Today's obituaries
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The following obituary is being reprinted from Monday's paper to add information and to correct an error made by The Herald.
Frank Matetich
Former Westinghouse employee served in WWII
A funeral Mass will be celebrated Tuesday for Frank Matetich, 86 Stone Ridge Blvd., Hermitage, who passed away unexpectedly at 2:11 p.m. Saturday (2-1-03) following a brief illness. He was 89.
He was born in Struthers, Ohio, on Dec. 28, 1913, the son of Matt and Josephine Percic Matetich.
Mr. Matetich graduated in 1934 from what is now Mohawk High School in Bessemer, Lawrence County.
He was employed for 31 years at the former Sharon Transformer division of Westinghouse Electric Corp., where he was a tester in the H-80 building.
Mr. Matetich was a member of St. Joseph's Church in Sharon and a member of Westinghouse Retirees Association. He also was a member of the Slovenian National Benefit Society Keystoners Lodge 755.
Mr. Matetich was of Croatian descent and belonged to the Croatian Fraternal Union in Farrell. He enjoyed singing and was a member of the singing Vesilachi.
During World War II, he served with the United States Army in the Pacific Theater of Operations with the 37th Division.
He was a loving husband, father and grandfather and his greatest love was his family and friends.
His wife, the former Eleanor Simari, whom he married May 20, 1950, survives at home.
He also leaves a daughter, Grace Ann Popeck and her husband, Michael, of the Upper St. Clair area of Pittsburgh; one son, Mr. Frank J. Matetich and his wife, Linda, Cortland; two sisters, Amelia Bacic, Surprise, Ariz.; and Olga Dwornek, Tritton Falls, N.J.; and two grandchildren, Michael and Brian Popeck.
He was preceded in death by three sisters, Dora Yusich, Ruby Oshaben, Lottie Puharich; and two brothers, John and William Matetich.
MATETICH
Frank, 89, of 86 Stone Ridge Blvd., Hermitage.
Calling hours: 5 to 8 p.m. today (2-3-03) in J. BRADLEY McGONIGLE FUNERAL HOME INC., 1090 E. State St., Sharon. Friends not able to attend my e-mail condolences to McGonigleFuneralHome@infonline.net.
Service: Funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. today (2-4-03) in St. Rose Cemetery Chapel, with the Rev. Christopher C. Merry, pastor of St. Joseph's Church in Sharon, as celebrant.
Entombment: St. Rose Cemetery, Hermitage.
Mary Jane Michael
Retired Shenango Inc. nurse belonged to church
Mary Jane Michael, 82, of 1909 River Road, Hermitage, passed away on Feb. 2, 2003, in the hospital of Sharon Regional Health System following an extended illness.
Born Jan. 5, 1921, in Sharpsville, Mary Jane was the daughter of the late Peter and Helen (Dunchak) Sambora, Sharpsville.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 38 years, Louis J. Michael, in August 1997; and by two sisters, Margaret Sambora and Ann (Sambora) Foster; and three brothers, John, Peter, and Michael.
Mary Jane graduated from Sharpsville High School in 1938. During World War II she was employed at Westinghouse Corp. in the drafting department. She entered nurse's training in 1943 and graduated from what was then Christian H. Buhl Hospital in 1946 as a registered nurse. She was soon appointed head nurse in the operating room.
During this time she also owned and operated the former Riverside Dairy grocery store on North Water Avenue in Sharon. In 1957 she began her industrial nursing career at Shenango Inc., Sharpsville, and retired in 1981, completing 35 years of dedicated nursing. She was a member of the Pennsylvania Registered Nurse's Association, the Private Duty Nurse's Association and the Industrial Nurse's Association.
As a member of St. Michael Byzantine Catholic Church, Hermitage, Mary Jane volunteered with the church auxiliary for many years in their banquet services. In keeping with her philosophy of helping others, she and her husband donated in 1982 a new public address system for the senior residents of the former Mercer County Home and Hospital.
Mary Jane's interests included knitting, quilting, crossword puzzles and reading. A lifelong lover of the outdoors, she was an avid fisherman and mycologist. Mary Jane was an accomplished accordion player in her youth and performed on WPIC radio and at Columbia Theater in Sharon.
She was the devoted mother of Karen (Messina) Bambacus, Frostburg, Md.; and Michael J. Messina, Ph.D., Erie; and grandmother to three grandchildren, Christopher, Sophia and Claire. She is survived by her sister, Julia Welch, Hermitage.
Mary Jane requested that in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in her memory to St. Michael Byzantine Catholic Church Cemetery Fund, 2230 Highland Road, Hermitage.
MICHAEL
Mrs. Louis J. (Mary Jane), 82, of 1909 River Road, Hermitage.
Calling hours: 9:30 a.m. to time of service Friday (2-7-03) in STEPHEN J. SHERMAN FUNERAL HOME, 2201 Highland Road, Hermitage.
Service: Mass of Christian burial at 10:30 a.m. Friday in St. Michael's Byzantine Catholic Church, 2230 Highland Road, Hermitage.
Interment: St. Michael Byzantine Catholic Cemetery, Hermitage.
Catherine Meyers Struck
Retired Farrell teacher was Covenant church member
Catherine Meyers Struck, Maple Drive, Hermitage, formerly of Negley Street, Farrell, died at 12:01 a.m. Sunday (2-2-03) in UPMC Horizon, Farrell. She was 90.
Mrs. Struck as born Nov. 1, 1912, in Farrell to George and Lena Bergman Munro.
She graduated in 1929 from Farrell High School and in 1931 from Slippery Rock University.
Mrs. Struck retired from Farrell Area School District after teaching for 23 years.
She was a life member of Mercer County Association of School Retirees and a charter member of Farrell Area School District Alumni Association.
Mrs. Struck was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church, Sharon, and its Couplers Class and Covenant Seniors Fellowship.
Her husband, William H. Struck, whom she married April 28, 1939, died Dec. 2, 1992.
Surviving are: one daughter, Dona Jean Struck Kaba, New Castle; one son, William H. Struck III, Stoughton, Mass.; two brothers, George Munro and Robert S. Munro, both Hudson, Ohio; two sisters, Margaret Munro Rhodes, Sharon; and Elizabeth Munro Vivolo, Melbourne, Fla.; five grandchildren, Leslie Kaba and Jason Kaba, both Columbia, Md.; William H. Struck IV, Holbrook, Mass.; Mark Struck, Stoughton, Mass.; and Karen Struck Piexoto, Canton, Mass.; and four great-grandchildren.
In addition to her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by two brothers, William and James Munro; and one sister, Ann Stewart.
Memorial contributions may be made to Covenant Presbyterian Church, 263 E. State St., Sharon; or American Cancer Society.
STRUCK
Mrs. William H. (Catherine Meyers), 90, of Maple Drive, Hermitage, formerly of Negley Street, Farrell.
Calling hours: 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today (2-4-03) in STEPHEN J. SHERMAN FUNERAL HOME, 2201 Highland Road, Hermitage.
Service: Funeral service at 11 a.m. Wednesday (2-5-03) in Covenant Presbyterian Church, 263 E. State St., Sharon, with the Rev. Sean C. Martin officiating.
Burial: Morefield Cemetery, Hermitage.
Margaret E. Patterson
Former Shenango Valley woman had son living here
Margaret E. Patterson passed away at Harborside Healthcare in Westlake, Ohio, on Jan. 28, 2003. She was 95.
She was the beloved wife of the late Orlando S. Patterson; loving mother of Richard and his wife, Martha, Hermitage; and Phyllis Ayers and her husband, David, Westlake; dear grandmother of five; great-grandmother of 11; and great-great-grandmother of two.
She was born Aug. 22, 1907 to Alvin and Belle Pfeifer of Farrell.
Margaret was the youngest of four boys and three girls, all of whom preceded her in death.
She lived most of her life in the Shenango Valley until the death of her beloved husband in 1977, when she moved to the Cleveland area.
She married Orlando S. Patterson of Greenville on Oct. 1, 1927.
On Jan. 30, family and friends were comforted by visitation held in a Lakewood, Ohio, funeral home.
A private memorial service celebrating her life was performed Jan. 31 by the Rev. Charles Eckles in the chapel of Hillcrest Cemetery in Hermitage.
Melvin R. 'Beezer' Kantner
Buhl Club swim teacher was guard, mill worker
Melvin R. "Beezer" Kantner, 213 W. Main St., Sharpsville, died unexpectedly at 12:36 p.m. Saturday (2-1-03) in his home of natural causes. He was 69.
Mr. Kantner was born Dec. 6, 1933, in Sharon to Charles and Helen Langdon Kantner.
The 1953 Sharon High School graduate served in the Army during peace time.
He worked six years as a security guard with Ohio Security Services in Warren, Ohio. Mr. Kantner previously was a foreman at Valley Mold in Hubbard and also worked at General American Transportation Corp.'s former plant in Masury.
He loved animals and skin diving. Mr. Kantner taught swimming at F.H. Buhl Club, Sharon.
He loved to read history books including World War II and the "West."
Surviving are: two sisters, Mrs. Peggy Zedaker, Sharon; and Dixie Gray, Youngstown; several nieces and nephews; and two cousins, Beverly Kostoff, Hartford; and Elaine James, Sharon.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Thomas Kantner; a sister, Beverly Ginn Shorabb; and a cousin, Bill Langdon.
KANTNER
Melvin R. 'Beezer,' 69, of 213 W. Main St., Sharpsville.
Calling hours: None.
Service: None.
Burial: Cremation services by STEPHEN J. SHERMAN FUNERAL HOME, 2201 Highland Road, Hermitage.
John Winship Read
Retired B&LE officer was Greenville school director
John Winship Read, 304 Mercer Road, Hempfield Township, died peacefully at his home at 6:10 a.m. Monday (2-3-03) after an extended illness. He was 85.
For more than 50 years, Mr. Read was one of Greenville's leading citizens and most engaging personalities. He was not a stereotype and he was not one to stereotype. Mr. Read's circle included both the architects of Greenville's postwar character, such as Luther Kuder, Norm Mortenson, Tis Dilley and Bill McNeilley and the men and women who worked with him at Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad Co. and those whose children attended Greenville public schools, over whose board Mr. Read presided for almost two decades.
Equally as comfortable with a group of couples at Greenville Country Club on a Friday night as he was with the enlisted men of the virtually all-black Army battalion that he commanded during World War II, Mr. Read shouldered leadership lightly, but responsibly. One of his son's said this week, "He rode easy in the saddle of authority, like a cowboy."
Fresh from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (from which he graduated as a civil engineer) and the Army (from which he was honorably discharged as a major with a bronze star), John Read came to Greenville in 1946, fittingly by train, to interview for a position with B&LE. The then-chief engineer, Frank Laing, asked his secretary, Bettie Virginia Frampton, to meet Mr. Read at the Erie station and shepherd him down Main Street to the B&LE's offices. Mr. Read liked what he saw in Greenville, railroad-wise and otherwise. He took the job and stayed with the railroad for 36 years, retiring as its general manager. Perhaps more important, he married Ms. Frampton, from whom he was widowed in 1991.
John Winship Read was born in Cincinnati in Oct. 29, 1917, the son of Charles and Albert Read and Lucie Burkham Read.
He leaves four sons, William Read and his wife Cathy, Pepperpike, Ohio; David Read and his wife Barbara, Baltimore; Roger Read, Mays Landing, N.J.; and John Read and his wife, Deborah, Shaker Heights, Ohio; and nine grandchildren, Clark, Emily, Sammie, David Jr., Wendy, Elizabeth, Merion, Miriam and Lucie Burkham.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, and one brother, Roger Read.
Memorial contributions may be made to the donor's favorite charity.
READ
John Winship, 85, of 304 Mercer Road, Hempfield Township.
Calling hours: None.
Service: Funeral service at 10 a.m. Thursday (2-6-03) at St. Clement's Episcopal Church, Greenville, with the Rev. Martha Ishman, rector, officiating.
Burial: Burial with full military honors at Transfer Cemetery, Pymatuning Township.
Arrangements by LOUTZENHISER-JORDAN COLONIAL FUNERAL HOME, 366-368 S. Main St., Greenville.
Cebenna Newby
Obituary information was incomplete.
NEWBY
Cebenna, 43, of 1060 Baldwin Ave., Sharon.
Arrangements will be announced by JAMES E. WASHINGTON FUNERAL SERVICES, INC.
Harry Halansky
Ex-Springfield Twp. man worked in lumber business
Harry Halansky, Countryside Convalescent Home, East Lackawannock Township, formerly of 152 S. Spring Road, Springfield Township, died at 8:05 p.m. Sunday (2-2-03) in the home. He was 87.
Mr. Halansky was born Dec. 16, 1915, in California, Pa., to Louis Barbara Bobalo Halansky.
He worked with his sons at Halansky Lumber Co. of Mercer. He enjoyed working in home renovations and the lumber business.
He was a member of Jehovah's Witnesses of Mercer.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Kotcho Halansky, whom he married July 1, 1950, and who also lives at Countryside; two daughters, Denise Leone, Youngstown; and Audrey Halansky, at home; two sons, Matthew Halansky and Daniel Halansky, both at home; and one grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Paul Halansky; and one sister, Catherine Bess.
HALANSKY
Harry, 87, East Lackawannock Township, formerly of 152 S. Spring Road, Springfield Township.
Calling hours: 1 p.m. to time of service Wednesday (2-5-03) in SMITH FUNERAL HOME OF LEESBURG, 1778 Perry Highway, Leesburg.
Service: Funeral service at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the funeral home with Kevin Bushardt, minister of Jehovah's Witnesses of the Mercer-Grove City area, officiating.
Burial: Leesburg Cemetery, Springfield Township.
PREVIOUS DEATHS
Look in past days' obituary files to find the full obituaries
BEEMAN
Valerie J., 62, Youngstown, formerly of Sharon.
Obituary was published 2-1-03
Calling hours: Were Monday (2-3-03) in FABRIZIO FUNERAL HOME, 619 E. Indianola Ave., Youngstown.
Service: Funeral service at 10 a.m. today (2-4-03) in the funeral home.
Burial: Oakwood Cemetery, Hermitage.
KELLEY
Harriet A., 72, of 73 Mercer Ave., Wheatland.
Obituary was published 2-3-03
Calling hours: 4 to 7 p.m. today (2-4-03) at HAROLD W. STEVENSON FUNERAL HOME, 264 E. State St., Sharon.
Service: 10 a.m. Wednesday (2-5-03) in the funeral home with the Rev. David Henderson of Wheatland-Farrell United Methodist Church officiating.
Burial: Haywood Cemetery, West Middlesex.
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