Funeral Mass was celebrated Sept. 29, at Santa Clara Church, Oxnard, for Thomas Edward Laubacher, 91, a former Cardinal's Award recipient who died Sept. 26.
A member of one of Oxnard's pioneer families, Laubacher was a former Ventura County supervisor and the first lay member of the board of directors of St. John's Regional Medical Center.
The Laubacher family, over the past century, also produced a number of priests and religious, including Father John S. Laubacher, the first assistant pastor at Santa Clara.
Born Aug. 29, 1913, in Oxnard, the third of six children, Tom Laubacher attended St. Joseph's Institute in Oxnard and Villanova Preparatory School in Ojai. He joined his father and older brother in managing their family's 150-acre farm, then joined the Union Oil Co. in 1939 before entering the U.S. Army Air Corps, serving as a B-26 pilot instructor during World War II.
He married the former Helen (Holly) Huelskamp of Minnesota, in 1944, and later joined Laubacher Insurance Agency, founded by his father, becoming its head in 1954. A decade later, he was elected to the first of three terms as a Ventura County supervisor.
As a lifetime member of Santa Clara Church, Laubacher belonged to Oxnard Council 750 of the Knights of Columbus, serving as the grand knight and district deputy. In 2002, he received the Cardinal's Award in recognition of a lifetime of service to his church and community.
He is survived by Holly, his wife of 60 years; their children, Linda and her husband Gary Ryle, Thomas Jr. and his wife Barbara, Lisa and her husband Charlie Dennis, and Jim and his wife Patty; 17 grandchildren; a sister, Marion Sweetland; and many nieces, nephews and godchildren.
Burial was at Santa Clara Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Santa Clara Church Building Fund, St. John's Regional Medical Center Foundation or Villanova Preparatory School.
Sr. Mary Germaine, SP
Funeral Mass was held Sept. 29 in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, for Providence Sister Mary Germaine Grojean, 89, who died Sept. 24 at her community's motherhouse.
Born in New Hamburg, Missouri, Sister Grojean entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence in 1941. During her 63 years as a religious, she primarily worked as an educator, teaching in schools staffed by Providence Sisters in Indiana, Illinois and California. In the Los Angeles Archdiocese, sister taught at St. Ambrose School in Hollywood from 1949-52 and St. Teresa School in Los Angeles from 1952-56.
Survivors include a brother, Henry Grojean of Orland Park, Illinois, and three sisters: Carita Mae Grojean of Orland Park, Illinois; Providence Sister Mary Cecile Grojean of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana; and Frances Klomes of Chicago, Illinois.
Sr. Norma Gleason, CSC
Funeral Mass was held Sept. 9 at the Church of Our Lady of Loretto, Notre Dame, Indiana, for Holy Cross Sister Norma Gleason, who died Sept. 7 at Saint Mary's Convent.
Born in Irvington, New Jersey, Sister Gleason taught at a number of Catholic elementary schools in California, Utah and Idaho. Her last school assignment was at St. Barnabas School in Long Beach where she tutored from 1973-87 and worked as the school librarian from 1987-94.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of the Holy Cross Ministry with the Poor Fund, 401 Bertrand Hall, Saint Mary's, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556.
Sr. Patricia Monahan, SP
Funeral Mass was held Sept. 9 at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, for Providence Sister Patricia Monahan (Sister Mary Petra), 74, who died Sept. 6 at Mother Theodore Hall.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Sister Monahan entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence in 1948. She had a 56-year teaching career, which included a teaching stint at St. Teresa School in Los Angeles. From 1979-1999, she taught at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, where she served as a professor, director and academic advisor in the special education department.
Survivors include two sisters: Margaret Coughlin of Grayslake, Illinois and Joanne Fjare of St. Cloud, Minnesota; a sister-in-law, Jo Anne Monahan of Bartlett, Illinois and several nieces and nephews.
Sr. Mary Ann Pelkmann, SNDdeN
Funeral Mass was held Sept. 3 at the Sisters of Notre Dame Province Center in Belmont, California for Sister of Notre Dame de Namur Mary Ann Pelkmann, 91, who died Aug. 30 at Mercy Care Center in Oakland.
An Illinois native, she moved to Southern California as a child with her family and was one of the first students of St. Columbkille Schoool in Los Angeles. During her 61-year career as an educator, she taught at St. Columbkille as well as Mother of Sorrows School in Los Angeles and two Santa Barbara Schools: Dolores School and Guadalupe School.
Burial was at Santa Clara Mission Cemetery in Santa Clara. Memorial contributions may be made to the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, 1520 Ralston Ave., Belmont, CA 94002. |