Skook News Obituaries: July 16th, 2025
Obituaries published from the Schuylkill County area.
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He was born on Sept 22, 1945, in Danville, the son of the late Kenneth and Evelyn(Snyder)Masser.
Marv was a 1963 graduate of Tri-Valley High School, Hegins PA.
He was employed by Roadway Express, Metal Industries and Masser's Produce.
He attended Millersburg Assembly of God.
Marv enjoyed spending time with his family, especially his great grandchildren, hunting with his son Derek, Berwick football and most of all baseball.
He participated in Semi-pro baseball until he was 52, playing in 88 games on 4 different teams in one particular summer. When he wasn't pitching he was playing short stop. He coached or assisted on numerous baseball and Teener baseball teams with his son Shawn, and softball teams in the area, enjoying that until his passing. He could always be found working on the Teener field and sitting right behind home plate alongside his wife, Kay, for the Teener games at the Hegins Park.
He is survived by his wife Kay(Klinger) of 60 years, 3 sons, Errin at home, Shawn of Valley View, Derek of Danielsville, 3 grandchildren, Kaytlyn, Devin and Jordan and 4,(almost 5) Great Grand children, Bella, Deklan, Adalyn, Luca and TeeJay(due Oct); 1 brother Timothy, and 2 sisters, Phyllis and Susie and numerous nephews, niece, and cousins.
Services will be private at the convenience of the family
Buffington-Reed Funeral Home, Inc, Valley View, is in charge of arrangements.
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Born on February 14, 1930 in Pine Grove, she was the daughter of the late Nevin Kantner and Elizabeth Posey and granddaughter of the late Ralph and Mary Derfler Kantner.
She was a 1947 graduate of Pine Grove High School.
Verna was an excellent homemaker, seamstress and enjoyed cooking. She enjoyed attending the alumni banquets and often went to lunch with her classmates. She received a certificate for voting for 50 consecutive years from the Governor of PA, which she was very proud of.
Preceding her in death were her husband of 59 years, Roy T. Donmoyer, a son, Terry J. "Checker" Donmoyer, and a granddaughter, Melody Williams.
Surviving are two daughters, Judy and husband Charlie Zimmerman, Penny McNeill; three sons, Tom Donmoyer and companion JoAnn Beard, Ted and wife Denise Donmoyer, Tim Donmoyer and companion Kimberly Neuhauser; all of Pine Grove; 10 grandchildren; 17 great grandchildren; 1 great great grandchild.
Funeral Services will be held on Monday, July 21, 2025 at 11:00 A.M. at the H. L. Snyder Funeral Home, Inc., Pine Grove with SALM John Ziegler officiating. There will be a viewing on Monday, July 21, 2025 from 10:00 A.M. until 11:00 A.M. at the Funeral Home. Interment will follow in St. John's Lutheran Cemetery, Pine Grove.
In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer contributions be made to Compassus Hospice, 500 Hawk Ridge Dr. Suite 6, Hamburg, PA 19526 in her memory.
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Born in Philadelphia, Betty was a daughter of the late Frederick and Sophie (Bittner) Michener. She attended Tamaqua High School and was employed as a clerk at the former Sears Catalog Store in Tamaqua where she managed the cash report and phone sales from 1962 until her retirement in 1985. Betty had previously worked at the Atlas Powder Co. during World War II and was a member of St. John United Church of Christ, Tamaqua.
She is survived by seven children: Ernest Coombe, Jr. of Mahanoy City, Ernesta Coombe of Tamaqua, Thomas Coombe of West Penn Township, James Coombe and his wife Eileen of New Ringgold, Susan Poncavage and her husband Daniel of Tamaqua, Lisa Kenlin of Tamaqua, and Brian Coombe and his wife Kathy of Lewiston, Maine; 13 grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren; and 5 great great grandchildren.
Betty was preceded in death by her husband, Ernest Coombe, Sr.; a daughter-in-law, Betty Jane Coombe; and a son-in-law, William Kenlin.
Services will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at the Zizelmann-Gulla Funeral Home, 500 East Broad Street, Tamaqua with The Rev. Kevin Duffy-Guy officiating.
Interment in Sky-View Memorial Park, Hometown will follow. Call 9:30-11 AM at the funeral home. Memorial donations in Betty’s name may be made to St. John United Church of Christ, 150 Pine Street, Tamaqua, PA 18252.
Arrangements are being handled by the Zizelmann-Gulla Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc., Tamaqua.
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Born in Shenandoah, Jean was a daughter of the late John Sr. and Julia (Homza) Chowansky. She was a 1961 graduate of Mahanoy Area High School and was employed by Air Products and Chemicals as a professional assistant, from which she retired in 2003.
Jean loved to spend time with her family, especially watching her grandchildren play at sporting events. She and her husband John enjoyed their retirement years in Florida and many years of traveling both domestically and internationally. They cherished dinners and socializing with family and friends in both Florida and Pennsylvania.
She was a member of St. John XXIII Catholic Church in Tamaqua and St. Richard’s Catholic Church in Barnesville. Jean was also active for many years with both Air Products’ United Way campaigns and the company’s activities committee.
Jean is survived by her husband, John; one daughter, Christine Behm and her husband Philip of Lake Wynonah; one son, Anthony and his wife Linda of Lake Hauto; four grandchildren, Stephen Kupetz and his wife Liz of Ephrata, Nicholas Behm of Lake Wynonah, Ryan Vecolitis and his fiancée Ashlyn Houser of Lake Hauto, and Matthew Vecolitis of Lake Hauto; one brother, John Chowansky Jr. and his wife Martha of Frackville; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents and an infant daughter, Annmarie.
A memorial Mass will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 19, 2025, in St. John XXIII Catholic Church, 307 Pine Street, Tamaqua. Interment in Sky-View Memorial Park, Hometown, will follow. Call 9:30–11:00 AM in the church.
Memorial donations in Jean’s name may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or online at stjude.org.
Online condolences may be made at www.zgfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are being handled by the Zizelmann-Gulla Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc., Tamaqua.
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John was born September 17, 1957 to the late John and Gloria (Brentari) Barnetsky of Minersville where he grew up with his brother Edward Barnetsky.
He was a 1975 graduate of Minersville Area High School where he met and fell in love with his wife of 47 wonderful years, Donna (Reed) Barnetsky with whom he had a son Seth.
Throughout his life, the most important thing to John was family. He was “the rock”, the steady constant that all could rely on. His devotion and belief that “family is the most important thing you have” was something obvious to all who knew him and the inspiration of several of his tattoos. No matter what, when, or where; if someone in the family needed him, John was there. The same could also be true for the many friends and people he cared about. He truly loved helping others, and would go out of his way to aid people who needed it in any way he could. Second only to his family was John’s love of music. From the time he was 12 years old, John’s love and passion for music led him to play in local bands of various musical styles and solidified a lifelong love of the guitar. Throughout the years, he would work all week and play shows on the weekend with various groups and friends. He gave lessons at the former Terrace Music Center outside of Minersville and worked with other local musicians when they would ask. In his later years there was always a guitar within arm’s reach of his favorite chair that he would play to pass the time.
John worked locally as a plant manager at the former Dixon Ticonderoga pencil plant in Deer Lake until its closure and retired as vice-president of manufacturing from Cardinal Systems in Schuylkill Haven. He was a strong proponent for manufacturing and the trades and worked with several organizations and colleges to promote the awareness and importance of both.
In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by a brother-in-law's , Robert and Frank Reed.
John is survived by his wife, Donna, a son , Seth Barnetsky & his fiancee Cheyenne Strickler, a brother, Edward Barnetsky, sister & brother-in-law , Darla & Vince Fabiani, sister-in-law, Jacqueline Reed, nephews and nieces, Tom, Shawn, Melissa, Alicia and Rachel.
All are respectfully invited to attend a Visitation Saturday, from 8:30 to 11:00 am at the Mahal-Ritzel Funeral Home Inc., Minersville.
A Funeral Services shall follow at 11:00 am with Pastor Russell Hepler officiating.
Interment Mount Peace Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations made to the Mountaineer Hose Co., Minersville or the First Baptist Church of Pottsville or the Pottsville Area Music Endowment..
Mahal-Ritzel Funeral Home Inc., Minersville entrusted with the arrangements.
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These obituaries are being brought to by Mark J. Hummel Funeral Home, Frackville
