Home in Clifton Springs, New York.
He was born December 6th, 1922, in Reading, Ohio, the son of William and Elizabeth (Kuntz) Pfennig. He was a supervisor for Southern States Co-op in Glasgow, Kentucky. He was a member of Rising Sun Church of Christ and the VFW and Masonic Lodge in Lyons, New York. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Pfennig; his sons, Paul W. Pfennig, Jr., of West Chester, Ohio, and Timothy Pfennig and wife Mary of Rising Sun; his daughter, Susan Connors and husband Arthur of Georgetown, Ohio; his stepdaughters, Dorothy Lee Hughes of Altoona, Florida, Chrissie-Lee Glotta and husband Eddie of Cape Coral, Florida, and Lori-Lynn Lancaster and husband Duane of Lyons, New York; his brothers, Jim Pfennig and Ken Pfennig, both of Reading, Ohio; his sister, Rita Meyer of Cincinnati, Ohio; 15 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Helen, on January 24th, 1996.
Funeral services were conducted Monday, February 19th, by Brother Greg Matthew at Markland Funeral Home in Rising Sun. Burial was in Rising Sun New Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Rising Sun Church of Christ.
Catherine M. Watson
Catherine M. Watson, 44, of Rising Sun, passed away Wednesday, February 14th, at Dearborn County Hospital in Lawrenceburg.
She was born July 5th, 1962, in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter of Nobert and Helen (Beyer) Moertle, who both preceded her in death. She was a homemaker. She enjoyed working the bingo hall at the Rising Sun American Legion.
On July 23rd, 1978, she married William Paul Watson, who survives.
Other survivors include her dad, Roland Miller of Cincinnati; her grandmother, Mary Moertle of Sharonville, Ohio; her daughter, Stefanie Watson and fiance Mike Ackman of Rising Sun; her daughter-in-law, Misty Taylor of Rising Sun; her brothers, Norbert Moertle, Jr., and Tony Moertle, both of Tampa, Florida; and Richard Moertle of Cincinnati; her half sister, Karen Stacy of Versailles; her grandsons, William Brian Paul Watson, Austin Lee Watson, Chad Ackman and Michael Ackman; and her granddaughter, MacKenzie Taylor.
She was also preceded in death by her son, William Paul Watson, II.
Funeral services were conducted Wednesday, February 21st, by Pastor Joe Head at Markland Funeral Home in Rising Sun. Burial was in New Liberty Cemetery near East Enterprise. Memorial contributions may be made to the family.
Floyd Arnold, Jr.
Floyd Lawrence Arnold, Jr., 75, of Manasquan, New Jersey, passed away at midnight Wednesday, January 24th, in Centra State Medical Center, Freehold, New Jersey.
Born in Hackensack, New Jersey, he spent most of his life living in Jew Jersey. After graduating from Brooklyn Technical High School, he joined the U.S. Navy, graduating first in his class of 500 in electronics school. He received an honorable discharge from the Navy as 1st Clas Electronic Technician in 1955.
In 1958, he graduated with a certificate in art from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City. A year later he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study lettering and graphic design in Stuttgart, Germany. He loved photography, astronomy, electronics, classical music, and had a deep love of the Bible. During his retirement years he studied psychology at Rutgers University and worked in the library there. He liked running and competed in the New York City Marathon several times as well as marathons in Pennsylvania, Boston and Munich, Germany.
He was married to Meredith Luhrs Arnold, now of Vevay, for 31 years before divorcing in 1989.
He is survived by his children, Matthew Arnold of Vienna, Virginia, Jennifer Delgado and husband Miguel of Manasquan, and Sarah Thompson and husband John of Florence; his grandchildren, Laura, Shelby and Zachary Arnold, Robin, Wrenna, Alejandro and Gabriella Delgado, and Broadus, Fiona and Angus Thompson; his sister, Donna VanDyke of Williamsburg, Virginia; and his brother, Bruce Arnold of Clinton, New Jersey.
He was preceded in death by his infant sons, Stephen and Benjamin.
A graveside service was conducted Saturday, January 27th, at Old Tennent Cemetery. Waitt-Nelms Funeral Home of Morgantown, New Jersey, was in charge of arrangements.