Pennsylvania Obituary and Marriage Records, 1947-2010
John E. Detwiler
April 10, 2003
John E. Detwiler, 82, formerly of Jersey Shore and a resident of the Hollidaysburg Veterans Home, died at 9:25 p.m. on April 9, 2003 at the Altoona Hospital.
He was born June 7, 1920 at Yellow Spring, (Catherine Township) a son of Clayton M. and Blanche E. (Teeters) Detwiler.
He was married in 1955 to Reba Getgen, who preceded him in death in 1992.
He is survived by a son Paul Detwiler of Williamsburg, Va., four sisters and two brothers: Ethel Leberfinger of Hollidaysburg; Viola Keagy of Duncansville; Clayton L. Detwiler of Fort Lupton, Col., Helen Bernice Caruso of Orlando, Fla., Audrey L. Welch of Tyrone and Malcolm R. Detwiler of Tyrone.
He is also survived by several nieces and nephews.
He was a member of the Jersey Mills Baptist Church where he served as a Deacon and Treasurer.
He attended Williamsburg schools and was a member of the Williamsburg American Legion.
He was a veteran of World War II, serving as a Staff Sergeant in the Army Air Force with the 384th Bomb Group.
He was a charter member of the Tyrone VFW Post 4559.
He worked in the fruit and produce departments and was a meat cutter for the ACME and A&P; Markets in Jersey Shore before retiring in 1995. He was also the owner and operator of the Penn Hill Fruit Market in Jersey Shore for 20 years.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2003 at 12 noon at the Derman Funeral Home, with Rev. Donald Aber officiating. Interment will be at the New Canoe Creek Cemetery.
Friends will be received at the funeral home on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 12 noon.
Mildred B. Miller
April 9, 2003
Mrs. Mildred B. Miller, 93 of Greensburg and a former Tyrone resident died Friday, April 4, 203 at Westmoreland Hospital, Greensburg.
She was born August 17, 1909 in Tyrone, the daughter of Porter Beringer and wife Amanda.
On Novemebr 1, 1940, she was married to Albert Miller who preceded her in death on March 8, 1989.
She is survived by a son Kermit L. Miller of Greensburg, three nephews and four nieces.
She was preceded in death by four brothers, Harold, Malcolm, Fred and Maxwell and two sisters, Gladys and Gertrude.
She was a graduate of Louisiana State University, Baton Rough, with a major in organ and had been a piano teacher and organist in both Tyrone and Greensburg.
She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Greensburg where funeral service was held on Monday April 7, 2003.
Interment was at St. Clair Cemetery in Greensburg.
Flannery
Jean Flannery (Ridgway) of Brentwood died on Thursday, April 22, 2003. She was 83. Mrs. Flannery is survived by her sons Joseph and Jeffrey; her sisters Mary Frances Ridgway and Margaret Fisher; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Mass of Christian burial took place at St. Sylvester’s church on April 24. If desired, the family suggest donations to St. Sylvester’s Angel Fund, 3754 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15227.
O’Toole
Mary “Marge” O’Toole of Brentwood died May 2, 2003. She was 101. Mrs. O’Toole is survived by her son, William J. O’Toole, and her daughter, Arlene Green. She also is survived by 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Friends and family were received at the John F. Slater Funeral home and mass of Christian burial took place at St. Sylvester’s Church.
Bonidie
Theresa (Strange) Bonidie of Brentwood died June 8, 2003. She was 63. Mrs. Bonidie is survived by her son Donald; her sister Catherine Jurs; her grandchildren Donald, Timothy and Brian; and her great-grandchildren Victoria, Haley and Emily. Funeral services were held on Wednesday at John F. Slater Funeral Home.
Antoinette LaBarbera, resident of Baldwin
Antoinette “Toni” LaBarbera of Baldwin died on Friday, Aug. 15, 2003. She was 78. Mrs. LaBarbera is survived by her husband, Frank and her children Rose Hoffman, Anthony LaBarbera and Frank LaBarbera. Her sister Mary Falkner, brother John Argentieri, and seven grand children also survive her. Friends received Mrs. LaBarbera at the John F. Slater Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial was performed on Monday, Aug. 18, at St. Elizabeth Church.
Drost
Harry Drost of Brentwood, a retired rigger at J&L; Steel, died Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2004. He was 89. Mr. Drost was preceded in death by his wife, Stella Tush Drost. He is survived by Cecilia Gessner of California as well as nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions can be made to Passionist Convent, 2715 Churchview Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15210. The funeral was handled by John F. Slater Funeral Home. Burial was at Queen of Heaven in McMurray.
Elphinstone
Paul Elphinstone of Brentwood, a retired warehouse foreman in the trucking industry, died Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2004. He was 88. Mr. Elphinstone is survived by his wife, Eleanor; son, Paul; sisters, Ruth Adley and Audrey Stevernagel; grandchildren Paul and Mark Elphinstone and Kris Olander; and great-grandchildren Jordan, Matthew, Troy and Jenna. The funeral was handled by John F. Slater Funeral Home in Brentwood and burial was at Mt.Lebanon Cemetery.
Sokac
Walter “Sox” Sokac Sr., a former Brentwood resident, died January 12, 2004.
Mr. Sokac is survived by his wife, Mary Catherine “Kit” Fabbio Sokac and their children — Kathleen Murray, Mary Kay (Denny) Hess, Cindy (Steve) Franceschi, Sandra (Jack) Michalski, Walter (Janis) Sokac Jr. and Melissa (Paul) Stadelman.
Mr. Sokac also is survived by his sister, Dolores Shea, and 15 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Friends were received at the John F. Slater Funeral Home in Brentwood. A funeral prayer was scheduled for this morning (Thursday) at 9:15 with a Mass of Christian Burial at St. Sylvester Church at 10.
If so desired, the family suggests that contributions be made to the Angel Fund at St. Sylvester School.
Bagshaw
Elizabeth S. Bagshaw, A retired principal and teacher from the Baldwin-Whitehall school district, died Dec. 31, 2003. She was 94.
Mrs. Bagshaw worked for the school district for 45 years before she retired in 1975. She had lived in Baldwin borough.
Mrs. Bagshaw is survived by her children, Gary Bagshaw and Gail Allen; her grandchildren, Kimberly Wakefield and Robert Bagshaw; and her siblings — Ann Span, Michael Schuster, George Schuster, Helen Moran, Susan Holt-schneider and Theresa Votsak.
Her husband, Laurence, and her sister, Mary Girman, preceded her in death.
Memorial services were held at Jefferson Memorial Funeral Home. Memorial contributions can be made to Presbyterian Senior Care at Woodside Place, 1215 Hulton Road, Oakmont, Pa., 15139.
Tope
Zacarias G. Tope of Whitehall died on Nov. 18, 2003.
He was 95.
Mr. Tope, who was known as “Bud” to his friends and family, was originally from Ozark, Mo.
He is survived by his children Kenneth, Ronald, Gregory and Christina Kelly.
He is also survived by 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Mr. Tope spent 30 years in the Navy and served during WWII and the Korean War.
He was also a lifetime member of VFW Post #6758 in Nixa, Mo.
Urquhart
Melvin Francis Urquhart of Brentwood died July 11, 2003, while trying to save one of his grandchildren from drowning in the waters of York Harbor in Maine. He was 68.
Mr. Urquhart was celebrating his 50 years of marriage to Rita Urquhart with their family the day of the tragedy. Mr. Urquhart suffered from heart failure after jumping into the choppy waters of the harbor to try to save his grandson.
The grandson was helped to shore with the aid of his father and survived the accident.
Mr. Urquhart, who was known as “Jabo” to his friends, is survived by his wife and his sons — Melvin Jr. of Cave Creek, Ariz.; Michael of Redding, Conn. and Charles of Bridgeport, Mass.
He also is survived by his sister, Glenna Falce; his brothers, Fred and Almon; and six grandchildren.
Mr. Urquhart was a football coach at St. Sylvester’s Catholic grade school. He had served as a county constable and worked for Jones and Laughlin and LTV steel corporations for more than 40 years.
In recent years Mr. Urquhart had split time between his Brentwood home and Estero, Fla.
Funeral arrangements were handled by John F. Slater Funeral Home in Brentwood.
If so desired, the family suggests making donations to any local youth athletic organization of your choice.
Sara Jane Sellers
April 9, 2003
Mrs. Sara Jane Sellers, age 91, of 857 Hillside Drive, Camp Hill, and a former Tyrone resident, died Tuesday, April 8, 2003 at Select Hospital, Camp Hill.
She was born November 20, 1911 in Altoona, the daughter of Matthew and Fannie Montgomery Kearney and on August 21, 1936 in Altoona was married to Byron Sheldon Sellers, who preceded her in death June 17, 1984.
She is survived by a daughter Donna, wife of Gary Crowell of Camp Hill, with whom she made her home for a number of years, Pete Sellers of Huntingdon and a daughter Judith Ann Sellers of Key West, Fla. She is also survived by eight grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and two brothers, Robert Kearney of Hollidaysburg and Charles Kearney of Sacramento, Ca. She was preceded in death by three brothers.
She was a member of the Wesley United Methodist Church, Tyrone and was a graduate of Altoona High School.
Funeral service for Mrs. Sellers will be held Friday, April 11, 2003 at noon at the Richard H. Searer Funeral Home with Rev. Charles Fitzgerald officiating. Interment will be made in Blair memorial Park.
Friends may call at the funeral home from 11 a.m. Friday until the hour of the service.
Contributions in her memory may be made to the Wesley United Methodist Church, 1200 Logan Avenue, Tyrone, Pa. 16686.
Leonard F. Waite
April 9, 2003
Leonard Waite of Treasure Island, Florida, died Friday, April 4, at Palms of Pasadena Hospital in Florida.
Formerly a resident Pennsylvania and Ohio, he was born January 21, 1921 in Birmingham, the son of Edna (Miller) and Leonard Waite, Sr.
As Public Affairs Officer at the Newark Air Force Base in Ohio, Waite founded and edited the On Target newspaper. After retirement, he and his wife owned and operated Helen Waite Real Estate in Buckeye Lake Village, Ohio.
At age 12, Waite was a social reporter for the Tyrone Daily Herald, earning 5 cents an inch, which he saved up to buy his first camera. Waite worked on the Pennsylvania railroad until he was called to serve his country in the U.S. Army during World War II, stationed in Panama. A graduate of the Pennsylvania State University’s School of Journalism, attending on the G.I. Bill, Waite was also a news announcer and copywriter for radio and early TV stations.
Waite is survived by his wife of 57 years, Helen; daughters, Judith (John) Allee of Newark, Ohio, Cynthia Waite of Los Angeles, Ca., and Pamela (John) Foye of Colorado Springs, Colorado, son Charles Jeffrey (Elizabeth) Waite of Cincinnati. Ohio; six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild; sisters, Betty Mogle, formerly of Tyrone and now living in South Carolina, and Jane (Myrl) Wilson, of Austin, Texas and Birmingham; brothers, Jerry Waite of Harrisburg and Gary Waite of Missouri; and nieces and nephews, including Tim (Karen) Mogle of Tyrone.
In Ohio, Waite was a lifetime member of the Buckeye Lake Yacht Club, past president of Hebron Lions Club, a volunteer instructor for the Buckeye Lake Coast Guard Auxiliary, and a member of the Newark Moose Lodge, Buckeye Lake Eagles, Veterans of Foreign Wars in Hebron, and the American Legion in Millersport. He served as usher at the Second Presbyterian Church in Newark, Ohio, for over 25 years. In Florida, he was a member of the Treasure Island Tennis and Yacht Club and Madeira Beach Elks.
A memorial service was held in St. Petersburg, Florida. A second memorial service will be planned in Ohio at a later date. Friends and family can contact Helen Waite at 450 Treasure Isl. Cswy #204, Treasure Island, FL 33706.
