June 11, 2008: Obituaries

Thelma Kathleen Harbin

Thelma Kathleen Harbin, 85, of Hodgenville, died Monday, June 9, 2008, at Hillcreek Manor Nursing Home in Louisville.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Kilmore and Allie Jones Lamb.

Survivors include a daughter, Brenda J. Marks and Thomas of Louisville; two sons, John C. Harbin of Crab Orchard and Darrell C. Harbin of Hodgenville; two grandchildren, Susan A. Marks and Thomas L. Marks; and two great-grandchildren, Tara and Christopher Jackson.

The funeral is at 10 a.m. Thursday at Billy Howell Funeral Chapel in Hodgenville with Brother Matt Trumbo officiating. Burial will follow in Red Hill Cemetery.

Visitation is from 1 to 8 p.m. today at Billy Howell Funeral Chapel in Hodgenville.

Marjory G. Jones

Marjory G. Jones, 82, of Radcliff, died Monday, June 9, 2008, at her home.

Survivors include two nieces, Diana Goodwin of Crestview and Carol DeFries of Terre Haute, Ind.; two nephews, Michael Logsdon of Glasgow and Byron Logsdon of Munfordville; and three sisters-in-law, Alma Mahanna, Etta Macy and Anna Jean Anderson, all of Radcliff.

The Mass of Christian burial is at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Christopher Catholic Church in Radcliff with the Rev. Dennis L. Cousens officiating. Burial will be in St. Brigid Cemetery in Vine Grove.

Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday and continues at 10 a.m. Friday at Nelson-Edelen-Bennett Funeral Home in Radcliff. A prayer service is at 7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.nebfh.com.   Edward James Karin

Edward James Karin, 79, of Elizabethtown, died Monday, June 9, 2008, at Hardin Memorial Hospital.

A native of Wisconsin, he was a member of American Legion Post No. 113 and retired from the Navy after 20 years of service.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Zelphia Karin.

Survivors include five grandsons and a granddaughter.

The graveside service is Friday at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Burbank, Calif.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.brownfuneral.com.   Deborah Jane Adkins Psaute

Deborah Jane Adkins Psaute, 49, of St. Petersburg, Fla., formerly of Elizabethtown, died Friday, June 6, 2008, at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla.

She was born on Oct. 25, 1958, and lived a full and joyful life, which ended much too soon. Family meant everything to her and she was dearly loved by her family and friends. Her friends and extended family are too many to mention but she would want each and every one of them to know that she valued their friendship and will be with them always in spirit. She had a kind heart and a gentle and generous spirit. She loved children. Her daughter, Aimee, was the center of her life. She went on to give her time and talents to lovingly guiding hundreds of children though early childhood education. She has gone to keep company with her father, Latney, who also left much too early in life. Though we know she is in a better place, free from pain and discomfort, she is genuinely missed. We love you very much “Miss Debbie.”

Survivors include her husband, Donald; a daughter, Aimee; her mother, Frances; a brother, Ron; a sister, Joyce Ann; and her best friend, Jean.

She was preceded in death by her father, Latney.

The funeral is at 2 p.m. Friday at Manakee Funeral Home in Elizabethtown with the Rev. Carlton Puryear officiating. Burial will be in Elizabethtown Memorial Gardens.

Visitation is from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday and continues from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.manakeefuneralhome.com.

Jon Edward Rickert

Jon Edward Rickert, 73, of Elizabethtown, died Monday, June 9, 2008, at his home.

He was born Sept. 15, 1934, in Louisville to Harold Edward Rickert and Dorothy Groves Rickert. He was reared in Rome, Ind., where his lifelong hobby, bird watching, began at age 10. He graduated from University High School in Bloomington, Ind., in 1953. He earned an undergraduate degree in business and economics in 1958 from Indiana University where he worked as a teaching assistant in ornithology for three years. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. From there, he moved to Nashville, Tenn., to attend law school at Vanderbilt University. Upon graduation in 1961, he began his 30-year career in the general practice of law in Elizabethtown.

From 1968-1972 he served with distinction in the Kentucky General Assembly, representing the 25th District. During his first term, he was voted by the news media as the most outstanding freshman legislator. While in office, he sponsored Kentucky’s first “truth-in-lending” law and led the fight in Frankfort and in Washington, D.C., to save the Red River Gorge. He wrote the Nature Preserves Act which established the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission and served as its chairman from 1976-1988. He acted as special adviser on Environmental Affairs to Kentucky Gov. Julian Carroll and was a member of the Kentucky Environmental Quality commission.

Jon served on the Board of Trust to the I.W. Bernheim Foundation for 20 years. In 1973, he was a founding member of the American Birding Association and was the organization’s attorney. In 1978, he wrote and published “A Guide to North American Bird Clubs.” He was a life member of The Nature Conservancy. Jon was a member of the Elizabethtown Rotary Club and acted as its president from 1979-1980. He established the Elizabethtown High School Baseball Foundation Inc. and had been an honorary scout for the St. Louis Cardinals since 1982.

In 1989, Jon began a second career as an entrepreneur in the lodging business. He was appointed to the board of the Elizabethtown Tourism and Convention Bureau and served as its chairman for six years. He also was president of the Kentucky Hotel Association for one term.

Throughout his life, Jon traveled to Australia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Mexico, New Zealand, Nova Scotia, the United Kingdom and all 50 states pursuing his birding hobby. In 2004, he was selected by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to join the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker search team in the swamps of Arkansas for a two-week expedition.

Jon was a member of Memorial United Methodist Church in Elizabethtown. He leaves a legacy of good will, honesty, optimism, strength, courage and determination.

Survivors include his wife, Bobbie; a son, Jon E. Rickert Jr. and his wife, Ellen, of London; two daughters, Ann Rickert Kloeppel and her husband, David, of Nashville, Tenn., and Carolyn Rickert Fatheree and her husband, Shawn, of Franklin, Tenn.; and five grandchildren, Lucy, Campbell and Tate Kloeppel, and Kathryn and Emmaline Rickert.

A memorial service is at noon Saturday at Memorial United Methodist Church in Elizabethtown. Visitation is from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the church.

Friends also may offer condolences from noon to 1 p.m. CDT Sunday at the Rickert Cemetery at German Ridge, Perry County, Ind. The burial will be private.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission, Attn: Jon E. Rickert Memorial Fund, 801 Schenkel Lane, Frankfort, KY 40601.

David A. Shuff

David A. Shuff, 28, of Elizabethtown, died Saturday, June 7, 2008, at his home.

Survivors include a daughter, Mya Shuff; his parents, Shelley and Anthony Young of Hope, Ind., and David G. and Cynthia Shuff of South Carolina; his companion, Heidi Collella; her sons, Bryce, Landin and Colin Collella, all of Elizabethtown.

The funeral is at 10:30 a.m. Friday at Norman Funeral Home, 604 Main St., Hope, Ind.

Visitation is from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.normanfuneralhome.net.   Leo Thomas ‘Tommy’ Sweet

Leo Thomas “Tommy” Sweet, 75, of Magnolia, died Tuesday, June 10, 2008, at University of Louisville Hospital of an abdominal aortic aneurysm.

He was preceded in death by his parents, James Harrison and Mary Tom Hagan Sweet; three sisters, Lula May Kennedy, Marie Blair and Maggie Harlin; and two brothers, Joe and Lonnie Sweet.

Survivors include his wife, Barbara Sweet; five daughters, Katherine Swafford and her husband, Clay, of Munfordville, Barbara Grissom and her husband, Bennie, of Elizabethtown; Sherry Henon and her husband, Joe, of Tennessee, Marie Welch and her husband, George, of Florida and Beatrice Kay Mattingly of Bardstown; three sons, Leo Thomas Sweet Jr. and his wife, Kimberly, of Florida, Dallas Sweet and his wife, Kelly, of Pennsylvania and Robert Earl Sweet and his wife, Jamie, of Louisville; a sister, Alta Florence and her husband, Earl, of Hodgenville; 20 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces and nephews including James and Robert Sweet.

The funeral is at 1 p.m. Saturday in the chapel of Dixon-Atwood & Trowbridge Funeral Home in Elizabethtown with the Rev. John R. Clark officiating. Burial will be in Elizabethtown City Cemetery.

Visitation is from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday and continues from 10 to 8 p.m. Friday and at 9 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home.

Dixon-Atwood & Trowbridge Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.   Commelia ‘Millie’ Renee Hunt Tolliver

Commelia “Millie” Renee Hunt Tolliver, 26, formerly of Hodgenville, died Wednesday, June 4, 2008, in Louisville.

Survivors include two daughters, Kerra Maddison Hunt of Magnolia and Natily Jayzim of Bonnieville; her parents, Homer and Eliza Hunt of Magnolia; her mother, Melissa Miller of Louisville; three brothers, Larry and Christie Hunt of Omaha, Neb., and Steven and Gwen Hunt and Michael and Tracy Hunt, all of Lexington; a sister, Brenda and Adrian Maddox of Bonnieville; and a host of nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was Monday at Percell & Sons Funeral Home in Elizabethtown.