Mar 29, 2013

John Banco Jr., 71, of Washington, formerly of Bluefield, W.Va., died Thursday, March 28, 2013, after battling ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Surviving are his wife, Trina C. Banco; two sons, Steve Banco and wife Wendy of Washington and Mark C. Banco of New York, N.Y.; and four grandsons, Trey, Jax, Ty and Jase Banco of Washington.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at a time to be announced Tuesday, April 2, in Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Bluefield. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to Trinity South in care of PFC, 2500 South Main Street Extension, Washington, PA 15301. Arrangements are under the direction of Roselawn Funeral Home and Cemetery, Princeton, W.Va.

Sara Virginia Bedsworth Blair, 90, of Waynesburg, died Friday, March 29, 2013, in Golden Living Center, Waynesburg.

She was born August 2, 1922, a daughter of the late Stanley Quay Bedsworth and Martha Kerr Bedsworth.

On March 11, 1944, she married Scott Allen Blair, who died June 10, 1951.

Mrs. Blair was a retired employee of First Federal Savings and Loan of Greene County, where she worked in the loan closing department.

She was a member of Willow Grove Baptist Church.

When in good health, she enjoyed golf with her family.

Surviving are a son, Scott A. (Janet) Blair II, and a daughter, Deanie (Pete) Rameas, both of Waynesburg; six grandchildren, Scott (Kelly) Blair, Matthew (Heidi) Blair, Lindsay Blair, Amy (Jason) Diamond, Patrick (Julie) Rameas and Amanda (Barry) Gansor; 12 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Marjorie Bedsworth Morgan of Hobe Sound, Fla.

Deceased, in addition to her husband, are a grandson, Andrew J. Rameas, and siblings Quay and Jim Bedsworth.

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday in Behm Funeral Homes Inc., 182 West High Street, Waynesburg, where services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, with Pastor Scott A. Blair III officiating. Burial will follow in Greene County Memorial Park, Morgan Township. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Willow Grove Baptist Church, 756 Hargus Creek Road, Waynesburg, PA 15370. Condolences may be offered at www.behmfh.com.

Charles H. Cooper, 85, of McDonald, died Friday, March 29, 2013.

He was born June 8, 1927, a son of the late William and Helen Heathcote Cooper.

Mr. Cooper was a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy.

He was a graduate of machinist school in Ohio and worked for Admiral Machine in Barton, Ohio, for 15 years.

Mr. Cooper was a member of McDonald Veterans of Foreign Wars and McDonald American Legion.

Surviving are two sons, Christopher Charles Cooper of Akron, Ohio, and Mark Richard Cooper of the state of California; three brothers, William R. Cooper of McDonald and Robert and Gary Cooper of Hickory; three sisters, Shirley Hohnstein of Oakdale, Ada Ann Moyers of Akron and Jackie Lynn Cooper of McDonald; two grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Deceased are two brothers, George and Richard Cooper.

Family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in Nation Funeral Home Inc., 220 East Lincoln Avenue, McDonald, PA 15057, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 3. Interment will follow in Robinson Run Cemetery, McDonald. Memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society Eastern Central Region, 320 Bilmar Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205.

The Rev. Robert C. Gumbert died Saturday, March 23, 2013, in the home of his son in Virginia.

He was born January 5, 1929, in East McKeesport, a son of the late Franklin “Clyde” and Viola Gumbert.

The Rev. Gumbert served 18 months in the U.S. Army as a member of the GHQ band stationed in Tokyo, Japan.

He received a bachelor of theology degree from Mount Union College and a master of divinity degree from Drew Theological Seminary.

The Rev. Gumbert served as a pastor briefly in the Southern New York Conference of the Methodist Church, where he met and married Ellen Darrow of West Burlington Township. They moved to the Allegheny Conference in Western Pennsylvania, where he spent the majority of his career serving as pastor to 20 churches. He also served as chaplain at Braddock Hospital.

As a member of the Murrysville Area Soaring Society and the Academy of Model Aeronautics, he enjoyed building and flying radio-controlled model airplanes.

Surviving are his wife of 59 years, Ellen Gumbert; three children, Elaine and husband Mark Legner of Graymont, Ill., Clyde and wife Nancy Gumbert of Hampton, Va., and Carol Gumbert of Waterford, Mich.; two sisters, Evelyn Bevan and Audrey Markferding; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

His life and service to God will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday, April 5, in Monroeville United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, his family requests donations be made in his memory to Monroeville United Methodist Church or Alzheimer’s Foundation.

Leon H. Jenkins Jr., 89, of Brownsville, Centerville Borough, died Wednesday, March 27, 2013, in Senior LIFE, Uniontown.

He was born August 26, 1923, in Vestaburg, a son of the late Leon H. Sr. and Euphemia Murray Jenkins.

Mr. Jenkins was a 1943 graduate of Centerville High School.

He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, having served with Company B, 594th Engineering Boat and Shore Regiment. He was involved in every major amphibious landing of World War II. For his service, he was awarded the American Theater Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Asiatic Pacific Theater Ribbon with three bronze service stars and bronze arrowhead and Philippine Liberation Ribbon.

For more than 30 years, he was employed as an insurance agent for Cincinnati Life Co., retiring in 1988.

Mr. Jenkins was a lifelong member of Taylor United Methodist Church. A 40-year member of the BCR Lions Club, he served as past president and was a Melvin Jones Fellow and the last surviving charter member. He was a life member of Hancock-McCune-Horne American Legion Post 705 of Centerville, where he was a former post commander and former post chaplain, and was formerly a District 25 sergeant of arms. He was a member of National Pike Steam, Gas and Horse Association, where he served as announcer for many events and especially enjoyed announcing for the Pedal Power Tractor Pull.

Fishing, hunting, playing golf and shelling black walnuts brought him much enjoyment.

On December 8, 1946, he married Nettie M. Williams Jenkins, who survives.

Surviving, in addition to his wife, are two children, Harry Thomas Jenkins (Sue) of Centerville and Betty Ritzer (Anthony) of Charleroi; three grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; two brothers, John M. “Jack” Jenkins (Darlene) and William Laughner; and several and nieces and nephews.

Deceased, in addition to his parents, are two brothers, Earl and Robert Jenkins.

Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday and 10 to 11 a.m., the time of service, Tuesday, April 2, in John B. Greenlee Funeral Home, 2830 Main Street, Beallsville, with the Rev. James Markley officiating. Interment will be in Taylor Cemetery, Brownsville. Military rites will be accorded graveside by Hancock-McCune-Horne American Legion Post 705, Centerville. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorable contributions be made to Centerville American Legion Post 705, 1101 Old National Pike, Fredericktown, PA 15333. Guest book and personal condolences may be accessed at www.GreenleeFuneralHome.com.

Curtis James Jones, 72, of Washington, died Thursday, March 28, 2013, in his home.

He was born August 18, 1940, in Morris Township, a son of the late Lewis Ambler and Myrtle Marie Nichols Jones.

Mr. Jones was the husband of Clara J. Mitchell Jones, who survives.

He was retired from Boeing Aerospace in the Rocketdyne Division.

Mr. Jones was also a custom knife maker and gunsmith and an avid hunter.

Surviving, in addition to his loving wife, are children Robert W. Jones of the state of California, Timothy J. Jones of Washington and Rebecca Ann (Bobby) Lamadrid of Las Vegas, Nev.; eight grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; brother David (Denise) Jones of Michigan; sisters Janice (Norman) Arden of Finleyville and Pearl (Pat) Hammer of Erie; and many nieces and nephews.

Deceased, in addition to his loving parents, are sisters Doris Sochor, Vivian Kinney and Lois Constant and brothers Kenneth Eugene, Ronald Edward and Harry William Jones.

Arrangements cared for by Willig Funeral Home and Cremation Services. Inurnment in Oak Spring Cemetery, Canonsburg.

Wanda Keener, 57, passed away unexpectedly Friday, March 22, 2013, in Orange Park, Fla.

She was born in Kirby, a daughter of Geraldine and Paul Keener.

Miss Keener attended Waynesburg High School and Washington School of Nursing.

Surviving are two sisters and two brothers, Anna (Baily) Davisson of Gainesville, Fla., Nancy (Baily) Stankus of Nashua, N.H., John Baily of Oak Harbor, Wash., and Stephen Keener of Hamilton, Ohio; several nieces and nephews; and several supportive Facebook friends.

She will be missed by all the “short” people (small children) that she instructed at Island View Baptist Church, Orange Park.

Audrey P. Cox Moore, 95, of Waynesburg, died at 7:35 a.m. Friday, March 29, 2013, in Rolling Meadows Nursing Home, Waynesburg.

She was born Thursday, May 3, 1917, in Spraggs, a daughter of the late Walter Cox and Bessie Shriver Cox .

Mrs. Moore was a member of Jefferson Church of the Nazarene.

She worked for 25 years as a clerk at G.C. Murphy in Waynesburg, retiring 1979. She was a homemaker.

On May 30, 1942, she married Emerson L. Moore Jr., who died January 4, 2009.

Surviving are two sons and their wives, Emerson Lee (Judy) Moore III of Centerville and Larry W. (Sue) Moore of Waynesburg; five grandchildren, Don Moore, Dayna Timcheck, Wendy Gabauer, Tyler Eaton and David Eaton; five great-grandchildren; three sisters, Martha Turner and Mary Louise Hopkins, both of Waynesburg, and Virginia Rae Blosser of Jefferson; and several nieces and nephews.

Deceased are a sister, Ruby Cox, and three brothers, Andrew Cox, Jack Cox and Herbert Cox.

Friends will be received from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday in Milliken and Throckmorton Funeral Home Inc., Daryl L. Throckmorton, owner/director, 197 North Maiden Street, Waynesburg, PA 15370, where services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, with Pastor Carl Kibbler officiating. Burial will be in Oakmont Cemetery, Waynesburg. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to Jefferson Church of the Nazarene, 168 Washington Street, Jefferson, PA 15344. Information is available at www.milliken-throckmortonfh.com.

Mary Washinski, 98, of Washington, died Thursday, March 28, 2013, in her home.

She was born October 7, 1914, in Crabtree, Westmoreland County, a daughter of Martin Kinsell and Annie Chernek Kinsell.

Mrs. Washinski was a clerk, buyer and supervisor at G.C. Murphy Co. for 31 years.

She was a member Immaculate Conception Church.

On August 21, 1935, she married Alexander Joseph Washinski, who died August 20, 1990.

Surviving are her grandchildren, Joe (Cilia) Washinski of Bridgeville, Steve Washinski of Washington, James (Jodi) Washinski of Streetsboro, Ohio, and William Washinski of Tampa, Fla.; great-grandchildren John, Charles, Tyberius, Victoria and Lindsay; and daughter-in-law Mary Washinski of Streetsboro.

Deceased are sons William Michael “Bud” Washinski and James Alexander Washinski; sister Stella Washinski; and half brother Thomas Louis Zabroski.

Friends will be received from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in William G. Neal Funeral Homes Ltd., 925 Allison Avenue, Washington. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 3, in Immaculate Conception Church, Washington. Burial will follow in Queen of Heaven Cemetery, Peters Township. Additional information and a guest book are available at www.NealFuneralHome.com.