MARY BRYAN
Mrs. Mary Bryan, widow of Frank Bryan, a contractor in McKees Rocks for many years, died Saturday night in her home, 1259 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Philip STEINMILLER and born on the Northside, Mrs. Bryan was a life-long member and active in the work of the Mount Calvary Lutheran Church. The children she leave are Mrs. Kathryn PROVEN, and the Misses Emma, Mary and Dorothy Bryan, and James Thomas, John and Albert Bryan, all of McKees Rocks. Also surviving are one brother, Albert C. Steinmiller and three sisters, Mrs. W. E. McCOY, Mrs. D. G. BROCK and Mrs. J. H. THATCHER, and 17 grandchildren. Services will be held at McDermott Brothers Funeral Home, 531 Chartiers avenue, McKees Rocks, Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, and interment will be in Mt. Calvary cemetery. Post Gazette - Dec 1, 1941.
MARY GORRING BURKE
Mary Gorring Burke, 64, of Winter Garden, Florida passed away peacefully at home on Friday, January 19, 2007. She was born on July 4, 1942 in Pittsburgh, PA, the daughter of Lois Cyphers Gorring and the late Harry Robert Gorring. She was a graduate of McKees Rocks High School. Mrs. Burke was employed in Pittsburgh at General Paper and in Orlando at Tuttle White Contractors from 1972 to 1981 and at Martin Marietta/ Lockheed Martin from 1981 to her retirement in 2002. She was of the Episcopal faith and attended Church of the Messiah in Winter Garden. Mrs. Burke was a member of the Whirl & Twirl Square Dance Club, St. Cloud Irish Set Dancers, Irish American Cultural Society of Central Florida, Friends of Lake Apopka and the Casselberry Senior Happy Hoofer Tap Dancers. Her special achievements include completion of the Pittsburgh Marathon (26.2 miles) in 2000. She was predeceased by her brother James Gorring of San Francisco, CA. Mrs. Burke is survived by her mother Lois Gorring of McKees Rocks, PA; spouse Terry Burke of Winter Garden, FL; brothers Harry R. Gorring, Jr. of Croomacotchie, FL & William C. "Bill" Gorring of Coraopolis, PA; sister Emma Durr of McKees Rocks, PA; several nieces & nephews including Phillip Durr of Blanchester, OH, Linda Sowinski of Coraopolis, PA, Sue Fore of Pittsburgh, PA, Christopher Gorring of Carnegie, PA & Justin Gorring of Coraopolis, PA; many grand nieces, grand nephews,cousins and devoted friends. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, January 24, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. at the Church of the Messiah, 260 North Woodland St., Winter Garden, FL. Interment will follow at Woodlawn Memorial Park, Gotha, FL. Visitation will be held Tuesday, January 23 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the COLLISON CAREY HAND FUNERAL HOME, 1148 East Plant St., Winter Garden, FL 34787, 407-877-6700. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to American Cancer Society.
ANNA MARIE (GALBA) BUZONAS
Anna Marie (Galba) Buzonas, age 74, a Moon Township resident for the past 40 years, died on Thursday, Aug. 30 [2001], in HCR Manor Care, Bethel Park. She was born in McKees Rocks on Jan. 20, 1927 to the late Charles and Anna (STUDENZ) Galba. Mrs. Buzonas was a retired admissions clerk for Sewickley Valley Hospital and a retired clerk from Equitable Insurance. She was a member of St. Margaret Mary Church, Christian Mothers and the Homemakers of Moon Township. Preceding her in death were her husband, Benjamin Buzonas in 1989 and her brothers, Charles and Ludwig Galba. Surviving are six children: Deborah and her husband, Clement DeFRANCESCO of Moon; Benjamin and his wife, Barbara, Buzonas, Jr. of Houston, Texas; Jeffrey and his wife, Tracey, Buzonas of Houston, Texas; Laurie and her husband, Craig LALAMA, of Findlay Township; Steven Buzonas of McDonald; and Michael and his wife, Maria, Buzonas of Atlanta, Ga. Also surviving are 13 grandchildren-Kimberly, Heather, Benjamin, Mathew, Samantha, Joslyn, Cassandra, Candice, Chelsy, Brandon, Steven, Lauren and Nicolette. Friends were received in Copeland's Moon Township Funeral Home, 981 Brodhead Road. Funeral Mass was held in St. Margaret Mary Church with the Rev. John Ayoob officiating. Burial was in Resurrection cemetery. Memorials may be made in her name to the American Diabetes Association.
THEODOZIA PALUCH KANAI
On Saturday, May 21, 1932, at 9:20 p.m., Mrs. Theodozia Kanai, widow of the late Anthony Kanai, in her 60th year. Funeral from her late residence 124 Churchill St., McKees Rocks, on Wednesday, May 25 at 10 a.m. High mass at St. Mary's Greek Catholic Church, corner of Helen and Ella Sts. friends are invited. Mother of Peter P. Kanai." (Source: Pittsburgh Press - May 24, 1932)
DALE E. KARGER
Auto parts store owner, firefighter, flying ace in World War II. Dale E. Karger did not brag about being the youngest surviving ace pilot from World War II, but if you asked him enough questions, he'd oblige you with stories. As a young man, he and his fellow "Yoxford Boys" flew with Chuck Yeager in the 357th Fighter Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps, shooting down Nazi planes over Germany. Fifty years later, he returned to the group's base in Lieston, England, with some fellow veterans and had an audience with Queen Elizabeth II. But Mr. Karger, of Brighton, lived most of his life in blissful obscurity, raising a family, running an auto parts store and volunteering with the local fire department. He died Oct. 5, following a brief illness. He was 83. Born in Templeton, Armstrong County, and raised in Stowe, he was 19 when he rose to ace status after shooting down his fifth enemy plane north of Munich in January 1945. He was one of a few pilots to down one of the German Me-262 jets. He flew solo missions in planes named after his sweetheart, "Cathy Mae" and "Cathy Mae II." When he returned home, he married
Catherine Mae, the young woman whose name decorated his planes. He would wear a brown leather flight jacket when he helped out at his father's Esso gas station, remembered Bob Steffanus, then a child of 3 who stopped by with his own father. "I'm 65 now," said Mr. Steffanus, an airplane buff whose heroes were fighter pilots. "I remember counting the swastikas, up over his shoulder. It had the 357th Fighter Group emblem that Chuck Yeager belonged to and 364th Squadron on there. "Above his wings was a jumble of 111/2 yellow swastikas. Those represented the airplanes he destroyed in WWII. He shot down seven, shared in an eighth and destroyed four on the ground, by strafing airfields. It was an extremely dangerous thing to do." In Mr. Karger's later years, his daughter, Lynne Diane MOORE, of Santa Fe, N.M., said, he regretted the grim reality behind these victories for the Allies. "He realized those pilots were just like him," she said. "They were there being patriotic and he ended their lives. He'd say, 'They were kids just like I was.'" Another of Mr. Karger's fans from the younger generation, Tom Dowlin, of Beaver, said, "I knew him all my life and I didn't realize he was a World War II pilot." After reading about Mr. Karger online, Mr. Dowlin said he went to his father's good friend's house and spent a couple of hours interviewing him in 2000. Mr. Karger will appear in a documentary film Mr. Dowlin made. It showcases interviews with World War II veterans from Beaver County and will debut Nov. 15 at the Beaver Area Heritage Foundation's Charter Day dinner at the Seven Oaks Country Club. As a civilian, Mr. Karger owned and ran Beaver Valley Auto Parts, NAPA in Beaver for more than 35 years, and volunteered with the Brighton Township Volunteer Fire Department for more than 40 years. In addition to Ms. Moore and his wife of nearly 63 years, he is survived by a son, Dale C. Karger, of Industry; another daughter, Karin Dee ADRIAN, of Stafford, Va.; his brother, Robert Karger, of McKees Rocks; his sister, Lois ROBINSON, of Mobile, Ala.; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. He was interred last Wednesday with full military honors at the Beaver cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Beaver Valley Church of God, 1013 Beaner Hollow Road, Beaver, PA 15009.
MARIE STIKAROFSKY KASPERSKI
At St. Francis Hospital on Mon. July 31, 1978, Marie Stikarofsky Kasperski of Kennedy Twp., beloved wife of Victor Kasperski, mother of Ruth MAMEL, Ethel EVANS, Eleanor THUMPSTON, Victor and Raymond Kasperski, sister of Emma BARBER, Alice SEELEY, Helen TAUNEY and the late Jacob R. Stikarofsky. Also survived by 10 grandchildren. Mrs. Kasperski was a charter member of Forest Grove Community Church. If desired, contributions may be made to the St. Francis Hospital Coronary Intensive Care Unit. Funeral services and Interment were held on Wed. afternoon. Source: Pittsburgh Press, 2 August 1978.
VICTOR ANTHONY KASPERSKI
Age 74, of West Alexandria, OH, died unexpectedly, Saturday, January 28, 2006 at Middletown Regional Hospital. He was born at home, February 3, 1931 to the late Marie (STIKAROFSKY) and Victor Kasperski in Kennedy Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. A veteran of the United States Air Force, he retired in 1988 from United Airlines, where he worked as an airline mechanic and inspector. He is survived by Anna, his wife of 49 years; a daughter, Mary Ann (Nick) PETRICHENKO of Ovilla, Texas; a son, Paul (Lisa) Kasperski of Farmersville, OH; six grandchildren, Rachel, Kristin, Kaitlyn, Sophia, Jake, and Clint; three sisters, Ruth MAMEL of Sewickley, PA, Ethel (Steve) EVANS of Kissimmee, FL, Eleanor THUMPTSON of Bradford, PA; a brother, Ray (Lois) Kasperski of Cabot, PA; and a special brother-in-law, Arthur RABOLD of West Alexandria,OH. A strong quiet man who loved his family, his garden, and his tractors; he will be missed by all who knew him. A memorial service is planned for early spring. If desired memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society~Burkitt's Lymphoma research. DALTON FUNERAL HOME, Germantown, OH serving the Family.
EMMA L. (HUFNAGEL) KAVALUKAS
Age 97, preceded in death by her parents Ulrich and Lorena Hufnagel, peacefully with her family by her side on Oct. 10, 2005, of Kennedy Twp. Loving wife of Frank and loving mother of Patricia L. SLAN; sister of Gertrude YANKE and the late Albert, John, Frank, Joseph, Ulrich, Robert, James Hufnagel, Elizabeth HANDLOW, Bertha YOST, Kathryn WURMS and Virginia Hufnagel. Also survived by grandchildren, Wayne J. Slan and Jeanine (William) HUBBS; one great grandchild, Katelyn Hubbs. Emma was a proud past President and life member of the Ladies Auxiliary VFW Post 418. Family to receive friends 2-4 and 7-9 pm Wed. at MCDERMOTT FUNERAL HOME, INC., 1225 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks (Family owned & operated since 1886). Mass of Christian Burial, 10 am, Thurs. at St. John of God Parish in St. Mary's Church.
KELLY, HARRY B.
Kelly, Harry B., 74, of 5623 80th St. N, Five Towns, St. Petersburg, died Tuesday (March 22, 1988) at his residence. Born in McKees Rocks, Pa., he came here in 1986 from Clairton, Pa. He was a former supervisor with Copperweld Steel Corp. Locally, he was a member of Holy Cross Catholic Church. Survivors include his wife, Marie; a son, James H., Medford, N.J.; two daughters, Eileen BOBACK, North Huntington Township, Pa., and Janice KOVAC, Grapevine, Texas; a sister, Ethel DAMIS, St. Petersburg; eight grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. International Chapels Funeral Home, Pinellas Park. St. Petersburg Times (FL) - March 23, 1988
FRANK J. KEPPEL Sr.
Frank J. Keppel Sr., age 80, on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2001. He was born in McKees Rocks on Nov. 26, 1920. Beloved husband of the late Kathryn Keppel; loving father of Kathleen (Harry) PLAS and Frank (LuAnn) Keppel Jr.; dear grandfather of Casandra (James), Danelle, Harry Jr. and Jonathan; brother of Bertha ROLAN. Friends may call 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Monday and Tuesday in the MCDERMOTT FUNERAL HOME, INC., 1225 Chartiers Ave, McKees Rocks (Family owned and operated since 1886), www.mcdermottfuneralhome.com. Mass of Christian Burial Wednesday at 10 a.m. at St. John of God Parish, St. Mary's Church. Interment in Mt. Calvary cemetery.
HARRY L. WAGNER
70, of Windgap, departed this life on July 31, 2008 surrounded by his devoted family. Born on December 4, 1937 to the late Charles E. and Ann D. Wagner. He is survived by his loving wife of 49 years, Katherine (BOEHM) and their children Elaine (John) PIFER, Kathleen (Alan) CANNELLA, Constance (John) MARTIN, Mary Frances Wagner (Barry ZIPPER), Jennifer (Anthony) PERRY and Harry (Mary LaLONDE). Preceded in death by infant daughter Claire Diane. Pappy to Adrienne, Alan and Dustin Cannella, Nicholas and Brittany Perry, Elizabeth Pifer, Billy and Sara Wagner. Brother of Charles, Caroline ULIZZI, Mary Catherine DROBISH, Margaret Boehm and the late Robert and Thomas. Also will be missed by many in-laws, nieces and nephews. Harry served proudly in the U.S. Navy and was a 48 year member of Steamfitters Local 449. Family and friends received 2-4 & 6-8pm SAT & SUN at McDERMOTT FUNERAL HOME, INC., 1225 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks. Mass of Christian Burial 9:30am Monday, St. John of God Parish, the Church of St. Mary's. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the , St. John of God Parish, McKees Rocks, or Focus On Renewal, McKees Rocks.
ANNA CATHERINE BACA EICHHOLTZ
Anna Catherine Baca Eichholtz, 84, of South Duffy Road, Butler Township, died at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, April 2, 2005, at her home. Born Nov. 21, 1920, in McKees Rocks, Allegheny County, she was a daughter of Manuel and Catherine NAGEL BACA. She was a graduate of Myles Bryan High School and a former seamstress for the Joseph Horne Co. Mrs. Eichholtz also was a secretary for the Chase Brass and Copper Co. and the American Standard Co. She was a member of St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church and was very active in the 3T's. She also was a member of the Sewickley Chapter 439 of the Order of the Eastern Star. She is survived by her husband, William Eichholtz, whom she married
Nov. 24, 1951. Also surviving are a son, Paul Eichholtz of Butler; a daughter, Cathy GAISER of Butler, and three grandchildren, Nathaniel, Danny and Meghan Gaiser. She was preceded in death by a sister, Thelma SAVEIKIS. Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at THOMPSON-MILLER FUNERAL HOME, 124 E. North St. Services will follow at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home with the Rev. Richard Leseganich, pastor of St. Mark's Evangelical Lutheran Church, officiating. Private burial will follow in Mt. Calvary cemetery, Kennedy Township, McKees Rocks. Memorial donations may be made to the VNA Hospice, 164 Hindman Road, Butler, PA 16001.
JAMES W. ELWAY
James W. Elway, aged 50 years, died at 9:30 o'clock Thursday night at his home in McKees Rocks after a short illness of pneumonia which laid its hold on him, only last Sunday. The deceased was a well known newspaper man in this section, he having been connected for several years with the Monessen News here in the capacity of foreman. He also established the Bellwood Bulletin and was formerly proprietor of the West Newton Time-Sun. At the time of his death he was employed at the McKees Rocks Herald. He was married
twice and leaves a daughter, Mrs. Eugene PAYNE of McKees Rocks, by his first wife, a widow and two sons, Walter and Gerald, and two daughter, Hattie and Laura, by the second marriage.
Daily Independent, Monessen, PA, Saturday, February 24, 1912
