Stratton - Karsteter Funeral Home

P.O. Box 84
1114 South Ripley Estates Dr.
Versailles Indiana
812 - 689 -1171

Obituaries for Year 2024

James Bradley “Brad” Castner, 27, of Holton passed away at 12:50 p.m., Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at the Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis as the result of an automobile accident. He was born in Madison on April 16, 1996, the son of James E. and Caralita Cope Castner. Survivors include his father James (Charlene) Castner of Holton, his mother Caralita Furman of Bloomington, his sister Kendra (Bryan McCreary) Castner of Milan, his maternal grandfather Willliam Cope of Bloomington, paternal grandparents Jim and Sandy Castner of Holton, his aunt Cindy Castner of Holton, nieces Andi and Ellie McCreary, and his nephew Ayden Wilhoite, along with several cousins, and great-aunts and uncles. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandmother. Brad was employed with Dave O’Mara Contracting in North Vernon. He was accomplished in four wheeler racing, having won several championships on the Indiana cross-country as well as the Mid-West cross-country circuits. Brad was a hard worker, enjoyed racing as well as working on four wheelers, and was very fond of children. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 4 at 11 a.m. at the Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home in Versailles with Randy Thieman officiating. Burial will be in the Holton Cemetery. Visitation will be on Wednesday from 6p.m. to 8 p.m. Memorials may be given to the Holton Cemetery or the Holton Fire Department in care of the funeral home.

Sandra is survived by her loving husband Melvin E. Meisberger. They were married on September 17, 1960 for 63 years and 6 months. She was blessed with 5 children: Julie (David) Underwood, Caroline (Jeff) Cumberworth, Debbie (Steve) Gloyd, Brian Meisberger, and Amy Fischmer. She had 10 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Sandra is also survived by her brothers Toby Ricketts (Marsha), Jack (Delores) Ricketts, a sister Diana Yoakum, and her sister-in-law Cathy Marconett. She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers Norman Ricketts and Paul David Ricketts.

Sandra and Melvin have 4 exchange student children, Diana Chaljub, Pedro Chaljub, Lily Char and Marta Pretelt, whom she loved very much.

Sandra was a school bus driver for South Ripley School Corp. for 20 years. She was a member of Saint Magdalene and Prince of Peace Catholic Churches, Ross' Run Chapter NSDAR, Ripley County Historical Society and an avid genealogist.

 Mass of Christian Burial will be Tuesday, April 2, 2024 at St. Patrick Church in Madison, Indiana at 11 AM. Visitation is Monday, April 1, 2024 from 4 PM to 8 PM at Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home Versailles, Indiana. Rosary services will be held on Monday at 3:45 p.m. followed by services by the Ross Run DAR. Memorials may be given to St. Magdalene Cemetery through the funeral home in care of Ripley County Community Foundation.

Fred Singer, 73 of Holton, IN passed away on Monday, March 4, 2024 at his residence. Fred was born April 27, 1950, the son of Frederick C. and Elizabeth Daugherty Singer in Pittsburgh, PA. In 1968 Fred graduated from Knoch High School in Saxonburg, PA. He married Nelda Ashby on June 30, 1979 and survives. Other survivors include Angie (Leon) Lloyd, Aimee (Chris) Leisure both of Lincoln, NE, Betty Bittner of Holton, Sara (Rodney) Gullion of Rexville, Ray Allen of Houston, TX, Vondia (Lonnie) Hamby of Alabama, and Becky (Chuck) Ward of Meridian, MS, 23 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren and four sisters; Carol (Paul) Troup, Cathy (Paul) Young, Dodie White and Val Murry.  Fred spent 8 years in the Air Force as an Ammunition Specialist. He retired after 38 years from Mettler-Toledo Scale Company as an Electronic Scale Specialist. Fred was a member of the Leora Weare Post 173 American Legion in Versailles. Funeral service will be held Friday, March 8, 2024 at 10:00 at the Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home in Versailles. Burial will be in the Indiana Veterans Cemetery in Madison, Indiana. Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday. Memorial may be given to the American Legion in care of the funeral home.

Following graduation, Jim joined United States Navy and was an active member from 1962 to 1966. He retired from the Department of Agriculture as a Federal Meat Inspector. Jim and Brenda loved tournament fishing, traveling, and spending time together. He was a member of Versailles American Legion, 40 & 8, Gold Mining Association, Bass Masters and the New Marion Baptist Church.

Jim is survived by his wife of 55 years, Brenda and his sister Carol Baize of Long View, Texas, two nieces: Kenni Monk and Terri Perenboom. He was preceded in death by his parents.

 Funeral services will be held at 12 p.m., Saturday, March 9, 2024 at the New Marion Baptist Church with Rev. Harold Carter and Rev Ed Roberts officiating. Burial will be in the New Marion Cemetery. Visitation will also be on Saturday beginning at 10:30am until time of service. American legion Leora Weare Post 173 will be conducting Military Rites at the cemetery.

Memorials may be given to the New Mario Cemetery in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be made at skfuneralhome.com.

 Denise Lynn McLaughlin, 70, of Versailles passed away at 3:30 p.m., Sunday, February 25, 2024 at Margaret Mary Community Hospital. She was born at Cincinnati, Ohio on November 6, 1953, the daughter of Leroy and Janet Smith Keith McLaughlin, who preceded her in death. Survivors include two daughters, Angela (William) Cooper of Alameda, California and Mindy Keith of Falmouth, Kentucky; one son Dustin Keith of Versailles; 8 grandchildren; step-mother, Imogene McLaughlin of Greendale; three brothers Dennis (Barb) McLaughlin of Versailles, Mike (Katherine) McLaughlin of Batesville, and Jason Arnoldy of Osgood; one sister Jill Ruiz of Hebron, Kentucky. Ms. McLaughlin was a homemaker. Memorial services will be held on Saturday, March 2 at 11 a.m.at the Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home in Versailles with Brother Tom Holt officiating. Visitation will also be on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. Memorials may be given to the donor’s choice in care of the funeral home.

Following graduation, Martin farmed, raised polled shorthorn cattle, chickens and hogs. He also ran a custom hay/straw bailing operation in the community. Martin also owned and operated four retail stores early in his career. The first two stores, “Little Big Dollar Store”, stocked a variety of merchandise $1 and under. The later stores carried a larger variety of household, sporting goods, bait and clothing items. Upon selling the retail stores, Martin was a regional sales representative for Do All Industrial for 10 years. This created a desire for Martin to own his own industrial machinery business. Martin purchased American Machinery and Tool Company, which operated in Indianapolis for almost 25 years. After the closure of American Machinery and Tool, Martin obtained his real estate license working under the Re-Max Company in Greenwood for almost 20 years prior to retirement.

Martin filled up every free minute with an activity. He loved his family, hunting whitetail deer, moose, elk, turkey, bear, caribou, squirrels, rabbits and quail. Additional interests were in horses, boating, water skiing, snow skiing, snowmobiling, fishing, deep sea fishing, scuba diving, reading, gardening, horses, and flying. Martin was also a collector of Indian artifacts, guns, knives and antiques. Martin was a 50+ year member of the Holton Masonic Lodge and attended the Community Congregational Church in Franklin.

Survivors include his children: Becky Pulley (Andrew) of Homosassa Springs, Fl, Babs Hull (Mike) of Greenwood, IN, Martin J. McNeelan (Jacqueline) of Franklin, Mikel McNeelan of Belleair, Fl and Brenda Fields (Jerry) of Whiteland, IN; 13 grandchildren and 40 great grandchildren. Martin is also survived by his brother James McNeelan (Carolyn) of Holton and sister Alice Rayburn (Ronnie) of Holton and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Beverly, his parents, Martin and Laura McNeelan and brother, Dwayne McNeelan.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Thursday, February 29 at the Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home in Versailles with Pastor Dan McLaughlin and Pastor Peter Helland officiating. Burial will be in the Holton Cemetery. Visitation will also be on Thursday beginning at 12 p.m.

Memorials may be given to the Holton Cemetery or the American Cancer Society in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be made at skfuneralhome.com.

William Jeffery Clayton, 58, of Dillsboro passed away Saturday, February 17, 2024 at his home. He was born in Jeffersonville on November 18, 1965, the son of Charles and Karen McEwan Clayton. Survivors include his mother Karen Clayton of Dillsboro; two sons Christian Clayton of Otterbein and Charles William Clayton III (Trey) of Anderson, Ohio; one daughter Victoria Clayton (Michael) Derge of Fairfield, Ohio; grandchildren Adelynn Clayton, and Miles and Olive Derge. He was preceded in death by his father Charles William Clayton, Jr. Mr. Clayton worked as a technician with Captel Outreach in Cincinnati where he enjoyed helping those with hearing loss better communicate. He had also worked as CEO and administrator for ARM Ministries and had owned and operated Corban Computer Consulting. Jeff had a great interest in planes and flying and took pilot training at the North Vernon Airport, receiving his pilots license at age 15. He owned and enjoyed a Tri-Pacer plane. Jeff was a long- time season ticket holder of the Bengals and belonged to the 501^st Legion, which performed Star Wars events for Philanthropy. He was a tinker and fixer, enjoyed hunting, and playing the guitar. Jeff’s wishes were to be cremated and a celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, February 24^th at 10 a.m. at the Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home in Versailles with Pastor G. B. Turner officiating. Visitation will also be on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. Memorials may be given to the Cross Roads Wesleyan Church in care of the funeral home.

 Roy F. Miller, 90, of Holton passed away at 9:30 a.m., Tuesday, February 20, 2024 at the Margaret Mary Community Hospital in Batesville. He was born on the farm near Holton where he spent his entire life on November 2, 1933, the son of Leo and Eva Koechlin Miller. Survivors include one brother Ralph (Joyce) Miller of Delaware, along with several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Leslie and Paul Miller, and his sisters Leola Ebinger, Mary Thola, and Florence Miller. Mr. Miller was a 1951 graduate of Holton High School. He was a veteran of the Korean War, entering the US Army on March 19, 1953. After rising to the rank of Corporal, he was discharged from service on January 31, 1955. For service to his country Roy received the National Defense Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the Republic of Korea Presidential Citation, and the Korean Service Ribbon. In civilian life Roy spent his life farming. He was well known in the community for his large gardens which he shared freely with his family and neighbors. Also, his nieces and nephews knew there was a quarter or half of beef coming their way at Christmas from Uncle Roy. Roy was a loyal follower of the Holton Warhorse basketball teams as long as the school was in existence. For many years he was the time keeper for the Ripley County Tourney as well as for South Ripley, and safe to say that Roy had probably witnessed as many basketball games as anyone in the county. He also owned, trained, and drove standard horses. Roy was a member of the St. John Catholic Church in Osgood, the Versailles American Legion and was a recent inductee into the Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame. Mass of Christian Burial will be on Friday, February 23 at 11a.m. at the St. John Catholic Church in Osgood with Father Binu Mathew officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with military graveside rites by the Versailles American Legion. Visitation will be on Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home in Versailles with Rosary services at 5:30 p.m. Memorials may be given to the Holton Fire Department in care of the funeral home.

We are sad to share that our mom, Geneva Kennedy, passed away unexpectedly on February 12, 2024. She was born November 10, 1931 in Osgood, Indiana to her late parents Paul and Norma (Pendergast) Black.  She grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Versailles Indiana, graduated from Versailles High School in 1949, and lived in Versailles until her passing at 92 years of age. 

Geneva single handedly raised her four children, Jenetta, Bill, Greg, and Mark; teaching them through example the meaning of hard work and persistence.  Having worked at various local businesses as a young mother, Geneva eventually retired from her role as custodian after 20 years of service at South Ripley School Corporation.  Having worked tirelessly her entire life, she was passionate in her belief that you earn your own way.

Geneva was a devoted Christian, and a faithful 70-year member of the Versailles Baptist Church.  Her love for her 4 children, 7 grandchildren, and 9 great-grandchildren was only surpassed by her love for her Lord.  She prayed daily for her family and ended every phone call and visit from them with a simple “I love you”.  Her favorite bible verse was John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”, sharing with her grandson Stephen that she thought that one verse pretty much summed up the entire bible.

A close third to her faith and family was her love for sports.  She followed the Purdue Boilermakers, Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, and the South Ripley Raiders.  If she wasn’t tuned into a sporting event, she passed her time reading, working jigsaw puzzles, playing cards, or watching a reality TV show or Hallmark movie. 

Geneva never owned a home nor had a large bank account; however, her life was richly filled with family and friends.  She enjoyed many vacations with her children and grandchildren, travelling throughout the US, and also visited Japan and England.  She regularly reached out to her church family with a card or a phone call recognizing birthdays and wedding anniversaries, and never let an immediate family member’s birthday pass without a phone call.

She enjoyed sharing chocolate with her great-grandchildren and church family, keeping the two fruit and vegetable bins of her refrigerator filled with various bags of candy.  She saw that the candy dish at the church remained full, and would send her kids, grandkids, and great grandkids off with a bag of candy after each visit.  Even so, her sweet demeanor exceeded the sweet treats she enjoyed sharing.

In today’s divisive world, Geneva was the opposite… always present with a prayer, a kind word, a hug, a word of encouragement, and when needed a call to action.  It is frequently stated by others that they never heard her speak bad about someone, and likewise never   heard anyone speak poorly of her.

Geneva was preceded in death by her parents and 13 siblings. She will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by her children, Jenetta Corey, Versailles, Bill (Mary) Kennedy, Carmel, Greg (Deb Dausmann) Kennedy, Cypress, TX, Mark (Rosena) Kennedy, Batesville.  She is also survived by her grandchildren Stephen (Miranda) Kennedy, Christopher Kennedy, Jonathon (Jenna) Kennedy, Nicholas (Sarah) Kennedy, Andrew (Kasi) Kennedy, Rachel (Jason) LaJeunesse, and Alina (Caleb) Henson; and great grandchildren Aurora Kennedy, Matthew Kennedy, Brooklyn Kennedy, Oliver Lajeunesse, Larkyn Kennedy, Molly LaJeunesse, Hugo Kennedy, Wren Kennedy, Charles Kennedy; and sibling Shirla Jones.  In addition, she leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews and other extended family.

A memorial visitation for family and friends will be held at the Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home on Friday, February 16, 2024, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm; and on Saturday, February 17, 2024 from 10:00 am until the time of the Celebration of Life at 11:00 am at Versailles Baptist Church.  Memorial contributions can be made to Versailles Baptist Church or Cliff Hill Cemetery in care of the funeral home.

Harry N. “Buddy” Henderson, 90, of Osgood passed away at 12:20 p.m., Saturday, February 10, 2024 at St. Andrews Health Campus in Batesville. He was born in the Cedar Creek Community south of Osgood on November 17, 1933 the son of Harry and Grace Breece Henderson. He was married to Dorothy Monroe on August 27, 1955 and she preceded him in death on April 14, 2010. He was married to Linda Hudson Mulford on January 22, 2011 and she survives. Other survivors include one son Jim Henderson of Osgood; step-children Teresa (Jeff) Brisker of New Lexington, Ohio, Tim Mulford of Versailles, Missy (Tim) Keith of Osgood, Scott (Sandy) Mulford of Versailles, and Mindy (Wayne) Gunter of Osgood; 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren; one sister Evelyn (Dean) Miller of Osgood. He was also preceded in death by his parents, his brother Emmett Henderson, and his sister Betty Moore. Mr. Henderson was a 1951 graduate of  Versailles High School. Buddy began his working career with Osgood Grain and retired after 30 years with Cummins Engine in Columbus. He also served in the US Navy form 1955 to 1957. In his younger years Buddy enjoyed his motorcycle and he and Dorothy took several road trips. He was quite the competitor and loved playing horseshoes and euchre. Buddy was a member of the Cedar Creek Community Church for most of his life. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, February 14 at 11 a.m. at the Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home in Versailles with Rev. Mark Shonk and Buddy’s nephew Rev. Michael Miller officiating. Burial will be in the Cliff Hill Cemetery at Versailles. Visitation will be on Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Memorials may be given to the Cedar Creek Church in care of the funeral home.

Zelphia Earline Copeland, 79. of Versailles passed away at 10:15 p.m., Thursday, January 25, 2023 at the Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. She was born at Oneida in Clay County, Kentucky on December 27, 1944, the daughter of Nevel and Edna Sawyers Pennington. She was married to Kenneth Copeland on August 23, 1963 and he preceded her in death on March 10, 2020. Survivors include three daughters Sandy Copeland of St. Paul, Carla (Steve) Miller of Osgood, and Darla Copeland of Versailles; one son Kenneth “Sam” (Amy) Copeland of Versailles; 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; two brothers Ruick (Gwen) Pennington of Elrod and Tony (Sherri) Pennington of Milan; six sisters Joyce (Jerry) Vogel and Teri Cutter (Terry Stutler) both of Versailles, Cheryl (Dana) Hooton, Judy Wright, and Shelly (Darrell) Smith all of Madison, and Pat (Jeff) Owens of Milan. She was also preceded in death by her parents and her sister Katherine Jordan. Mrs. Copeland was a 1962 graduate of Milan High School and was a former employee of the Versailles and Dillsboro IGA stores. She and Kenny operated a grocery store in Cross Plains and she also assisted Kenny in the operation of Copeland Excavating in Versailles. Earline was active in Republican politics serving as Ripley County Treasurer for two terms and also was Ripley County Clerk for one year. She had also served as Deputy Recorder, Deputy Clerk, and served as bailiff for the Ripley Superior Court. She enjoyed quilting, crocheting, reading, and winning at euchre. Earline was a member of the Benham United Methodist Church and was a member and past president of the Ripley County Republican Women’s Club. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 30 at 11 a.m. at the Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home in Versailles with Rev. Jerry Brooks officiating. Burial will be in the Methodist Cemetery at Cross Plains. Visitation will be on Monday from 4 p.m. to 7p.m. Memorials may be given to the cemetery in care of the funeral home.

Patricia Ann Patterson, 86, of Versailles passed away peacefully at 3:35AM, Saturday, January 13, 2024 at Norton King’s Daughters’ Hospital in Madison, IN. Born on August 10, 1937 in Holton, IN, she is the daughter of Clara (Beach) and Frank Downey. Following her graduation from Western Hills High School in Cincinnati, OH, Patricia attended the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. On June 29, 1957, she married her loving husband, Norman L. Patterson, of 66 years, at Westwood Baptist Church. Residing in Cincinnati, Patricia played for the Cincinnati Symphony of Orchestra and was a member of the Westwood Baptist Church for 21 years where she was the Lead Pianist in conjunction with her husband who served as the Music Minister. She and Norman continued serving in similar roles for 22 years at Harvest Baptist Church in Cincinnati, OH. In 2013, Patricia and Norman moved to Versailles, IN to be closer to her home roots and became members of the Dabney Baptist Church. There, she continued to fulfill her passion for music by serving as the pianist for several years. Her greatest joy in life was serving the Lord, in which she repeatedly told family and friends to, “Keep God and Jesus in the center of your life.” She was a loving wife, affectionate mother, admired grandmother, treasured great-grandmother, and a faithful follower in Jesus Christ. Survivors include her husband Norman L. Patterson of Versailles, IN; son David Patterson of Holton, IN; sister Barbara Sterchi of Winston-Salem, NC; daughter-in-law Sharon Patterson of Harrison, OH; grandchildren Tiffany (Brian) Datilio, Clarice Patterson, Rebekah Patterson, and Abraham Patterson; and great-grandchild Vincent Datilio. She was also preceded in death by her parents and her son Norman F. Patterson. Funeral services at Dabney Baptist Church and the burial at Dabney Cemetery will be private. Memorials may be given to the Dabney Music Ministry or the Dabney Cemetery in care of the Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home in Versailles

 Michael R. Sanders, 70, of Versailles passed away Sunday, January 7, 2024 at his home with his loving wife of 50 years. He was born in Hamilton, Ohio on April 29, 1953, the son of Raymond Jr. and Mary Black Sanders. He was married to Evie Demaree on April 14, 1973. Other survivors include two sons, Shawn (Hannah) Sanders of Whiteland, Craig Sanders of Greenfield and a daughter, Stacy (Aaron) Coffman of Kokomo; 8 grandchildren; two sisters, Linda (Charles) Shockey of Indianapolis and Patty Renfro (Madison); one brother Dennis (Lisa) Sanders of Versailles. He was preceded in death by his parents. Mike was a 1972 graduate of South Ripley High School and was employed as a journeyman lineman with the Southeastern Indiana REMC in Osgood for 20 years. He enjoyed spending time with his best friend John Cornett and hunting arrowheads with his good friend Jeff Furnish, but his greatest joy in life was his wife, children, and grandchildren. Mike was a member of the Tanglewood Baptist Church. Mike's wishes were to be cremated and there will be private services at a later date with burial in the Cliff Hill Cemetery in Versailles

 Kohen Wes Schmidt, 3 months, of Milan passed away Monday, January 15, 2024 at his home. He was born at Margaret Mary Hospital in Batesville on October 17, 2023, the son of Steven Schmidt and Marissa Struckman. Other survivors include Grandparents; Josh and Jessica Schmidt, David (Tina) Struckman, Jessica (Kenny) Powers, Great Grandparents; Cindy Starkey, Marilyn Struckman, Steve and Kathy Franklin, Richard and Linda Schmidt, Great Great Grandparents; Raymond and Jessie Zapfe and Liz Grossman, Aunts; Abbie (Damon) Schmidt, Desiree (Kenny) Struckman, Tianna (Jared) Struckman, Mya (Rodney) Gambrel Uncles; Easton Schmidt and David Struckman and many more loved ones. He was preceded in death by his Great-Great Grandparents Ralph Starkey, Andy Grossman, Lloyd and Luella Franklin, Great Grandparents; Cletus Struckman, Rena-Mae Struckman and Uncles Timmothy Starkey and Michael Struckman. His funeral will be 11:00am Monday, January 22, 2024 at the Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home in Versailles with visitation starting at 9am. Memorials may be given to the Donor’s Choice in care of the Stratton-Karsteter Funeral Home in Versailles.