Obituaries by LocationRawlon Francisco Jr.
Rawlon Francisco Jr., 78, of Allen Park, Mich., formerly of Parker, died Monday.
He is survived by four sons, David G., Dennis J., Randy L. and Mark L. Francisco; four sisters, Lillian McGinnis, Marilyn Hunter, Mary Husselton and Martha Page; a brother, James Francisco; and five grandchildren.
FRANCISCO - Friends of Rawlon Francisco Jr., who died Monday, Jan. 14, 2002, will be received from 2 to 9 p.m. Friday at VORAN FUNERAL HOME, 5900 Allen Road, Allen Park, Mich. Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Parkview Memorial Cemetery , Livonia, Mich.
Grace E. Aggas
Grace E. Aggas, 87, of Butler died at 1:20 p.m. Wednesday at Butler Memorial Hospital.
Born Feb. 16, 1915, at her family’s Clay Township farm, she was the daughter of Homer Turner Hall and Alice Isabelle Mahood Hall Hutchison.
Mrs. Aggas was a member of the Hill United Presbyterian Church.
Surviving are two daughters, Sara Jane Zavadsky and Doris Jean Kelly, both of Butler; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Two sisters, Jane Campbell of Redondo Beach, Calif., and Alice Mortimer of Butler; and a brother, Kenneth M. Hall of West Sunbury, also survive.
Preceding her in death were her husband, David P. Aggas, who died Aug. 4, 1989; a daughter; a sister, and two brothers.
AGGAS - Friends of Grace E. Aggas, who died Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2003, will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. .today at WILLIAM F. YOUNG JR. FUNERAL HOME, 127 W. Jefferson St. Services will be 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home with the Rev. John Porter, her church pastor, officiating. Burial will follow at Butler County Memorial Park, Butler Township.
Memorial donations may be made to Hill United Presbyterian Church, 501 Second St., Butler, PA 16001.
Mary M. Oesterling
Mary M. Oesterling, 93, of Meridian died at 5:40 a.m. today at Butler Memorial Hospital.
Born Aug. 29, 1908, in Punxsutawney, she was the daughter of Fleming and Mary Ellen McHenry Douthett.
She was a member of St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Loy (Ellen) Steward and Mrs. DeWayne (Barbara) Miller, both of Fort Myers, Fla.; a son, Ernest R. Oesterling of Meridian; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews.
Her husband, Rudolph E. Oesterling, died May 25, 1980; several grandchildren; five sisters; and three brothers also preceded her in death.
OESTERLING - Friends of Mary M. Oesterling, who died Thursday, Jan. 17, 2002, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at YOUNG FUNERAL HOME, 127 W. Jefferson St. Services will be at noon Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be at in Gruenwald Cemetery , Summit Township.
Charles F. Collins
Charles F. Collins, 78, of Harmony died Thursday at Passavant Hospital, McCandless.
Born June 24, 1923, in Ohiopyle, Fayette County, he was the son of John and Frances Meyers Collins.
He was a member of the Harmony-Zelienople United Methodist Church, Harmony Lodge 429 F&AM, Valley of New Castle Consistory and Syria Shrine Temple of Pittsburgh.
Mr. Collins a World War II Navy veteran.
He is survived by his wife, Helen R. Collins, whom he married Aug. 28, 1954; a son, David C. Collins of Tucson, Ariz.; two daughters, Linda S. Liu and Judy L Collins, both of Miami, Fla.; and four grandchildren. Two brothers, Thomas Collins of Ursina, Somerset County, and Daniel Collins of Somerset; a sister, Carole Degelman of College Station, Texas; and numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews also survive.
He was preceded in death by three brothers and a sister.
COLLINS - Friends of Charles F. Collins, who died Thursday, Jan. 10, 2002, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today at BOYLAN FUNERAL HOME, 324 E. Grandview Ave., Zelienople. Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home with the Rev. John Seth, his church pastor, officiating. Burial will be in Grace Church Cemetery , Harmony.
Memorial donations may be made to Harmony-Zelienople United Methodist Church, 123 N. Pittsburgh St., Zelienople, PA 16063.
A Masonic service will be held at 6:45 p.m. today at the funeral home.
Frederick J. Clark
Frederick J. Clark, 88, of Zelienople died Saturday at St. John Specialty Care Center, Mars.
Born May 4, 1913, in Everett, Mass., he was the son of Martin and Eliza Jane Clark.
He was a graduate of Revere High School in Revere, Mass., and served with Co. L. Massachusetts National Guard, 182nd Infantry. From 1935 to 1938, he was a member of the Naval Reserve.
From 1934 to 1939, he worked for John Hancock Life Insurance Co. and won awards for being one of the top sales agents in the country.
He began a lifelong association with the Boy Scouts as a youth in the Boston area and earned the Eagle Scout Badge in 1930. In 1939, he accepted a position as a scout executive with the Daniel Webster Boy Scout Council in Nashua, N.H. He later held similar positions in upstate New York and New Jersey.
He left professional scouting in 1953, but continued to serve as a volunteer and held numerous leadership positions with Moraine Trails Council, including council president. In 1972, he was awarded the Silver Beaver Award, one of scouting’s highest awards for voluntary service.
He was a 75-year member of the Boy Scouts and a life member of the National Eagle Scout Association.
In 1953, he became director of personnel for Wheaton Glass Co. of Millville, N.J. In 1960, he became the personnel and labor relations manager at Glenshaw Glass Co. from where he retired in 1978 as vice-president of industrial relations. He also was an extension instructor in leadership and management studies for Rutgers and Penn State universities.
Mr. Clark was a volunteer with the United Way of Butler County and had served on the South Butler School Board.
He was a member and had been an elder and deacon at Saint Andrews United Presbyterian Church.
He enjoyed golfing until he was 87. He also enjoyed painting, lapidary, woodworking, ceramics and gardening.
Surviving is his wife, Bertha Mahaney Clark of Passavant Retirement Community, Zelienople. They were married in Dec. 31, 1936 in Malden, Mass.
Also surviving are a daughter, Barbara C. Davis of Tafton, Pa.; three sons, Robert N. Clark of Columbus, Ohio, Douglas A. Clark of Latrobe and Paul F. Clark of State College; a brother, Warren Clark of Littleton, Mass.; 12 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
Two brothers preceded him in death.
He donated his body to the Penn State University School of Medicine for medical education and research.
CLARK - A memorial service for Frederick J. Clark, who died Saturday, Jan. 5, 2002, will be held at noon Jan. 19 in the chapel at Passavant Retirement Community, Zelienople.
Memorial contributions may be made to Moraine Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America, 830 Morton Ave. Extension, Butler, PA, 16001; or Passavant Retirement Community, 401 Main St., Zelienople, PA 16063.
William LeRoy Burns
William LeRoy Burns, 52, of Goldsboro, N.C., formerly of the Butler area, died Wednesday at Duke Medical Center, Durham, N.C.
Born June 24, 1949, in Bagdad, Armstrong County, he was the son of William E.J. and Ruth Klingensmith Burns.
He was a 1967 graduate of Freeport High School and was superintendent at the Smithfield Packing Co., Benson, N.C., where he worked since 2000. He formerly worked at Supervalu in Butler for nine years and at Xpedx in Pittsburgh from 1994 to 1999.
An avid sportsman, he was a baseball and softball player in the Butler area and also coached T-ball and coach-pitch baseball in the South Butler Baseball League and enjoyed fishing.
Mr. Burns was a member of the Westwood United Methodist Church in Goldsboro and had attended First United Methodist Church in Butler.
He served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War era and was a life member of VFW Post 249 of Butler.
Surviving are his wife, Nancy Jo Green Burns, whom he married May 16, 1992; three sons, Shawn LeRoy Burns of Vandergrift, Christian William Burns of Arnold and Garrett Patrick Burns of Goldsboro; a daughter, Alicia Jo Burns of Goldsboro; and three grandchildren. A brother, Wayne D. Burns of Cheswick; two sisters, Carole Bartley of Saxonburg and Mrs. Doug (RuthAnn) Cloutman of Sarver; and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins also survive.
BURNS - Friends of William LeRoy Burns, who died Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2002, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday at GEIBEL FUNERAL HOME, 201 E. Cunningham St. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. The Rev. David Panther, pastor of the First United Methodist Church, will officiate. Burial will be in the Brookland Cemetery in Leechburg.
Mary E. Bodema
Mary E. Bodema, 59, of Butler died at 2:30 a.m. Thursday at her home.
Born June 6, 1942, in Center Township, she was the daughter of Hazel Edna Watts Palmer and the late John Nicholas Palmer.
She was a member of St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Ms. Bodema was a waitress at the Lyndora Hotel.
She is survived by a daughter, Laura Anne Minda of Butler; a son, John L. Cumberland of Butler; her mother of Butler; and four grandchildren. A brother, David Lee Palmer of Karns City, and a number of nieces and nephews also survive.
A sister and a brother preceded her in death.
BODEMA - Friends of Mary E. Bodema, who died Thursday, Jan. 10, 2002, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday at YOUNG FUNERAL HOME, 127 W. Jefferson St. Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home with the Rev. Charles Schwartz, pastor of Bible Baptist Church of Mercer, officiating. Burial will be at West Sunbury Union Cemetery .
Helen O. Shaffer
Helen O. Shaffer, 85, of Zelienople died Friday at Evergreen Nursing Center in Jackson Township.
Born Dec. 4, 1916, in Ligonier, Westmoreland County, she was a daughter of John and Olive Dougherty Bernard.
Mrs. Shaffer was a 1934 graduate of Zelienople High School.
She enjoyed baking and sewing and was a former member of the Fombell Women’s Sewing Club.
She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Donald (Betty) Eppinger of Harmony and Mrs. Jane Vogel of Zelienople; a son, Robert Shaffer of Zelienople; a brother, John Bernard of Monaca; two sisters, Edna Peters of Chippewa, Pa., and Shirley Zeigler of Lakewood, Colo.; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Shaffer, who died June 15, 1999, and whom she married May 7, 1934.
Also preceding her in death were three brothers.
SHAFFER - Friends of Helen O. Shaffer, who died Friday, Jan. 11, 2002, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at BOYLAN FUNERAL HOME, 324 E. Grandview Ave., Zelienople. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Jerry Davis, pastor of Unity Baptist Church of Harlensburg, officiating. Burial will be in St. Peter’s Reformed Church Cemetery , Zelienople.
Memorial donations may be made to Zelienople Area Public Library, 227 S. High St., Zelienople, Pa. 16063
Leo Anthony Napoli
Leo Anthony Napoli, 83, formerly of Shanahan Road, died Friday at Sunnyview Home.
Born July 25, 1918, in Sharpsburg, Allegheny County, he was the son of Pietro and Rose Carricato Napoli.
He owned and operated the 7-Up Bottling Co. in Butler until 1976. He then worked as an auditor for the state Auditor General’s Office until 1990.
He served in the Army in World War II.
Mr. Napoli was active in the Democratic Party in Butler County and served as a Democratic committeeman in Center Township.
He was a member of St. Andrew Roman Catholic Church in Center Township, where he was an usher and a member of the parish council.
He was a member of the Knights of Columbus Butler Council 866, VFW Post 249 in Butler and the Butler Elks Lodge.
Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Paul (Elaine) Alwine and Mrs. William (Patricia) Schmidt, both of Butler; a sister, Mrs. Joseph (Lena) Cancilla of Sharpsburg; a number of nieces and nephews; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Frances Mary Wycich Napoli; four brothers; and a sister.
NAPOLI - Friends of Leo Anthony Napoli, who died Friday Jan. 11, 2002, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at GEIBEL FUNERAL HOME, 201 E. Cunningham St., Butler. The Knights of Columbus will meet at 9 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home to recite the rosary. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Andrew Roman Catholic Church, 1660 N. Main St. Ext., Center Township, with the Rev. James Salberg, pastor, officiating. Entombment will be at the Calvary Mausoleum, Butler.
Betty Jane Knisely
Betty Jane “B.J.” Knisely of Bedford, formerly of Parker, died Saturday at UPMC Bedford Memorial Hospital.
She was the daughter of Norman and Helen (Fitian) Ramsey.
Mrs. Knisely was a graduate of Parker High School and attended the Christ Victory Church in New Buena Vista. She worked at the Apple Bin Restaurant and for 15 years at the Jean Bonnet Restaurant.
Surviving are her husband, William “Will” Knisely, whom she married June 12, 1993; three daughters, Mrs. Mike (Cindy) Lake and Cathlene Terwilliger, both of Laurel, Md., and Paula Lynn Knisely of Asburn, Va.; three sons, Carl Terwilliger of Nineveh, N.Y., Corey Terwilliger of Coatsville and Larry Hays of Sterling, Wash.; and five grandchildren.
KNISELY - Friends of Betty Jane “B.J.” Knisely, who died Saturday, Jan. 11, 2003, will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. today and from 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at TIMOTHY A. BERKEBILE FUNERAL HOME, 214 S. Juliana St., Bedford. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home with the Rev. Kerry L. Cathers officiating. Entombment will be in the All Faiths Mausoleum at Bedford County Memorial Park.
