BORN IN DONORA TO THOMAS & JANE STAFF HAMILTON. WORKED AS A INSPECTOR FOR WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CO.

Ruth E. Miller; 76; of Monessen; died Monday; Jan. 5; 2004; in Monongahela Valley Hospital Inc. She was born June 21; 1927; in Monessen; a daughter of the late Lewis S. Miller Jr. and Hilda Sell Miller. Ms. Miller was a lifelong resident of Monessen and a 1944 graduate of Monessen High School. She was a member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Monessen; where she played the piano and taught Sunday school classes. Ms. Miller was the last surviving member of her family; but is survived by many dear friends and neighbors. Friends will be received Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the DALFONSO-BILLICK FUNERAL HOME INC.; 441 Reed Ave.; Monessen. Services will be held Friday; Jan. 9; at 10 a.m. in the funeral home with Rev. Thomas E. Senge officiating. Interment will follow in Belle Vernon Cemetery. At the request of Ms. Miller; memorial contributions may be made to The Salvation Army; Monessen Public Library; Monessen Ambulance Service or Monessen Volunteer Fire Department No. 1.

[LOUIS] KELLER OF B.V.& CAMILLE [CHARLES] HISSON OF LATROBE. SISTERS – IRENE BARON OF BELLE VERON AND EMMA ZIMMARO;TERESA SCURCI;EDITH BENECCIO;CARRIE PALM & ALICE FRANKIE. [ALL 5 ARE DECEASED] GRANDCHILDREN- MICHAEL & AMY NICESWANGER;ANGELA;NATALIE &MINDY PESKIE;LEIGH KELLER;BRIENE KELLER;AUBREY [B.J.] ANTHONY & VINCENT SALVINO;AND ELIZABETH;EMILIE & ERICA HIXSON. A MEMBER OF ST.SEBASTIAN R.C.CHURCH;HE WAS A RESIDENT OF ROST. TWP. FOR THE PAST 57 YRS.;RETIRED FROM WHEELING-PITTSBURGH STEEL;MONESSEN PLANT;WHERE HE WORKED AS A PIPEFITTER;A MEMBER OF BELLE VERNON AMERICAN LEGION POST 659 AND THE BELLE VERNON AND FAYETTE CITY GOLDEN AGE ASSEMBLIES. HE DIED ON MONDAY;JAN 5 AT 5:15 PM IN JEFFERSON REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM;JEFFERSON BOROUGH. HIS FUNERAL MASS WAS HELD AT 10 AM ON THURSDAY;JAN. 8 IN ST.SEBASTIAN R.C.CHURCH.

RUTHS RELATIVES INCLUDE HER SISTER – VIRGINIA CARROLL OF SOMERSET;FORMERLY OF CHARLEROI. BROTHERS – RALPH MITCHELL STEEN [HER TWIN];WILLIAM O.STEEN; SAMUEL STEEN [ALL ARE DECEASED]. GREAT-NIECE – SUSAN CARROLL MOLISH OF ROSCO;WITH WHOM SHE MADE HER HOME DURING HER LONG ILLNESS. SISTER-IN-LAW – HOPE STEEN OF OHIO. NEPHEWS – J.REGIS [ROSALIE] CARROLL OF CHARLEROI;TOM CARROLL OF DONORA;WILLIAM RICHARD [AMY] CARROLL OF SOMERSET; ROBERT CARROLL OF CHARLEROI;ALBERT [JOY] STEEN OF GLEN BURNIE;MD. GREAT-NEPHEWS AND NIECES- MARCUS [ALICE] CARROLL;SCOTT [JILL] ALL OF CHARLEROI;MICHELLE & BRUCE CARROLL OF B.V.; BENJAMIN;NICHOLAS;GRETTA AND JOSEPH CARROLL OF SOMERSET. BROTHER-IN-LAW – J.REFIS CARROLL;SR. GRANDPARENTS – HANNAH MARY PATTERSON STEEN;OLIVER CHARLES WELLS AND MARY HOLLOWAY WELLS. AUNT – MARIE STEEN ODBERT. UNCLE – FRANCIS ODBERT.

Sophia Yakim; 81; of Fayette City; passed away peacefully on Friday; Dec. 26; 2003; in Country Care Manor. She was born Oct. 28; 1922; in Fayette City; a daughter of the late Luke and Mary Salko Yakim. She attended Fayette City High School and was a member of Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church; Belle Vernon. She was preceded in death by two sisters; Anna Puskas and Helen Portman; three brothers; Luke; Charles and John Yakim; and one nephew; Richard Portman. She is survived by one sister; Mary Lazzari of Belle Vernon; one sister-in-law; Sarah Yakim of Belle Vernon; one brother-in-law; David Portman of Schoharie; N.Y.; and many nieces; nephews; great-nieces and great-nephews. Friends will be received at the ELEY McCRORY FUNERAL HOME INC.; 334 Main St.; Fayette City; on Sunday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Divine Liturgy will take place on Monday; Dec. 29; 2003; at 2 p.m. in Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church; Belle Vernon; with the Rev. Fr. Igor Soroka as celebrant. Interment will follow in Belle Vernon Cemetery. Parastas service will take place Sunday at 8 p.m. in the funeral home.

Pete Vargo; 82; of Rostraver Township; died Thursday; Dec. 25; 2003; in Jefferson Regional Medical Center; Jefferson Borough. He was born in Brownsville on Feb. 25; 1921; a son of the late Steve and Anna Vargo. Protestant by faith; Mr. Vargo was a resident of Rostraver Township since 1960 and was a former Rostraver Township Commissioner. He was retired from Pittsburgh Local #3 as a structural iron worker. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He was a bombardier navigator; having flown 47 combat missions; and was the recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He was a member of the 57th Bomb Wing Association. He is survived by his wife; Emma Louise McKee Vargo; a son; David Dwayne Vargo and wife; Susan; of Munhall; two brothers; Andy Vargo; of Brownsville; and Steve Vargo; of Cleveland; Ohio; a sister; Helen Donahue; of Linden; N.J.; and several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents; he was preceded in death by a sister; Ann Duckett. Friends will be received Sunday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. in the JAMES C. STUMP FUNERAL HOME INC.; 580 Circle Drive; Sweeney Plan/Rostraver Township; where funeral services will be held Monday at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Mike Truszkowsky officiating. Interment will follow in Belle Vernon Cemetery; Rostraver Township.

Helen Roman Shetterly; 86; of Streetsboro; Ohio; formerly of Fayette City; died Monday; Dec. 22; 2003; in Maplewood Care Center; Streetsboro; Ohio. She was born June 16; 1917; in Fayette City; a daughter of the late Andrew and Anna Paulocheck Kosanko. She was preceded in death by her first husband; Michael Roman; and second husband; Charles Shetterly. Surviving are her children; Michael D. Roman and wife; Janice; of Streetsboro; and Elizabeth Speers; of Streetsboro; three brothers; John; Steve; and Joseph Kosanko; all of Fayette City; four sisters; Mary Waite; of Erie; Elizabeth Lang; of Pittsburgh; Katherine Esper; of Columbia Station; and Irene and husband; John Pallo; of Stockdale; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Friends will be received at the ELEY-MCCRORY FUNERAL HOME INC.; 334 Main St.; Fayette City; 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday and until 10 a.m. Monday; Dec. 29; the hour of services in the funeral home; with Rev. John Harris officiating. Interment will follow in Belle Vernon Cemetery.

Thomas A. Sassak; 66; of Rostraver Township; died Wednesday; Dec. 24; 2003; at his home. He was born Aug. 27; 1937; in Monessen; a son of the late Andrew S. and Mary C. Baron Sassak. A resident of the Belle Vernon area for the past 41 years; Mr. Sassak was a member of St. Sebastian Roman Catholic Church; Belle Vernon. He was a 1955 graduate of Monessen High School and retired from Elliott Company in Jeannette; where he worked as a drafting checker. Mr. Sassak was a social member of Belle Vernon American Legion Post 659 and a member of Monessen Croatian Society; Society of Oldies Collectors; Naomi Athletic Club; Citizens Association of Pricedale; Elliott Retirees Club; Slovak Cultural Society and Speers Boat Club. Survivors include his wife; Louise M. Dolfi Sassak; a son and daughter-in-law; Thomas and Lisa Sassak; of Belle Vernon; a daughter and son-in-law; Renee and Charlie Couser; of Belle Vernon; and three grandchildren; Jessica M. and Michael B. Couser and Erin M. Sassak. Visitation was held Friday in the LEONARD J. PARZYNSKI FUNERAL HOME; family owned and operated; 626 Broad Ave.; Belle Vernon; 724-929-6183. A prayer service was held Saturday in the funeral home; followed by a funeral Mass in St. Sebastian Roman Catholic Church; Belle Vernon; with the Rev. Ronald Cyktor Jr.; parochial vicar; as celebrant. Interment was in Belle Vernon Cemetery. Members of St. Sebastian Parish recited the rosary for the departed soul of Thomas A. Sassak on Friday in the funeral home. For those unable to attend; online condolences may be sent to the family at the funeral home web site; www.parzynskifuneralhome.com

Michael P. Semancik; 90; of Belle Vernon; died Sunday; Dec. 21; 2003; at 2:50 p.m. in Mon Valley Hospital; Carroll Township. Born July 9; 1913; in Wickhaven; he was a son of the late Michael P. and Elizabeth Gurbal Semancik. He was a lifelong resident of Belle Vernon; a member of St. Sebastian Roman Catholic Church in Belle Vernon; and he was retired from the former Republic Steel; where he worked as a coal miner. Mr. Semancik was a member of the Belle Vernon Knights of Columbus Council 3026 and a former member of the St. Sebastian Holy Name Society. He is survived by one son; Robert F. Semancik of Belle Vernon; two daughters and sons-in-law; Patricia and Siegfried Troeger of Guatamala City and Maryann and Wayne Davis of Los Angeles; Calif.; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; five brothers and one sister-in-law; John Semancik of Van Voorhis; Steve and Mary Semancik of Belle Vernon; Frank Semancik of Belle Vernon; Anthony Semancik of Fayette City and Joseph Semancik of Belle Vernon; and one sister and brother-in-law; Julia and Joseph Kluh of La Plata; Md. He was preceded in death by his wife; Julia Bradish Semancik; on July 13; 2003; one son; Michael P. Semancik; two brothers; Andrew and Albert Semancik; and one sister; Mary Miller. Visitation will be held Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. at the LEONARD J. PARZYNSKI FUNERAL HOME; Family Owned and Operated; 626 Broad Ave.; Belle Vernon (724-929-6183). A prayer service will be held Wednesday; Dec. 24 at noon in the funeral home followed by a Funeral Mass at 12:30 p.m. in St. Sebastian R.C. Church with the Rev. Lawrence J. Manchas as celebrant. Interment will take place in Belle Vernon Cemetery. Members of St. Sebastian Parish will pray the rosary for the departed soul of Michael P. Semancik on Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. and the Belle Vernon Knights of Columbus will conduct services Tuesday evening at 7:30 in the funeral home. For those unable to attend; online condolences may be sent to the family at the funeral home’s web site; www.parzynskifuneralhome.com.