Obituaries by LocationAlma G. Sollinger
Alma G. Sollinger, 85, of Butler died Friday at her home.
Born March 23, 1917, in West Sunbury, she was the daughter of John and Gertrude Armstrong Hilgar.
A homemaker, she was a member of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Slippery Rock.
Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. James (Judy) Hancock of Butler; two grandchildren and their spouses, Jodi (Hancock) and Joshua Teets of Zelienople and Jay and April Hancock of Brunswick, Ohio; and three great-grandchildren, James, William and Faith Hancock, all of Brunswick, Ohio.
Her husband, William J. Sollinger, whom she married June 21, 1939, died Oct. 22, 2002. An infant daughter, two sisters and two brothers also preceded her in death.
SOLLINGER - Friends of Alma G. Sollinger, who died Friday, March 21, 2003, will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at YOUNG FUNERAL HOME, 137 W. Jefferson St. Additional visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesday at St. John’s United Methodist Church, 244 Halston Road, Slippery Rock. Services will follow at the church with the Rev. Stephen Soltis, assisted by the Rev. Ed Schoeneck and the Rev. David Fisher, officiating. Burial will be in West Sunbury Union Cemetery .
Twila LaVerne Shaffer
Twila LaVerne Shaffer, 105, formerly of South Main Street, Slippery Rock, died at 7 a.m. Friday at Autumn Grove Care Center, Harrisville. She had been ill for five years.
Born in Oklahoma, Westmoreland County, on May 6, 1897, she was the daughter of George E. and Hannah Elizabeth Long Gumbert.
She and her husband had owned and operated the former Roxy Theatre in Slippery Rock. It began operation in 1939 and was operated by them until 1970.
A member of the Slippery Rock United Methodist Church, she was a member and past matron of the Order of the Eastern Star, Vandergrift Chapter.
Surviving are a son, Dale V. Shaffer of Rochester, Minn.; six grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren.
Her husband, Edgar Everett Shaffer, whom she married on Aug. 23, 1921, died Sept. 4, 1970.
A son, two brothers and a sister also preceded her in death.
SHAFFER - Friends of Twila LaVerne Shaffer, who died Friday, March 21, 2003, will be received from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at SMITH FUNERAL HOME, 421 New Castle St., Slippery Rock. Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the funeral home with the Rev. H. Rand Edwards, pastor of Slippery Rock United Methodist Church, officiating. Interment
will be at Slippery Rock Cemetery .
Evelyn G. Palmer
Evelyn G. Lightner Palmer, 82, of Grove City died at 10:55 a.m. Friday at United Community Hospital in Grove City.
Born Nov. 25, 1920, in Clintonville, she was the daughter of Austin Henry and Sara Alice Walters Jones.
She worked as a cook for Rudy’s Restaurant in Findley Township, Mercer County, from 1969 until her retirement in 1981.
Mrs. Palmer was a member of the Grace United Methodist Church in Grove City.
Surviving are her husband, Alvin Palmer of Grove City, whom she married June 7, 1971; three daughters, Sandra McFadden of Jackson Center, Sally Martin of Cranberry Township and Sharyn Kawecki of Sandy Lake; a son, Richard Lightner of Grove City; a sister, Sara Jean Brown of Grove City; two brothers, John Wesley Jones of Denver, Colo., and Robert H. Jones of Grove City; 13 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; and 11 great-great-grandchildren.
Her first husband, Harry L. Lightner, whom she married Feb. 12, 1937, died in 1968. A sister, three brothers and two grandchildren also preceded her in death.
PALMER - Friends of Evelyn G. Palmer, who died Friday, March 21, 2003, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at CUNNINGHAM FUNERAL HOME, 306 Bessemer Ave., Grove City. Services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at the funeral home with the Rev. W. Stephen Morse, associate pastor of Grace United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Clintonville Methodist Cemetery .
Hilda Irene Bigelow
Hilda Irene Graham Bigelow, 94, of Copeland Oaks Crandall Medical Center, East Liverpool, Ohio, died there at 12:45 a.m. Thursday.
She had formerly lived at Alterra Sterling House of Salem in Salem, Ohio, and in Harrisville.
Born in Grove City on Feb. 3, 1909, she was the daughter of Robert Edwin and Vallie Vesta Bortz Graham.
Mrs. Bigelow moved from Harrisville to East Liverpool in 1950, where she lived until she moved to Negley, Ohio, in 1962.
She and her husband established HILRAY’s Kennels in Negley and raised prize-winning Scottish Terriers.
She was a former member of the Scottish Terrier Club of America and was a member of the First Evangelical Presbyterian Church in East Liverpool.
Surviving are three daughters, Marilyn Rae Clark of Fort Pierce, Fla., Kathryn Janet Trosky of Suisun, Calif., and Carolyn Joyce Valente of Lakewood, Colo.; four sons, Daniel James Bigelow of Xenia, Ohio, Graham Scott Bigelow of Lisbon, Ohio, Raymond Robert Bigelow of Seattle and William Marcus Bigelow of Lubbock, Texas; a sister, Elizabeth Karns of Harrisville; and 20 grandchildren.
Her husband, Raymond James Bigelow, died July 13, 1997. A son also preceded her in death.
BIGELOW - Friends of Hilda Irene Graham Bigelow, who died Thursday, March 20, 2003, will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at DAWSON FUNERAL HOME, 215 W. Fifth St., East Liverpool, Ohio. Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at the funeral home with the Rev. James Thomson officiating. Burial will be in East Carmel Cemetery .
John McMillan Smith
John McMillan Smith, 88, of Cranberry Township died Monday at Cranberry Place in Cranberry Township.
Born Jan. 11, 1915, in Pittsburgh, he was the son of John M. and Byrdie Phillipi Smith.
He was a former Cranberry Township supervisor.
Mr. Smith was a member of St. Ferdinand Roman Catholic Church of Cranberry Township, where he was a greeter.
Surviving are two sons, John McMillan “Jack” Smith III and Timothy P. Smith, both of Cranberry Township; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
His wife, Helen Marie Smith, whom he married June 2, 1934, died Nov. 30, 2001. A brother also preceded him in death.
SMITH - Friends of John McMillan Smith, who died Monday, March 10, 2003, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at GLENN-KILDOO FUNERAL HOME, 130 Wisconsin Ave., Cranberry Township. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Ferdinand Roman Catholic Church, Cranberry Township. Entombment will follow at Pinewood Memorial Gardens, Cranberry Township.
George A. Orr III
George A. Orr III of Port St. Lucie, Fla., died Thursday at the Hospice Residence of Martin & St. Lucie in Stuart, Fla.
He was born in Sewickley and retired to Port St. Lucie from Butler in 1993.
He was a 1959 graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan College; and after serving with the Army in Korea, he had a 30-year career with Merck & Co. as an executive professional representative.
Mr. Orr was a member of First United Methodist Church in Stuart, where he was a choir member and occasional director and pianist. He also had been organist, pianist and choir director and member at several churches in Maine and Pennsylvania.
Surviving are his wife, Pamela L. Orr of Port St. Lucie; a daughter, Laura J. Hudson of Atlanta, Ga.; a son, George A. Orr IV of Melbourne, Australia; a stepdaughter, Melissa B. Frasier of Denver, Colo.; and five grandchildren.
His first wife, June Mearns Orr, died in 1996.
ORR - A memorial service for George A. Orr III, who died Thursday, March 6, 2003, will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, at First United Methodist Church, Stuart. An internment ceremony will follow at a later date at Homewood Cemetery , Pittsburgh. Arrangements are being handled by ALL COUNTY FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY, Treasure Coast Chapel, Stuart.
Memorial donations may be made to the Music Ministry of First United Methodist Church of Stuart, P.O. Box 539, Stuart, FL 34995.
Beatrice A. Kelley
Beatrice A. “Bernie” Kelley, 78, formerly of Sarver, died Monday at Saxony Health Center, Saxonburg.
Born in Harrison Township, Allegheny County, Aug. 3, 1924, she was the daughter of Harry and Marie Stewart McLaughlin.
She was a homemaker, enjoyed painting ceramics and bingo and participated in many charity fund-raising walks.
Mrs. Kelley was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Sarver and was president of the resident council of the skilled care unit at Saxony Health Center from 2000 to 2002.
She is survived by her husband, Clifford P. Kelley, whom she married Nov. 12, 1942; a son, Howard R. Kelley of Saxonburg; a daughter, Mrs. John R. (Patricia) Malis of Sarver; and three sisters, Mrs. Florence Johnston, Mrs. Joy Laube and Mrs. Richard (Jane) Striker, all of Freeport. Two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren also survive.
Two brothers preceded her in death.
KELLEY - Friends of Bernice A. “Bernie” Kelley, who died Monday, March 10, 2002, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at FOX FUNERAL HOME, Saxonburg. Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home with the Rev. Deborah Huffmyer, her pastor, officiating. Burial will be at Butler County Memorial Park, Butler Township.
Memorial donations may be made to the Activity Department, Saxony Health Center, 223 Pittsburgh St., Saxonburg, PA 16056; or Westminster Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 446, Saxonburg, PA 16056.
Frieda E. TerBush
Frieda Elizabeth TerBush, 92, of New Wilmington died at noon Monday at Jameson Memorial Hospital, New Castle.
Born Jan. 16, 1911, in Marwood, she was the daughter of William and Agnes Cypher Hutzler.
She was a 1929 graduate of Butler High School and a 1931 alumna of Allegheny Valley School of Nursing, Natrona Heights. She was a registered nurse and head of the operating room at Allegheny Valley Hospital. She also had been a registered nurse at PPG Industries, Pittsburgh.
Mrs. TerBush was a member of St. Camillus Roman Catholic Church of New Castle, a former member of St. Sebastian Roman Catholic Church in Ross Township; and a member of the Allegheny Valley Hospital Nurses Alumni Association.
Surviving are a daughter, Sara Jeanne Dresher of Houston, Texas; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Her husband, David Howard TerBush, whom she married Feb. 16, 1936, died Aug. 8, 2002. Two sisters and four brothers also preceded her in death.
TerBUSH - Friends of Frieda Elizabeth TerBush, who died Monday, March 10, 2003, will be received from 9 to 9:30 a.m. Saturday at SMITH FUNERAL HOME, 310 W. Neshannock Ave., New Wilmington. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Camillus Roman Catholic Church, 314 Englewood Ave., New Castle. The Rev. Philip Farrell will officiate. Burial will be at Roger Chapel Cemetery , McVille, South Buffalo Township, Armstrong County.
Oliver W. ‘Bill’ Pritts
Oliver W. “Bill” Pritts, 51, of Butler died Monday in the emergency room at Butler Memorial Hospital.
Born July 3, 1951, in New Kensington, he was the son of Venia V. Vasbinder Pritts Leatherberry and the late Oliver Francis Pritts.
He was a 1971 alumnus of Butler High School and received an associate’s degree in refrigeration and air conditioning from Gateway Technical Institute.
Mr. Pritts was a fabricator and an installer of air conditioning and ventilation ductwork systems for computer rooms for C.I.D. Associates in Sarver for the past three years. Prior to that, he worked in the air conditioning and refrigeration maintenance department at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital for 19 years.
He was a member of St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church in Lyndora. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting, fishing and camping and was an Army veteran of the Vietnam War.
Surviving are his wife, Anna C. Izdebsky Pritts, whom he married June 4, 1977, a son and a daughter, William C. and Danielle C. Pritts, both of Butler; and a granddaughter. He also is survived by his mother of Butler; two brothers, John Pritts of Evans City and Roy Pritts of Georgia; and three sisters, Terrell Jundzilo of Wyoming, Tamala Scriven of Alaska and Mrs. Robert (Oneda) Ellenberger of Evans City.
He was preceded in death by a sister.
PRITTS - Friends of Oliver W. “Bill” Pritts, who died Monday, March 10, 2003, will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. today and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday. at GEIBEL FUNERAL HOME, 201 E. Cunningham St. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Michael Ukrainian Catholic Church, 610 Hansen Ave., Lyndora. The Rev. Douglas Lorence will officiate. Burial will be in Greenlawn Burial Estates, Mount Chestnut.
Parastas services will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.
David E. Hunter
David E. Hunter, 53, of Zelienople died early today at Montefiore Hospital, Pittsburgh, after an illness.
Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Jan. 24, 1950, he was the son of Elizabeth Jones Hunter and Benjamin James Hunter.
He worked in the marketing department at Passavant Retirement Center in Zelienople and was an Army veteran.
Mr. Hunter was a member of Oak Grove Lutheran Church and a former member of Old Union Presbyterian Church.
Surviving are his wife, Brenda Sue Campbell Hunter, whom he married Sept. 20, 1997; a son, Justin; his mother of Mars; two sisters, Barbara Hunter of Duquesne and Beverly Hosey of Youngstown; a brother, Dennis Hunter of Mars; and a number of nieces and nephews.
HUNTER - Friends of David E. Hunter, who died Wednesday, March 12, 2003, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at McDONALD-AEBERLI FUNERAL HOME, 238 Crowe Ave., Mars. Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home with the Rev. Edward Robbins officiating. Burial will be private.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Thomas Starzell Transplant Fund, c/o Montefiore Hospital, 3459 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213.
