Obituaries published from the Schuylkill County area.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Born in Orwigsburg on October 23, 1939, he was a son of the late John & Mildred (Sterner) Seltzer.
He was the husband of Mary Lou (Holben) Seltzer to whom he was married 61 years.
Floyd was a graduate of Auburn High School, and he had served in the U.S. Air Force.
He was formerly employed by Dana Corporation, Reading as a crane operator.
In addition to his wife, Floyd is also survived by three sons: Michael J., husband of Fay Seltzer, of Orwigsburg; Dennis P., husband of Nancy Seltzer, of Selinsgrove; & Floyd M. Jr., husband of Michelle Seltzer, of Schuylkill Haven; and a daughter, Carol A., wife of Darryl Morgan, of Friedensburg. He is also survived by grandchildren: Josh A. Morgan, & Alicia M. Ballou, Friedensburg, Roxanne M. Waite & Audrey L. Seltzer, Selinsgrove, Melissa A., Anthony M., & Lori M. Herring, Minnesota and Floyd M. III, Matthew A. and Adam J. Seltzer of Schuylkill Haven.13 great grandchildren with two expecting great grandchildren. Floyd is also survived by six sisters: Ruth Schuck, of Tennessee;Pearl Neiswender, of Schuylkill Haven;Alberta Canfield, of Pine Grove;Edith Sheva, of New Cumberland;Martha Brown, of Auburn;& Debra Seltzer, of Cressona, and four brothers: John Seltzer, of McKeansburg;twins: David Seltzer, of Philippines;Daniel Seltzer, of Schuylkill Haven;& Philip Seltzer, of Deer Lake.
He is preceded in death by his daughter, Christine Herring, a brother, Jim Seltzer, twin sisters: Mabel Fedoriska, & Mildred Shappel and a great granddaughter Trinity Ruth Morgan.
A Celebration of Life Funeral Service will be conducted Friday, February 4th at Geschwindt-Stabingas Funeral Home, Inc., Schuylkill Haven, at 10:30 am. with Certified Celebrant Rebecca Devlin officiating. A viewing will be held from 9:30 am until the time of service at the funeral home.
Interment will follow at St. John's New Cemetery, Auburn.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He is preceded in death by his daughter, Christine Herring, a brother, Jim Seltzer, twin sisters: Mabel Fedoriska, & Mildred Shappel and a great granddaughter Trinity Ruth Morgan.
A Celebration of Life Funeral Service will be conducted Friday, February 4th at Geschwindt-Stabingas Funeral Home, Inc., Schuylkill Haven, at 10:30 am. with Certified Celebrant Rebecca Devlin officiating. A viewing will be held from 9:30 am until the time of service at the funeral home.
Interment will follow at St. John's New Cemetery, Auburn.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
with his family by his side.
Born in Pottsville, on October 18, 1946, he was a son of the late Lawrence and Dorothy (Weissmiller) Azbell.
He worked as a roofer at Hahner Brothers Roofing, Pottsville and Wolfe Roofing, Reading, retiring in 1992.
Richard enjoyed being outdoors and fishing and hunting and also, listening to country music.
In addition to his parents, Richard was preceded in death by brothers, Edward Azbell and Lawrence Azbell, Jr.
Richard is survived by his wife, Pamela (Madara) Azbell, to whom he was married 55 years; three daughters, Christa Azbell, of Schuylkill Haven; Amy Azbell, of Schuylkill Haven; Jennifer Azbell, of Pottsville; a son, Randy E. Azbell, of Pottsville; grandchildren: Randy Jr., Rebecca, Kobey, Andrew, Taylor, Madison, Chloe, and Miley; great grandchildren: Evan, Emma Lee, Ella, Owen, and Aiden; sister, Linda Lopez, of Schuylkill Haven and brother, John Azbell, of Minersville; and several nieces and nephews.
A viewing will be held on Wednesday evening from 6-7:30 p.m.. at Lord-Bixler Funeral Home, Inc., 1818 Mahantongo St., Pottsville. The family may or may not be present, but the public is welcome to come and pay their respects.
Services and interment will be private.
The family request contributions in Richard's memory be sent to: Wounded Warrior Project P.O. Box 758516 Topeka, KS 66675-8516.
Lord-Bixler Funeral Home, Inc. is in charge of the arrangements.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Mary Selgrath.
Barbara is survived by her husband of 61 years, Robert Fritz; her children: Felicia (Brian) Glavin, Brent Fritz and Deirdre (Michael) Rosado; her 10 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren; her sister, June Blickley; brother-in-law, Alfred Fritz; sisters-in-law, Evelyn Andrews and Leona Fritz; nieces and nephews.
Services were held on January 27, 2022.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Edward W. Morgan, Jr., 59, of Schaeffer’s Hill, Cass Township, passed away on Friday at home.
Born on May 16, 1962 in Pottsville, he was a son of the late Edward W. Morgan, Sr. and the late Leota Lee Godman Morgan. He attended Blue Mountain schools, and was a factory worker before working in residential construction.
Ed is survived by three siblings, Dorothy Morgan, Port Carbon, David Morgan and Linda Sandson, both of Eagle Rock; nieces and nephews.
Private interment will be in Mount Peace Cemetery, Branch Township.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Born Wednesday, October 21, 1970 in Coaldale, Pennsylvania the daughter of the late Jean M. (Zaprazny) Rinker, and Ralph Farber. Marie was also predeceased by; sister, Christine Oxner; brother, Michael Farber.
Surviving are; step-father and caregiver, Robert E. Rinker with whom she resided of Quakake; sisters, Gina Neuman wife of Chip, Cheryl Hill wife of John, Charlene Thompson. Many nieces and nephews also survive Marie.
A Tamaqua High School graduate, Marie worked at Lehigh Valley Hospital until; she sustained extensive injuries in an automobile accident in 2016. Marie was courageous, kind, and caring. She will be missed by many.
Arrangements entrusted to the E. Franklin Griffiths Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Inc. of 655 East Broad street Tamaqua, Pennsylvania 18252.
Interment will be in St. Jerome R.C.C. Cemetery, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Born in Ellen Gowan on January 21, 1938, he was a son of the late Philip and Martha (Wheat) Dawe.
He was a graduate of the former Mahanoy Township High School.
Mr. Dawe was a decorated Air Force Veteran having served during the Korean War.
Prior to his retirement, he had been employed by the former Zapata Industries, Frackville as a coil line operator.
He was a member of St Joseph the Worker Parish, Frackville, the Gilberton Hose Company and the Mahanoy Plane Fire Company.
Preceding him in death in addition to his parents were his wife Theresa S. (Snarski) Dawe in 2000; three brothers, Dennis, William and Richard Dawe; and four sisters, Ann Rafferty, Gerry O’Connell, Caroline Dougert and Joan Dakes.
Surviving are his daughter, Theresa N. “Teri” Holloway and her husband Edward J. of Port Charlotte, Florida; his son, Edward P. Dawe of Northampton; his granddaughter, Mary Jolene Holloway; two sisters, Loretta Smith and Lynn Bromhead; nieces, nephews and cousins.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, February 3, 2022 at 10:30 am in St. Joseph the Worker Parish, St. Ann’s Church, Frackville with Father Brian Miller, Pastor as the celebrant. A viewing will be held on Thursday morning from 9:30 am until 10:30 am in St. Ann’s Church. It would be appreciated for those attending to please wear masks. Interment with military honors be held on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 1:30 pm at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville.
Expressions of sympathy can be made to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org or to the charity of one’s choice.
Walukiewicz-Oravitz Fell Funeral Home, 132 S. Jardin Street, Shenandoah is in charge of the arrangements.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas “Tom” M. O’Brien, age 95, of Minersville passed away on Friday January 28th, 2022 at the home of his son, Neal P. O’Brien.
If you are reading this, know full well that Tom is being taken care of by his beloved wife Wanda J. who he missed dearly, and is reunited with his cherished granddaughter Mackenzie.
Born May 11th, 1926, Tom was the second of five children born to Michael F. & Catherine King O’Brien of the village of Glen Dower. In 1941 Tom’s family moved to Minersville and he graduated as part of the Minersville High School class of 1944. After graduating Tom entered the U.S. Navy at the age of 17 with his mother’s permission served during WWII from 1944 to 1946. After returning to Minersville, Tom began his long-lasting working career at the former First National Bank of Minersville as a teller. In 1950 Tom’s career was interrupted as he was recalled to U.S. Navy active duty due to the Korean conflict serving aboard “THE JASON “in the Pacific theater. It was during this time while his ship was docked in San Francisco, CA that Tom met his perfect match, Wanda Ruth Johnson of Moscow, Idaho. Tom and Wanda were married on May 28th, 1951 at St. Vincent de Paul church Minersville, where they were fortunate to raise three sons, enjoyed a marriage of 62 years and be an integral part of the community. While raising a family and working Tom attended night school to continue to advance his career from teller to eventually becoming head cashier, bank president and serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
From the beginning of his banking career, the ideal of the bank being a pillar of the community was instilled in him, he was an old-fashioned businessman who put a lot of trust in a handshake. If Tommy knew you, you could walk out with a loan on just a hand shake and “we’ll get to the paper work some other time “. Tom made many efforts to ensure that the First National Bank of Minersville supported worthwhile community projects until his retirement in 2013 after a 67-year career. He was especially proud of being a founder of the Minersville Area Student Scholarship Fund in 1964 which has helped many Minersville Area High School graduates with funding their college education. As part of his career in community banking, Tom served as President of the Schuylkill County Bankers Association, and served on the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers. Tom continued to stay active up until his death with his duties as J. B. Cable TV Co. managing partner.
Tom enjoyed fishing and golfing with friends and family.
Tom was a life member of Minersville Fish & Game as well as Minersville Fire Rescue. He served as secretary and foreman of the former Independent Hose Company and was also a former member of the Fire Relief Association. Tom was a member of the American Legion Post 544 for the past 76 years, where he had served as former adjutant. Tom was also a member of Holy Family Parish of Minersville (formally St. Vincent de Paul, where he was involved with the finance committee). Tom was a member of the National Rifle Association and stanch supporter of the 2nd amendment.
Above all of his achievements, family was Tom’s GREATEST joy and he took pride in using real life experiences to teach his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren values such as integrity, honesty, humbleness and a strong work ethic.
Tom was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Wanda, granddaughter Mackenzie O’Brien, parents Michael & Catherine O’Brien and siblings Daniel O’Brien, Eileen O’Brien Spotts and Mary O’Brien Steranko, grandson in-law Brian Laudeman.
Tom is survived by his sister, Anne Chizauskie of Stowe, PA, his children James T. and wife Josephine O’Brien of Minersville, David P. O’Brien and companion Peggy Prebula of Weatherly, and Neal P. O’Brien of West West Terrace. His grandchildren Jimmy and Monica O’Brien, Jennifer Laudeman, Michael and Lauren O’Brien, Katie O’Brien, Shane O’Brien and his fiancé, Loren Morgan, and his granddog, best buddy and driving partner, Gunnar. His great-grandchildren Eila, Quin & Rowan O’Brien, Cali & Colt Laudeman, Ethan and Emerson O’Brien, as well as many nieces and nephews spread through out the country.
All services will be private and held at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer contributions be made to the Mackenzie O’Brien scholarship fund at the Minersville Area High School or the Disabled American Veterans association, God Bless America!
Arrangements are by the Donald J. Butler Funeral Home, Minersville.
If you are reading this, know full well that Tom is being taken care of by his beloved wife Wanda J. who he missed dearly, and is reunited with his cherished granddaughter Mackenzie.
Born May 11th, 1926, Tom was the second of five children born to Michael F. & Catherine King O’Brien of the village of Glen Dower. In 1941 Tom’s family moved to Minersville and he graduated as part of the Minersville High School class of 1944. After graduating Tom entered the U.S. Navy at the age of 17 with his mother’s permission served during WWII from 1944 to 1946. After returning to Minersville, Tom began his long-lasting working career at the former First National Bank of Minersville as a teller. In 1950 Tom’s career was interrupted as he was recalled to U.S. Navy active duty due to the Korean conflict serving aboard “THE JASON “in the Pacific theater. It was during this time while his ship was docked in San Francisco, CA that Tom met his perfect match, Wanda Ruth Johnson of Moscow, Idaho. Tom and Wanda were married on May 28th, 1951 at St. Vincent de Paul church Minersville, where they were fortunate to raise three sons, enjoyed a marriage of 62 years and be an integral part of the community. While raising a family and working Tom attended night school to continue to advance his career from teller to eventually becoming head cashier, bank president and serving as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
From the beginning of his banking career, the ideal of the bank being a pillar of the community was instilled in him, he was an old-fashioned businessman who put a lot of trust in a handshake. If Tommy knew you, you could walk out with a loan on just a hand shake and “we’ll get to the paper work some other time “. Tom made many efforts to ensure that the First National Bank of Minersville supported worthwhile community projects until his retirement in 2013 after a 67-year career. He was especially proud of being a founder of the Minersville Area Student Scholarship Fund in 1964 which has helped many Minersville Area High School graduates with funding their college education. As part of his career in community banking, Tom served as President of the Schuylkill County Bankers Association, and served on the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers. Tom continued to stay active up until his death with his duties as J. B. Cable TV Co. managing partner.
Tom enjoyed fishing and golfing with friends and family.
Tom was a life member of Minersville Fish & Game as well as Minersville Fire Rescue. He served as secretary and foreman of the former Independent Hose Company and was also a former member of the Fire Relief Association. Tom was a member of the American Legion Post 544 for the past 76 years, where he had served as former adjutant. Tom was also a member of Holy Family Parish of Minersville (formally St. Vincent de Paul, where he was involved with the finance committee). Tom was a member of the National Rifle Association and stanch supporter of the 2nd amendment.
Above all of his achievements, family was Tom’s GREATEST joy and he took pride in using real life experiences to teach his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren values such as integrity, honesty, humbleness and a strong work ethic.
Tom was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Wanda, granddaughter Mackenzie O’Brien, parents Michael & Catherine O’Brien and siblings Daniel O’Brien, Eileen O’Brien Spotts and Mary O’Brien Steranko, grandson in-law Brian Laudeman.
Tom is survived by his sister, Anne Chizauskie of Stowe, PA, his children James T. and wife Josephine O’Brien of Minersville, David P. O’Brien and companion Peggy Prebula of Weatherly, and Neal P. O’Brien of West West Terrace. His grandchildren Jimmy and Monica O’Brien, Jennifer Laudeman, Michael and Lauren O’Brien, Katie O’Brien, Shane O’Brien and his fiancé, Loren Morgan, and his granddog, best buddy and driving partner, Gunnar. His great-grandchildren Eila, Quin & Rowan O’Brien, Cali & Colt Laudeman, Ethan and Emerson O’Brien, as well as many nieces and nephews spread through out the country.
All services will be private and held at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer contributions be made to the Mackenzie O’Brien scholarship fund at the Minersville Area High School or the Disabled American Veterans association, God Bless America!
Arrangements are by the Donald J. Butler Funeral Home, Minersville.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------