Ralph O. Lancaster

Ralph O. Lancaster, 79, of Columbus, died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2013, at Our Hospice of South Central Indiana Inpatient Facility. Mr. Lancaster was a sales manager at Sears for 45 years. He had been a member of St. Bartholomew Catholic Church since 1962 and a member of Knights of Columbus since 1954, was a two-time past president of Columbus Lions Club and was the recipient of the Melvin Jones Fellow Award. He was a member of the Moose Lodge, a past member and advisor of Junior Achievement, past county chairman of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, past retail chairman of March of Dimes, and past promotional chairman for Downtown Development. Mr. Lancaster served in the U.S. Army. Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. Saturday at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church with Father Clem Davis officiating. Calling will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Myers-Reed Chapel on 25th Street and at the church Saturday from 9:00 a.m. until service time. Rosary service will be conducted at 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Garland Brook Cemetery with military rites by the Bartholomew County Veterans Color Guard. In lieu of flowers please make donations to Alzheimer's Association. Born in Vincennes Nov. 13, 1933, Mr. Lancaster was the son of Chelsea and Thelma Myers Renshaw. He married Martha Toy April 24, 1954 in Loogootee, Indiana. She survives. Also surviving are children, Donna (Dart) Liebrandt of Columbus, Linda (Phil Soladine) Stevens of Columbus, Ed Lancaster of Columbus, and Jane (Allen) Craig of Oldenburg; grandchildren, Jenna Nowak, Kara Abrams, Katie Bambacht, Sarah Nowak, Emilee Lancaster, Dalton Lancaster, Jared Lancaster, Devonne Lancaster, Brett Stevens and Crystal Liebrandt; and great-grandchildren, Cameron, Brelin, Baylee, Wesley and Nickolas, with three more on the way. He was preceded in death by his parents.