Frances Zele Peternel

Frances Zele Peternel

Age 95, of Bethel Park, passed away on Sunday, December 27, 2020.  The daughter of the late Frank and Frances Tomsic  Zele, she was born on February 8, 1925 in Coritenza, Italy, which is now in Slovenia.  She sailed to the United States at the age of 6, and her family settled in Strabane, PA.

            She was a former editor of the Canonsburg Daily Notes Newspaper, a founder of the Canonsburg Chamber of Commerce and a former director of the Slovenian Savings Loan Association in Strabane.  She was the widow of the late Arthur F. Peternel, a WWII veteran who liberated the concentration camps at Dachau, Germany.  Later he became the public works director and engineer for the municipality of Bethel Park.  They settled in Bethel Park in 1958 and have remained there since.  Frances was a member of St. Valentine’s Roman Catholic Church and Seniors Club, the Gold Card Club of Bethel Park, the SNPJ Lodge 138 of Strabane and the American Fraternal Union.  She also enjoyed traveling, baking, reading, politics and spending time with her family.

            She is survived by her children; Arthur (Martha) Peternel of Franklin Park and Frances Manning (late Timothy) of Willoughby Hills, OH; her grandsons, Steven and Andrew. She is preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Frances Zele, her husband, Arthur Peternel, her son-in-law, Timothy Manning and her brother and sister-in-laws, William and Agnes Peternel, Sylvan and Jane Peternel, Albert Peternel, Elsie McQuillis, Elvira and James Irwin, Colette Beckman and Frank Charles Peternel.  She was also a well-loved and admired aunt to many nieces and nephews.

            Friends will be received on Tuesday, December 29th from 6-8 pm and Wednesday, December 30th from 11 am – 12:30 pm at Paul Henney Cremation & Funeral Tributes, 5570 Library Rd. Bethel Park, PA 15102.  Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Wednesday, 1 pm at St. Valentine Catholic Church.  Interment will follow in Queen of Heaven Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in her name to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; www.jdrf.org OR Tri-Community South EMS, http://tcsems.org/donation

www.henneyfuneralhome.com

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