William “Denny” Roper, 53, of Butler died at 3 a.m. Sunday at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, after an illness.

He had been an Oakland Township supervisor for eight years and had run for county commissioner.

Born Oct. 3, 1948, in Albany, Ga., he was the son of William C. and Mary E. Mathis Roper.

He was a member of St. Wendelin Catholic Church, Carbon Center, and the Butler Moose and was an honorary member of Fraternal Order of Police 

Mr. Roper had been a heavy equipment operator for Local 66 of the Operating Engineers.

He was a Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War and a member of American Legion Post 117 and Butler VFW Post 269. He also was a care volunteer for the Disabled American Veterans.

He participated in the Wheelchair Games for years, won numerous medals and was president of Keystone Paralyzed Veterans of America.

Mr. Roper coached East Butler Baseball, Butler Prep Ball and midget football for the East Butler Bulldogs.

Surviving are a son, Brian Dennis Roper of Butler; his parents of Butler; a sister, Mrs. David (Kathy) McDonald of Butler; and three brothers, Thomas L. and Timothy James Roper, both of Butler, and Michael C. Roper of West Mifflin.

ROPER - Friends of William “Denny” Roper, who died Sunday, Jan. 13, 2002, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at YOUNG FUNERAL HOME, 127 W. Jefferson St. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Wendelin Catholic Church, 210 St. Wendelin Road, Carbon Center. The Rev. Michael Maranowski, church pastor, will officiate. Burial will be at the church cemetery 

Military honors will be accorded by the 99th Arcom from Greater Pittsburgh International Airport.
 

James B. Marshall

James B. Marshall, 52, of Rayburn Township, Armstrong County, and formerly of Clearfield, Pa., and Kentucky, died Friday at his home.

Born Jan. 1, 1950, he was a son of Thomas and Kathryn Munjack Marshall.

He had been a locomotive engineer for the Buffalo and Pittsburgh Railroad, retiring in 2001. He previously worked for T.T.I. Railroad in Paris, Ky., and Conrail in Altoona.

He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Kittanning and a graduate of Glendale High School.

He was a U.S. Army veteran, having served during the Vietnam War. He received the Bronze Star Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, two Overseas Bars, an Expert M16 Rifleman and Sharpshooter M14 Rifleman.

He enjoyed gardening, carpentry, masonry work and motorcycles.

He is survived by his wife, Sandra Garman Marshall, whom he married March 27, 1999.

Also surviving are two sons, Cory Marshall of Allentown, Pa., and Aaron Marshall of Fort Bragg, N.C.; a grandson; and a brother and a sister, Thomas Marshall and Barbara Myers, both of Smoke Run, Pa.

He was preceded in death by a twin sister, Judith Marshall.

MARSHALL - Friends of James B. Marshall, who died Friday, Jan. 11, 2002, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at BAUER FUNERAL HOME, 515 N. McKean St., Kittanning. Additional visitation will be held from 1 to 9 p.m. Friday at the BENNETT & HOUSER FUNERAL HOME, 312 E. Locust St., Clearfield, Pa. Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church, Houtzdale. The Rev. Daniel Stinson will officiate. Additional visitation will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the church. Burial will be in Beulah Cemetery, Clearfield County. 

Memorial contributions may be made to the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum, 1300 Ninth Ave., Altoona, PA 16601. Make contributions to the attention of Richard McDermitt.
 

Garnett Sullivan Leith

Garnett Sullivan Leith, 90, formerly of West North Street, died at 5:35 p.m. Saturday at Sunnyview Nursing Home.

Born in Butler, May 29, 1911, she was the daughter of Daniel A. and Viola Wimer Sullivan.

She retired from the Butler School District, where she had been a secretary at Broad Street Elementary School.

Mrs. Leith was a member of the North Street Christian School and the Home Builders Class of the church.

Surviving are a daughter, Mrs. Maxine Jackson of West Sunbury; two stepdaughters, Mrs. Robert (Sally) Beals of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Mrs. Rex (Nancy) Bonnett of Butler; a stepson, Charles Leith of Weatherford, Texas; a grandson; and 11 step-grandchildren.

Her husband, William Scott Leith, died March 9, 1985. A stepdaughter also preceded her in death.

Services were today at THOMPSON-MILLER FUNERAL HOME. The Rev. Robert Huber, his church pastor, officiated. Burial was at Butler County Memorial Park, Butler Township.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Parkinson’ Disease Association, Pittsburgh Area Chapter, 420 E. North Ave., Suite 206, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.
 

Hilda Adam Kring, Pa. Teacher of Year in ’67

Hilda Adam Kring, Ph.D., 81, a Grove City resident since 1956, died at 6:45 p.m. Friday at Grove Manor, Grove City, after a long illness.

Born in Munich, Germany, Jan. 3, 1921, she was the daughter of Alfons Adam and Anna H. Ruppert.

A graduate of Millersville University with a bachelor’s degree in education, she received her master’s degree in literature from the University of Pittsburgh and her doctorate in folklore from the University of Pennsylvania.

She retired in 1985 as an English professor at Grove City College. During her 44 years as a teacher, she also taught high school in Slippery Rock, Cambria County and Lancaster. In 1967, she was Teacher of the Year in Pennsylvania while an English teacher at Slippery Rock High School.

She was author of “The Harmonists of Old Economy.”

Mrs. Kring was a member of the Church of the Beloved Disciple of Grove City.

She was active in the Grove City area community and had been a volunteer at nursing homes, United Community Hospital and Meals-on-Wheels. In 1983, she received the first Florence E. MacKenzie Campus-Community Award.

Her husband, Frederick S. Kring, Ph.D., whom she married May 4, 1946, died March 25, 1996.

Surviving are a sister, Mrs. Francis X. (Marianne) Schaller of Lancaster.

KRING - Friends of Hilda Adam Kring, Ph.D., who died Friday, Jan. 11, 2002, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today at CUNNINGHAM FUNERAL HOME, 306 Bessemer Ave., Grove City. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Church of the Beloved Disciple of Grove City. The Rev. James Wiley, senior associate pastor, will officiate. A burial service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Granview Cemetery, Johnston. 

Memorial donations may be made to the Hilda A. Kring or Frederick S. Kring Scholarship Funds, c/o Grove City College, Grove City, PA 16127; Grove City Community Library, 125 W. Main St., Grove City, PA 16127; or the Christian Loving Fund, c/o Grove Manor, 435 N. Broad St., Grove City, PA 16127.
 
 
William Elias Hronek

William Elias Hronek, 16, of 445 Cherokee Drive, Center Township, died at 12:23 p.m. Friday in the emergency room of Butler Memorial Hospital.

Born Jan. 13, 1985, in Butler, he was the son of William James Hronek and Patti L. Keffalas.

He was a member of St. George Greek Orthodox Church in New Castle.

He was a former member of the Center Township Midget Football Team.

He received certification as an optician from the Glenn Mills School in Philadelphia, of which he was a graduate. While at Glenn Mills, he was a member of the cross country running team and the golf team.

He also obtained honor student status at the school.

He was enrolled at Butler County Community College, seeking a degree in counseling.

He was also employed at the optical department at the J.C. Penny Store in the Ross Park Mall.

He is survived by his mother of Butler; his father and step-mother of Aliquippa; a sister, Alicia May Hronek and a brother, Bradley William Hronek, both of Aliquippa; his paternal grandparents, William Ridenour Hronek and Norma Jean Hronek of Yuma, Ariz.; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.

Preceding him in death were his maternal grandparents, Elias J. and Juanita Keffalas.

Private family visitation and funeral services were today. Burial followed at the family plot at North Side Cemetery, Butler.

Arrangements were handled by THOMPSON-MILLER FUNERAL HOME, 124 E. North St.
 

Rev. Claude A. Garner

The Rev. Claude Albert Garner, 86, of Whiter Haven, Fla., formerly of Eau Claire, died at 1:30 a.m. Friday at Winter Haven Hospital after an illness. 

Born in Allegheny Township, Sept. 15, 1915, he was the son of Ed and Edna Bennett Garner.

He became a member of the Church of God of Prophecy in 1931, and after that he served in many capacities with the church nationwide. 

He was a pastor and bishop in the church and began his pastorate in Williamsburg, Pa. He then moved to Boise, Idaho, Seattle, and Pasco, Wash., before returning to Pennsylvania, where he was long affiliated with the Six Points Church of God of Prophecy near Eau Claire. He also was involved with church work in Winter Haven.

The Rev. Garner also was in construction and built new homes in the Eau Claire area and built and remodeled homes in four other states. He also had owned Garner’s Car Wash and Laundromat south of Eau Claire.

He began working on farms at the age of 15 and had been a self-employed sawyer in the lumbering field for years. Beginning in 1948, he was a school bus contractor with the Northern Butler County School District, now Moniteau, for 26 years.

Surviving are three daughters, Mrs. Webb (Hazel) Thompson of Eau Claire, Mrs. Beverly J. Benz of Winter Haven and Mrs. Thomas (Linda) Brown of Stafford, Va.; two sisters, Mrs. Clarence (Fay) Irwin of Titusville and Mrs. Kenneth (Icel) Scott of Winter Haven; and several grandchildren, stepgrandchildren, great-grandchildren, stepgreat-grandchildren and nieces and nephews. 

His wife, Marie Elmyra Sedwick Garner, whom he married in Oct. 5, 1932, in Eldorado, died Nov. 29, 2000.

GARNER - Friends of the Rev. Claude Albert Garner, who died Friday, Jan. 11, 2002, will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at H. JACK BUZARD FUNERAL HOME, Main Street, Eau Claire. Visitation also will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Six Points Church of God of Prophecy near Eau Claire. Services will follow at 11 a.m. Saturday at the church with the Rev. Jay Croyle, church pastor, and the Rev. Ron Roudebush of West Virginia, officiating. Burial will be in Eau Claire Cemetery. 
 

Larry L. Barnes, fair board president

Larry L. Barnes, 66, of Butler died at 3:30 a.m. Saturday at Butler Memorial Hospital. 

He was the president of the Big Butler Fair Board of Directors.

Born March 2, 1935, in Harrisville, he was the son of Bert Hartley and Marion Harner Barnes.

Mr. Barnes was a member of the Trinity Presbyterian Church, the Butler Moose and a life member of the Butler Elks. He also was a member of Camp Setmore from 1969 to 1979.

A self-employed Realtor and businessman, he was president of Barnes P.S.P. Inc. from 1973 to 1995 and was active in the Butler County Board of Realtors. 

He had been chief of the Mercer Road Volunteer Fire Department.

He was an avid sportsman and was captain of the East Wind on Chesapeake Bay at Ken Narrows, Md.

Surviving are his wife, Barbara J. Ithen Barnes, whom he married Nov. 1, 1955; three daughters, Pamela L. Barnes of Richmond, Va., and Mrs. Richard (Candee L.) Barnes-Vinroe and Joyce A. Barnes-Miller, both of Butler; a son, B. Timothy Barnes of Butler; and six grandchildren.

A daughter and a brother preceded him in death.

BARNES - Friends of Larry L. Barnes, who died Saturday, Jan. 12, 2002, will be received from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 107 Staley Ave. Services will follow at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the church with the Rev. Dennis Molnar, church pastor, officiating. Burial will be private. Arrangements are by YOUNG FUNERAL HOME, Butler.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Mercer Road, Prospect or Unionville fire departments.
 

Calvin Logan Wilson

Calvin Logan Wilson, 73, of Butler died Monday, Jan. 14, 2001, at Sunnyview Nursing Home.

Born in Jefferson Township, March 10, 1928, he was the son of Frank and Zella Logan Wilson.

He graduated from Butler High School in 1948 and was a retired farmer.

Mr. Wilson was a member of the Summit United Presbyterian Church and sang with the Sarver Community Choir.

Services were at 8:30 p.m. Monday at FOX FUNERAL HOME, Saxonburg. The Rev. Paul Roberts, his church pastor, officiated. Burial was at Summit United Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Jefferson Township.
 

Betty E. Kirsch

Betty E. Kirsch, 80, formerly of Butler, died at 1:35 p.m. Sunday at Autumn Grove Care Center, Harrisville.

Born April 4, 1921, she was the daughter of Allen and Anna Smithson Kummer McCommon.

She is survived by five sons, Donald Matuke of Texas, Stevie Matuke of Minnesota and Paul, Chuck and Frank Matuke, all of Butler; 19 grandchildren; and 24 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Kirsch; a son; five brothers; and six sisters.

KIRSCH — Friends of Betty E. Kirsch, who died Sunday, Jan. 13, 2002, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at YOUNG FUNERAL HOME, 127 W. Jefferson St. Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home with the Rev. Richard Ross, pastor of Mt. Carmel Tabernacle of Dempsytown, Venango County, officiating. Burial will be at Greenlawn Burial Estates, Mount Chestnut. 
 

Irene Cox Uleman

Irene Cox Uleman, 88, a 50-year resident of Aspinwall, died Thursday, Jan. 10, 2002, at Sherwood Oaks in Cranberry Township after a long illness.

She grew up in Jackson, Mich., where she attended Jackson Community College, and graduated from the University of Michigan.

Mrs. Uleman was a homemaker and volunteered for the Girls Scouts, the Women’s Club of Aspinwall, the Carnegie Museum and Harmarville Rehabilitation Hospital. 

She was preceded in death by her husband, Turrell Uleman, and two brothers.

Surviving are two sons, James Uleman of Pearl River, N.Y., and Frederick Uleman of Tokyo; a daughter, Cynthia Uleman of Washington, D.C.; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. A brother, Robert Uleman of Jackson, Mich., and many nieces and nephews also survive.

Private memorial services were at Sherwood Oaks.

Memorial donations may be made to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, 209 Fourth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222-9843.
 

D’Leo C. Burgoon Potts & Joseph S. Potts 

D’Leo Callihan Burgoon Potts, 86, of Hollywood, Fla., formerly of Chicora, died in a traffic accident on Dec. 26, 2001, in Hollywood.

Her husband, Joseph S. Potts, died Jan. 7 of injuries from the accident. They were married Aug. 8, 1987.

She was born Sept. 16, 1915, to Joseph and Leonora Campbell Callihan.

Mrs. Potts was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Chicora.

She attended Chicora Elementary School and was a 1933 graduate of Butler High School.

She had been a telephone operator in Chicora, and after moving to Wilkinsburg, she had been a secretary at Wolford Realty.

Surviving are a son, Richard Burgoon of Murrysville; a daughter, Barbara Burgoon of Hollywood, Fla.; a sister, Jane Vensel of Chicora; a granddaughter; and several nieces and nephews. Two stepdaughters and a stepson also survive.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Paul J. Burgoon, who died Oct. 15, 1983, and by two brothers.

Services for Mrs. Potts were Dec. 31 in Penn Hills. Burial was at Good Shepherd Cemetery, Monroeville.

Services and burial for Mr. Potts were Saturday in Penn Hills.
 

Sara N. ‘Sally’ Laird

Sara N. “Sally” Laird, 81, of 916 E. Pearl St. died Monday at her home.

Born in East Brady, May 31, 1920, she was the daughter of Clarence S. and Margaret M. Harriger Murphy.

She was a 1937 alumna of East Brady High School and a 1941 graduate of Butler Memorial Hospital School of Nursing.

Mrs. Laird retired as a registered nurse and had been an emergency room nurse at the Butler Veterans Affairs Medical Center for years. She also worked at Butler Memorial Hospital and had been a private-duty nurse.

She was a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church and the Altar Guild of the church. She also was active with the Butler County Humane Society and the food cupboard at Covenant United Presbyterian Church.

Surviving are a son, Roy Laird of New York, N.Y., and a brother, Winfield C. Murphy.

Her husband, James F. Laird; a son; and four brothers preceded her in death.

LAIRD — Friends of Sara N. “Sally” Laird, who died Monday, Jan. 14, 2002, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at THOMPSON-MILLER FUNERAL HOME, 124 E. North St. Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, East Jefferson Street, with the Rev. Bruce Geary, church pastor, officiating. Entombment will be at Greenlawn Burial Estates, Mount Chestnut. 

Memorial donations may be made to the Butler County Humane Society, 1015 Evans City Road, Renfrew, PA 16053; or Butler Area Public Library, 218 N. McKean St., Butler, PA 16001.
 

Bernard W. Grublis

Bernard W. Grublis, 58, of Cranberry Township died Tuesday at his home.

Born June 1, 1943, in Pittsburgh, he was the son of Michael and Elizabeth Sakson Grublis.

Mr. Grublis was a member of St. Ferdinand Roman Catholic Church, Cranberry Township.

He is survived by his wife, Joan E. Pitulski Grublis; a son, Brian Grublis of Verona; a brother, Michael Grublis of Dravosburg; a sister, Joyce Lishinsky of Punxsutawney; and a grandson.

GRUBLIS — Friends of Bernard W. Grublis, who died Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2002, will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. today and from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at GLENN-KILDOO FUNERAL HOME, 130 Wisconsin Ave., Cranberry Township. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Ferdinand Roman Catholic Church, Cranberry Township. 

Memorial donations may be made to VNA Hospice, 154 Hindman Road, Butler, PA 16001; or to the American Cancer Society, 320 Bilmar Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205. 
 

Rawlon Francisco Jr.

Rawlon Francisco Jr., 78, of Allen Park, Mich., formerly of Parker, died Monday.

He is survived by four sons, David G., Dennis J., Randy L. and Mark L. Francisco; four sisters, Lillian McGinnis, Marilyn Hunter, Mary Husselton and Martha Page; a brother, James Francisco; and five grandchildren.

FRANCISCO — Friends of Rawlon Francisco Jr., who died Monday, Jan. 14, 2002, will be received from 2 to 9 p.m. Friday at VORAN FUNERAL HOME, 5900 Allen Road, Allen Park, Mich. Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be at Parkview Memorial Cemetery, Livonia, Mich. 
 

Grace E. Aggas

Grace E. Aggas, 87, of Butler died at 1:20 p.m. Wednesday at Butler Memorial Hospital.

Born Feb. 16, 1915, at her family’s Clay Township farm, she was the daughter of Homer Turner Hall and Alice Isabelle Mahood Hall Hutchison.

Mrs. Aggas was a member of the Hill United Presbyterian Church.

Surviving are two daughters, Sara Jane Zavadsky and Doris Jean Kelly, both of Butler; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Two sisters, Jane Campbell of Redondo Beach, Calif., and Alice Mortimer of Butler; and a brother, Kenneth M. Hall of West Sunbury, also survive.

Preceding her in death were her husband, David P. Aggas, who died Aug. 4, 1989; a daughter; a sister, and two brothers.

AGGAS — Friends of Grace E. Aggas, who died Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2003, will be received from 7 to 9 p.m. .today at WILLIAM F. YOUNG JR. FUNERAL HOME, 127 W. Jefferson St. Services will be 11 a.m. Friday at the funeral home with the Rev. John Porter, her church pastor, officiating. Burial will follow at Butler County Memorial Park, Butler Township. 

Memorial donations may be made to Hill United Presbyterian Church, 501 Second St., Butler, PA 16001.
 

Mary M. Oesterling

Mary M. Oesterling, 93, of Meridian died at 5:40 a.m. today at Butler Memorial Hospital.

Born Aug. 29, 1908, in Punxsutawney, she was the daughter of Fleming and Mary Ellen McHenry Douthett.

She was a member of St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Loy (Ellen) Steward and Mrs. DeWayne (Barbara) Miller, both of Fort Myers, Fla.; a son, Ernest R. Oesterling of Meridian; four grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces and nephews.

Her husband, Rudolph E. Oesterling, died May 25, 1980; several grandchildren; five sisters; and three brothers also preceded her in death.

OESTERLING — Friends of Mary M. Oesterling, who died Thursday, Jan. 17, 2002, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at YOUNG FUNERAL HOME, 127 W. Jefferson St. Services will be at noon Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be at in Gruenwald Cemetery, Summit Township. 

 

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