A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Feb. 26 for Franciscan Father Melvin Holtel, 74, at St. Clement Church in St. Bernard. He died Feb. 21 at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati.

He was a Franciscan Friar for 56 years and a priest for 47 years. A native of Oldenburg, Ind., he ministered in parishes in San Angelo, Texas; Louisville, Ky.; in Metamora, Lourdes and Streator, Ill.; and Hamilton.

He was pastor at St. Bonaventure Parish in Cincinnati from 1985-96.

He is survived by his sisters, Irene McNamara of Bloomingburg, N.Y.; Ruth Holtel and Carol Walke of Cincinnati; and brothers Mark of Cincinnati and Harold of Batesville, Ind.

Interment was in St. Mary Cemetery in St. Bernard.

Brother Arthur Puthoff

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Feb. 18 for Franciscan Brother Arthur Puthoff, 84, at St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Grants, N.M. He died Feb. 13 at Lovelace Hospital in Albuquerque, N.M.

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Brother Arthur Puthoff

He served at missions in Chinle, Houck and Lukachukai, Ariz., and Grants and Gallup, N.M. He was the director of a retreat program for young teens for many years in Gallup and served as state chaplain for the Knights of Columbus. He retired in 1998.

He is survived by his brothers, Harry of Palm Harbor, Fla., and Bob of Cincinnati; and his sisters, Margaret Gallenstein, Mary Koch and Sally Holthaus of Cincinnati.

Interment was in Grants Community Cemetery in New Mexico.

Marianist Brother Maurice Beyer

A Mass of Christian Burial for Marianist Brother Maurice "Max" Beyer, 93, was held March 1 at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception on the University of Dayton campus.

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Brother Maurice Beyer

In 1936, he entered the novitiate of the Society of Mary at Mount St. John in Dayton and professed first vows in 1937. He professed perpetual vows in 1941 at the University of Dayton, one year after earning a bachelor’s degree in education from UD. He earned a master’s degree in business education in 1947 from the University of Pittsburgh.

During a nearly 60-year career, he served in a number of roles including teacher, secretary, nursing aide and editor. He taught many subjects at schools in Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico.

Brother Maurice was a secretary for 35 years serving under provincials in the former Cincinnati and New York Marianist provinces. He also served as a secretary at St. James High School in Chester, Pa., Colegio San José in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the Marianist Press in Dayton.

In 1976 he became director of the Marianist Health Center in Baltimore. As a caregiver for aged and infirm brothers, he furthered his skills by receiving accreditation as a nurse’s aide from the Maryland Training Center in 1980.

The health center in Baltimore closed in 1981, and Brother Maurice continued as a nurse’s aide at the UD Health Center. His career path changed again in 1984 when he was assigned to the Marianist Press as a secretary and editor of Family, the newsletter of the former Marianist Province of Cincinnati.

Since 1995 his ministry focused on serving the Alumni Hall Marianist community in Dayton.

He is survived by a sister, Ann Klein, of Pittsburgh. Interment was at Queen of

Heaven Cemetery at Mount St. John.