Skook News Obituaries: January 11th, 2024
Obituaries published from the Schuylkill County area.
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Catherine “Cathy” (Halupa) Prock, of Frackville, PA, passed away on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at Broad Mountain Health and Rehabilitation in Frackville.Born on October 19, 1934, in Mahanoy Plane, she was a daughter of the late Lesko and Anna (Krupa) Halupa.
Her husband Joseph passed away on November 29, 2018. They were married on May 15, 1960, at St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church in Maizeville and were members for many years. Her current membership is St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church, Frackville, the Frackville Senior Citizens, the Legion Auxilliary, AARP, PEBT, and a former member of St. John’s Sacred Heart Society having gone on many retreats to the Franciscan Monastery in Sybertsville, PA. In 2011, Catherine was inducted into the Pennsylvania Voters Hall of Fame. Her induction was given because she had consecutively voted in every November election for the last 50 years.
Catherine graduated in 1952 from Gilberton High School. She then worked at B.F. Goodrich in Pottsville, Cummins Diesel in Ashland, and later at Kitty and Dotty Flower Shop in Frackville.
She was the youngest of her siblings who all preceded her in death. They include 3 brothers – William, John, and Michael Halupa, along with 4 sisters – Mary Yaroshak, Sarah Stefero, Helen Spotts, and Sophie Comishock. Also, a niece, Kathy Ann Comishock and a nephew, Gregory M. Comishock preceded her in death.
Surviving are her caregivers, nephew Father Paul Spotts and wife Donna and family, along with nieces, nephews, great nieces, and great nephews.
A visitation for family and friends will be held on Saturday, January 13, 2024, from 9 to 10:30am in St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church in Frackville. Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 10:30am and will be concelebrated by Fr. Petro Zvarych and Fr. Paul Spotts. The burial will take place on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at 12:30pm in Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville, PA.
The Oravitz Home for Funerals Inc, Shenandoah are entrusted with the arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Catherine's memory may be made to St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Catholic Church in Frackville
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She was born November 6, 1942, daughter of the late John F. and Margaret McGurl Carlin.
She was a graduate of Pottsville High School and attended Penn State University.
She was of Catholic faith.
Kathie was a member and past president of the Pottsville Kiwanis Club, the American Red Cross and many other organizations.
She was preceded in death by her husband William in 1994, a sister Margaret Sabatini.
Surviving are 2 daughters, Ellen Radziewicz and her husband Lenny, Pottsville; Tina Butz and her husband Kevin, Pottsville; 3 grandchildren, John, Jeff and Rachelle; 5 great-grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren.
Service of Remembrance will be held Wednesday at 11am from the James E. Humphrey Funeral Home, Pottsville. Family and friends are invited to a visitation from 9:30AM until the time of services. Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Pottsville. The family would prefer remembrances in the form of contributions in memory of Kathie be made to Hillside SPCA PO Box 233, Pottsville, PA 17901.
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Born in Pottsville September 7, 1948, she was the daughter of the late Clara V. Hughes and the late Anthony T. Hughes Sr.
Eva was a 1966 graduate of Pottsville Area High School.
She was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Pottsville where she served on the Official Board, was an avid halushki maker for the food and soup fundraiser, and served as a deaconess.
Eva was the epitome of a loving grandmother, an exemplary parent, a stellar sister, a wonderful wife, and a fantastic friend, and has left an indelible mark on the hearts of all who were fortunate enough to know her.
Eva loved traveling the world and spent the recent years of her life visiting Canada, Italy, France, Ireland, and Iceland, but her favorite destinations were anywhere she could spend time doting on her grandchildren, the most cherished part of her life.
Her closest friends will remember her for her quiet nature, endless love for her family and friends, and for her fudge and other holiday treats. Her children and grandchildren will remember her for the amazing woman, mother, and grandmother she was and for the loving family she built.
Eva will be laid to rest with her late loving husband William C. Stone, whom she missed deeply these past 13+ years.
Surviving Eva is her son, William C. Stone II, and wife, Julie A. Stone, grandchildren, Caitlin E. Stone and Mitchell W. Stone; son, Jeffrey C. Stone, and wife, Allison L. Stone, grandchildren Violet A. Stone and Easton K. Stone; daughter, Alicia L. Graser, and husband William M. Graser, grandchildren, Amelia E. Graser and Teagan A. Graser. She is also survived by her brother Anthony T. Hughes Jr., brother-in-law George R. Stone Jr., and wife Wendy Stone, sister-in-law Carol Field, and nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 15th, at 11:00 a.m. at Lord-Bixler Funeral Home, Inc., 1818 Mahantongo St. Pottsville, with Pastor Russell Hepler officiating.
A viewing will be held from 9:30 a.m. until time of service in the funeral home.
Interment will follow at Schuylkill Memorial Park, Schuylkill Haven.
Lord-Bixler Funeral Home, Inc. is in charge of arrangements.
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Born in Ashland, April 26, 1955, a son of Dawn Burns, Delaware, and the late Dr. Leslie Wenrich.
Randy was a lover of music and an avid guitar enthusiast and collector. He spent much of his free time listening to music and playing his guitars. He spent many summers taking his family on vacations to Ocean City, Maryland. He also spent much time at the river where he had a partnership owning a home with his closest friends. He enjoyed fishing, boating, trap shooting and golfing.
Randy worked in the beauty industry for over 30 years as a top Sales Consultant for Schoeneman Corporation where he won many awards.
He was a member of the Orwin Gun Club for many years where he once sat as the President of the club. He was also a member of the American Legion, the Moose Lodge, and the Hook & Ladder.
Randy will be remembered for gathering people for fun, laughter, love and the best of memories. Yearly he held a Christmas Eve event in his home where friends, family, and neighbors would gather singing, dancing and enjoying good food and company. Randy never missed a football game.
In addition to his mother, he is survived by three children, Leslie Wenrich, Orwin, Dr. Broc Wenrich (Ashley), Wilkes-Barre, and Lynda Wenrich (Zach), South Carolina; four grandchildren Helayna, Lyza, Presley, and Lila; four sisters, Penny Beller, Christy Hile, Lynda Carlson, Andrea Duhon, and brother Brian Wenrich; step-mother Jaqueline Wenrich.
He is predeceased by father Dr. Leslie Wenrich; wife Jane Lenker Wenrich; siblings: Kerry Wenrich, Lynda Burns, and Beth Burgess.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date.
The Dimon Funeral Home & Cremation Services Inc. is honored to serve Randy's family.
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Mom got the call some time ago, but she finally answered on Wednesday. She maybe should have answered a bit sooner, but a lot of us are just a little better off for the extra time with her. She was selfless like that. She loved her old gig, carrying mail, baking cakes, and keeping her boys out of jail. And she was pretty good at it. She created bright white light in this world through generosity, and toughness, and humor, and love, from starting conditions that might easily have produced a far less wonderful outcome. She was the coolest Mom ever. All of our friends said so, and they wouldn’t lie about this. Full disclosure, however: not all of their Mom’s succeeded in the jail-avoidance thing. Our Mom was successful. And yes, cool.
The new gig is way better. She is beautiful again. Dancing and singing (somehow still way off key) to Dad’s old school country guitar, and laughing with Marion in a language that you only think you understand. The snowmen are plentiful, the Christmas records don’t skip, the boys don’t fist fight in the kitchen, and the pumpkins aren’t stolen from the neighbors’ porch. Nah. The pumpkins are definitely being stolen.
We have a job too: celebrate a good life well lived. We are blessed to have known her, to have loved her, and to have been loved by her. Eat the cake. The homemade oatmeal cake with the coconut dressing. Have seconds. No calories today.
Joyce was born in Elizabethville, November 1, 1943, a daughter of the late Franklin and Alveena Bixler Smeltz. She was a graduate of Upper Dauphin Area High School.
In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband, Bill, 1999; two sisters, Anna Miller and June Miller.
Surviving are her four sons, Bill Hoffman, Jr., and his wife Helen, California, John Hoffman and his wife Stephanie, Lebanon, Rob Hoffman and his wife Elizabeth, Tower City, and Mark Hoffman and his wife Angel, Tower City; a sister, Marilyn Shade and husband Richard, Elizabethville, and a brother Richard "Bud" Smeltz and his wife June, Connecticut; eleven grandchildren, Kaysee, Gabby, Garrett, Jack, Bill, Gracie, Samantha, Susie, Robbie, Hank and Jake.
Family and friends are invited to attend graveside services on Monday, January 15, 2023 at 2:00 pm from the Greenwood Cemetery, Tower City with Pastor Annette Shutt officiating. A time of fellowship and luncheon will follow the service at 2:30 pm at the Tower City American Legion.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Joyce's memory can be made to the Porter-Tower Recreation Committee, PO Box 32, Tower City, PA 17980.
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