Schuylkill County Obituaries for 10/22/2017
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Rosalie (Lee) Gorman, 80, of Mahanoy City, passed away Thursday, October 19th, at Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest, Allentown, Lehigh County shortly after admission.
Rosalie was born in Mahanoy City, PA on May 9, 1937, a daughter of the late Petry (Walinchus) and Louis Truskowsky.
Lee graduated from Mahanoy City High School class of 1954, and St. Joseph School of Nursing in Reading in 1957.
She had lived in Bala Cynwyd PA, Maitland FL and Covina CA before returning to Mahanoy City.
Lee worked as an OR Nurse at the Hahnemann Hospital of Philadelphia open heart surgery unit and at an Out Patient Cosmetic Surgery hospital in California
She was of the Christian faith.
She is the widow of the late Richard Thompson and of Donald Gorman who passed away in 2001.
Rosalie is survived by a son, Christian Gorman husband of Lauria , of Florida; and by two sisters, Marie Bache, of Mahanoy City, Nancy Cohn, of Ardmore PA, a brother, Louis Truskowsky, of Mahanoy City, A niece Lisa Sanphy and nephews David Truskowsky, Eric and Scott Cohn as well as her companion cat Samson .
Services will be private.
Memorial donations are preferred to :
Wounded Warrior Project
PO BOX 758516
Topeka, KS 66675
or to your favorite veterans charity
Louis D. Truskowsky Funeral Home & Crematory Inc. Mahanoy City is in charge of arrangements. Visit www.truskowskyfuneralhome.com to sign the guest book and send sympathy cards.
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Mary J. Brannum, 90, formerly of Tamaqua, PA and Kempton, PA, died on Thursday, October 19, 2017 in Pottsville, PA.
She was the wife of the late Choye “Ray” Brannum who died in 1960.
Born on August 28, 1919, Mary was a daughter of the late George and Eva (nee Spaar) Krell. A high school graduate, she was a secretary for the Fairmount Cemetery in Newark, NJ.
Mary was a member of St. John United Church of Christ, Tamaqua and the Hester Rebekah Lodge, Tamaqua.
In addition to her parents and husband, she was also predeceased by her siblings, Alfred Krell, Robert Krell, Donald Krell, Roy Krell, and Constance Henry. Mary will be interred in Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville, PA. Online condolences may be made at www.zgfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are being handled by the Zizelmann-Gulla Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc., Tamaqua.
Jean Fisher Hafer, 93, wife of J. Carl Hafer, Sr., her husband of seventy-six years, formerly of Tamaqua, died Friday October 20, 2017, in Orwigsburg.
A member of St. John XXIII R.C. Church of Tamaqua where she was a Eucharistic Minister. Jean, belonged to the CWEA when it was active, was a longtime member of SS. Peter & Paul’s Ladies Auxiliary, and was a Cub Scout Den Mother for 18 years.
Born in Tamaqua, the daughter of the late Nellie Gallagher Fisher and Oswald Fisher.
Surviving in addition to her husband are a daughter Ester Jean, wife of Stanley Borascius of Schnecksville, Pa.; two sons, J. Ted Hafer, and his wife Bernadette of Auburn, PA and Gregory S. Hafer and his wife Elaine of Pottsville, PA; Seven Grandchildren, Robert Borascius, Schnecksville, PA., Joseph Hafer, Longmont, Co, Lance Hafer, Wilmington, DE, Dean Hafer, Longmont, CO, Bernadette Trostle, Auburn, PA, Brandon Hafer, Chesapeake, VA, Alex Hafer, Grand Junction, CO.; Twelve great-grandchildren and 4 great-great- grandchildren; sister Margaret (Peggy) Lichtenwalner, Allentown; daughter-in-law, Joann Hafer of Tamaqua.
Jean was preceded in death by four brothers, Joseph, James (Buddy), Francy & Charles Fisher; four sisters, Mary Aaron, Catherine Kojek, Rita Fisher, and Nancy Kunkel, one son, J. Carl Hafer, Jr., and three grandsons, J. Carl, III, Scott Borascius and Stanley Borascius.
Funeral Arrangements have been entrusted to the E. Franklin Griffiths Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Inc. of 655 East Broad Street, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. (570) 668-2550.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday October 25, 2017 at 11 o’clock A.M. from SS. Peter & Paul R.C.C. 301 Pine street, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania.
Friends may call on Wednesday morning from 9:00 A.M. till 10:30 A.M. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to St. Jerome’s Regional School, 250 W. Broad St., Tamaqua, PA 18252.
Online registry an condolences may be signed at www.griffithsfuneralhomes.com
Deryl Everett Fessler, 67, of S. Tulpehocken St., Pine Grove, passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, October 21, 2017.
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Jean Fisher Hafer, 93, wife of J. Carl Hafer, Sr., her husband of seventy-six years, formerly of Tamaqua, died Friday October 20, 2017, in Orwigsburg.
A member of St. John XXIII R.C. Church of Tamaqua where she was a Eucharistic Minister. Jean, belonged to the CWEA when it was active, was a longtime member of SS. Peter & Paul’s Ladies Auxiliary, and was a Cub Scout Den Mother for 18 years.
Born in Tamaqua, the daughter of the late Nellie Gallagher Fisher and Oswald Fisher.
Surviving in addition to her husband are a daughter Ester Jean, wife of Stanley Borascius of Schnecksville, Pa.; two sons, J. Ted Hafer, and his wife Bernadette of Auburn, PA and Gregory S. Hafer and his wife Elaine of Pottsville, PA; Seven Grandchildren, Robert Borascius, Schnecksville, PA., Joseph Hafer, Longmont, Co, Lance Hafer, Wilmington, DE, Dean Hafer, Longmont, CO, Bernadette Trostle, Auburn, PA, Brandon Hafer, Chesapeake, VA, Alex Hafer, Grand Junction, CO.; Twelve great-grandchildren and 4 great-great- grandchildren; sister Margaret (Peggy) Lichtenwalner, Allentown; daughter-in-law, Joann Hafer of Tamaqua.
Jean was preceded in death by four brothers, Joseph, James (Buddy), Francy & Charles Fisher; four sisters, Mary Aaron, Catherine Kojek, Rita Fisher, and Nancy Kunkel, one son, J. Carl Hafer, Jr., and three grandsons, J. Carl, III, Scott Borascius and Stanley Borascius.
Funeral Arrangements have been entrusted to the E. Franklin Griffiths Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Inc. of 655 East Broad Street, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. (570) 668-2550.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday October 25, 2017 at 11 o’clock A.M. from SS. Peter & Paul R.C.C. 301 Pine street, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania.
Friends may call on Wednesday morning from 9:00 A.M. till 10:30 A.M. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to St. Jerome’s Regional School, 250 W. Broad St., Tamaqua, PA 18252.
Online registry an condolences may be signed at www.griffithsfuneralhomes.com
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Deryl Everett Fessler, 67, of S. Tulpehocken St., Pine Grove, passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, October 21, 2017.
Born on July 28, 1950 in Pottsville, he is a son of the late Ernest "Frosty" and Gertrude Rodenberger Fessler.
He was a 1968 graduate of Pine Grove Area High School and was a member of the PA National Guard Unit 228th Supply & Transport Battalion for 13 years.
Deryl was a Pine Grove Borough Police Officer for 12 years and retired from Pine Grove Township where he was employed for 24 years.
Preceding him in death was a daughter, Christine Marie Fessler in 1972.
Surviving are his wife of 47 years, Donna Nagle Fessler; a daughter, Jenifer Fessler Sabo of Pittsburgh; two grandsons, Austin and Michael Sabo; three sisters, Sharon Lee Zimmerman, Bonnie and husband Bobby Brown, and April and husband James Peachey, all of Pine Grove, nieces and nephews.
Funeral Services will be held on Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 10:30 A.M. at the H. L. Snyder Funeral Home, Inc., Pine Grove with Dr. Ira Lydic officiating. There will be a viewing on Thursday, October 26, 2017, from 9:30 A.M. until time of service at the Funeral Home. Interment will follow in St. John's Lutheran Cemetery, Pine Grove.
In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer contributions be made to either the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of Lehigh Valley, 25 W. 3rd St., Bethlehem, Pa. 18015 or Friedensburg Y.H.E.C. 67 Geary Wolf Rd, Pine Grove, Pa. 17963 in his memory.
You may send condolences to the family online at our website www.hlsnyderfuneralhome.com
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Patricia "Patsy" A. Morgan, 77, of Donaldson, passed away on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 in the Tremont Health & Rehab Center.
Patricia "Patsy" A. Morgan, 77, of Donaldson, passed away on Tuesday, October 17, 2017 in the Tremont Health & Rehab Center.
Born on January 22, 1940 in Frailey Twp., she was a daughter of the late Raymond Edward and Catherine Arlene Lyons Morgan.
Patsy was a member of Zion Lutheran Church, Donaldson.
Preceding her in death were two brothers, Lewis Morgan and Thomas Morgan.
Surviving are a brother, Dennis Morgan and wife Barbara Lymaster of Donaldson, nieces and nephews.
Surviving are a brother, Dennis Morgan and wife Barbara Lymaster of Donaldson, nieces and nephews.
All Services will be held at the convenience of the family. Interment will be in St. Paul's Cemetery, Sacramento. The H. L. Snyder Funeral Home, Inc., Pine Grove is in charge of arrangements. You may send condolences to the family online at our website www.hlsnyderfuneralhome.com
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William F. Watson, 90, of Minersville, passed away peacefully on Thursday morning at Holy Family Manor, Bethlehem.
Born in Port Carbon, he was a son of the late David and Mae Connelly Watson. He attended St. Stephen School. He was an Army veteran of World War II; and was employed by ALCOA and Cressona Aluminum until retiring.
He was a current member of St. Matthew the Evangelist R.C. Church, Minersville, and a member of the former St. Francis of Assisi R.C. Church, Minersville. Bill was known to be a handyman for many elderly people and friends.
Preceding him in death was his wife Anna, three siblings, Beatrice Watson, Wallace "Bud" Watson, Dorothy Evans and David Watson and two of his five children, Deborah Dutcavich, Karen Dronick and a granddaughter, Melissa Watson Bugbee.
Bill is survived by three children, Janice Warischalk and her husband, Michael, Titusville, FL, William J. Watson and his wife, Barbara, Whitehall, and David M. Watson and his wife, Ellen, Millersville; 12 grandchildren, Nicholas, Edward and Joseph Warischalk, Vincent Dutcavich and Christina Shannon, Joanna McKnight, Colleen and William Watson, William Dronick, Michael, Andrew and Jessica Watson; nine great-grandchildren, Caeden and Caleb Shannon, Gavin and Ryan McKnight, Samuel and Alexander Warischalk, Margaret and Conrad Warischalk and Brennan Dutcavich. He is also survived by a brother, Donald Watson, Port Carbon; a sister-in-law, Theresa Harville, Asheville, North Carolina; a niece; a nephew.
Friends may call at Dutcavich Funeral Home, 200 Sunbury Street, Minersville, on Tuesday from 8:00 A.M. to 9:30 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 A.M. in St. Matthew the Evangelist Church, 139 Spruce Street, Minersville. Interment with military honors will be in St. Francis of Assisi Cemetery, Branch Township. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Lehigh Valley Hospice, Holy Family Manor, Bethlehem or St. Matthew R.C. Church, Minersville.
Mae Dolbin Brennan, 92, of Pottsville, passed away on Sunday at Providence Place.
Born in Forestville, Cass Township, Sanatoga, she was a daughter of the late William and Daisy Bush Brennan. After graduating from Cass Township High School in 1943, she worked as an aide to the late Representative Ivor D. Fenton during his service on the Military Affairs Committee. She attained an Associate Degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. before taking employment as a Flight Attendant with Trans World Airlines (TWA). She served primarily on international flights, and was among the crew on the first transatlantic flight from New York to Portugal. She later accepted a promotion as a flight attendant supervisor, and retired in 1986 after almost 38 years of flight service. She resided in New York City and Tuscon, Arizona before returning to Schuylkill County.
She was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, Pottsville; and was a lifelong member of the Order of the Eastern Star.
While she never married, Mae valued her extended family, bringing gifts for her nieces and nephews purchased during her extensive travels. Her experience as a world traveler developed her adventurous and independent spirit. Whether through formal schooling or experiences, Mae was a firm believer in education; and encouraged it in those around her.
The last of six children, she was preceded in death by three brothers, Elvin, Roy and David Brennan; two sisters, Helen Weiss and Phoebe Hamel. She was also preceded by a niece, Eileen Schultz and a nephew, Kenneth Brennan.
Mae is survived by a host of nieces and nephews, including her caregivers, David Brennan and his wife, Rosalie, Llewellyn.
Visitation and services will be later in the week. Please check back for details.
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William F. Watson, 90, of Minersville, passed away peacefully on Thursday morning at Holy Family Manor, Bethlehem.
Born in Port Carbon, he was a son of the late David and Mae Connelly Watson. He attended St. Stephen School. He was an Army veteran of World War II; and was employed by ALCOA and Cressona Aluminum until retiring.
He was a current member of St. Matthew the Evangelist R.C. Church, Minersville, and a member of the former St. Francis of Assisi R.C. Church, Minersville. Bill was known to be a handyman for many elderly people and friends.
Preceding him in death was his wife Anna, three siblings, Beatrice Watson, Wallace "Bud" Watson, Dorothy Evans and David Watson and two of his five children, Deborah Dutcavich, Karen Dronick and a granddaughter, Melissa Watson Bugbee.
Bill is survived by three children, Janice Warischalk and her husband, Michael, Titusville, FL, William J. Watson and his wife, Barbara, Whitehall, and David M. Watson and his wife, Ellen, Millersville; 12 grandchildren, Nicholas, Edward and Joseph Warischalk, Vincent Dutcavich and Christina Shannon, Joanna McKnight, Colleen and William Watson, William Dronick, Michael, Andrew and Jessica Watson; nine great-grandchildren, Caeden and Caleb Shannon, Gavin and Ryan McKnight, Samuel and Alexander Warischalk, Margaret and Conrad Warischalk and Brennan Dutcavich. He is also survived by a brother, Donald Watson, Port Carbon; a sister-in-law, Theresa Harville, Asheville, North Carolina; a niece; a nephew.
Friends may call at Dutcavich Funeral Home, 200 Sunbury Street, Minersville, on Tuesday from 8:00 A.M. to 9:30 A.M. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 A.M. in St. Matthew the Evangelist Church, 139 Spruce Street, Minersville. Interment with military honors will be in St. Francis of Assisi Cemetery, Branch Township. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Lehigh Valley Hospice, Holy Family Manor, Bethlehem or St. Matthew R.C. Church, Minersville.
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Mae Dolbin Brennan, 92, of Pottsville, passed away on Sunday at Providence Place.
Born in Forestville, Cass Township, Sanatoga, she was a daughter of the late William and Daisy Bush Brennan. After graduating from Cass Township High School in 1943, she worked as an aide to the late Representative Ivor D. Fenton during his service on the Military Affairs Committee. She attained an Associate Degree from George Washington University in Washington, D.C. before taking employment as a Flight Attendant with Trans World Airlines (TWA). She served primarily on international flights, and was among the crew on the first transatlantic flight from New York to Portugal. She later accepted a promotion as a flight attendant supervisor, and retired in 1986 after almost 38 years of flight service. She resided in New York City and Tuscon, Arizona before returning to Schuylkill County.
She was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church, Pottsville; and was a lifelong member of the Order of the Eastern Star.
While she never married, Mae valued her extended family, bringing gifts for her nieces and nephews purchased during her extensive travels. Her experience as a world traveler developed her adventurous and independent spirit. Whether through formal schooling or experiences, Mae was a firm believer in education; and encouraged it in those around her.
The last of six children, she was preceded in death by three brothers, Elvin, Roy and David Brennan; two sisters, Helen Weiss and Phoebe Hamel. She was also preceded by a niece, Eileen Schultz and a nephew, Kenneth Brennan.
Mae is survived by a host of nieces and nephews, including her caregivers, David Brennan and his wife, Rosalie, Llewellyn.
Visitation and services will be later in the week. Please check back for details.
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