Mary Rapchak
Mary Tresner (Cheresnye) Rapchak of Lexington, Ky., formerly of Nemacolin, Pa., and Carmichaels, Pa., died Monday, Dec. 23, 2002, at 12:25 a.m., in the Country Place Nursing Home, Lexington, Ky., of congestive heart failure.
She was born Sept. 14, 1911, in Proctor, Vermont, daughter of the late Charles and Julia Kaposta Cheresnye.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Stephen “Red” Rapchak, whom she married on Nov. 20, 1934, and who died on July 7, 1980; one brother, Charles Cheresnye Jr., a grandson, Nicholas Rapchak; and three sisters, Anna Cole, Julia Mattish and Helen Jackson.
Mary attended Brownsville Business College, and she was a bookkeeper and storekeeper in Nemacolin, Pa., and Crucible, Pa.
She was a member of St. Mary Russian Orthodox Church of Masontown, Pa., and St. Andrew Antiochan Orthodox Church of Lexington, Ky. Mary was also a member of the Ladies Guild of St. Mary Russian Orthodox Church.
Mary was an accomplished homemaker and an avid gardener, and she was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Surviving are a daughter, Mary Lou Schroeder of Surprise, Ariz.; two sons, Stephen C. Rapchak of Lexington, Ky., and Bruce E. Rapchak of Lexington, Ky.; eight grandchildren, Susan Swetel, Brian Swatty, Eric Rapchak, Chris Swatty and Heidi Swatty of Phoenix, Ariz., Joel Rapchak of Atlanta, Ga., and Larisa Erwin, and Natalie Rapchak of Lexington Kentucky; and ten great-grandchildren, Kristen Swetel, Kyle Rapchak, Connor Rapchak, Justin Rapchak, Christopher Swatty and James Swatty of Phoenix, Ariz., Taylor Rapchak, Alek Rapchak and John Erwin of Lexington, Ky., and Brittany Rapchak of Westerly, R.I.
Friends will be received in the PAUL M. LESAKO FUNERAL HOME, Carmichaels, Pa., on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2002, from 2 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m., and on Friday, Dec. 27, 2002, at 9:30 a.m., followed by a Funeral Service at 10 a.m., in St. Mary’s Russian Orthodox Church, Masontown, Pa., with the Rev. Alexander Tandilashvili officiating. Interment will be in LaFayette Memorial Cemetery. A Panachida Service will be held on Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Mary’s Orthodox Church of Masontown, Pa.