Skook News Obituaries: January 14th, 2026
Obituaries published from the Schuylkill County area.
Joseph Michael Matto, 89, of Port Carbon, passed away Saturday, January 10th, at ManorCare, Pottsville.
Born in Port Carbon, on March 18, 1936, a son of the late Mary (Michaels) and John Matto.
He was a member of St. Clare of Assisi, St. Clair.
He was a veteran of the US Air Force.
Joe was an avid stamp collector.
He is preceded in death by his sister, Loretta M. Matto and brother, John J. Matto.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Clare of Assissi, St Clair on Thursday, January 22 at 10:30 am with Mon. William Glosser officiating
Interment will follow at Immaculate Conception Cemetery, St. Clair.
Born at the former Locust Mountain Hospital she was the daughter of the late James and Irene (Mariken) Carr. She was a 1968 graduate of Mahanoy Area High School and attended the McCann School of Business. She worked as a homemaker.
Preceding her in death in addition to her parents were her husband Thomas M. Deffley, 2 brothers Joseph J. and Gerald F. Carr, and her twin sister Joyce C. Baskerville.
Survivors include one daughter Lynn Gantz and her husband Paul of Pine Grove, two sons Bryan and his wife Karen of Breinigsville and Sean and his wife Andrea of Lancaster, 2 grandchildren Joshua and Autumn Gantz as well as nieces and nephews.
Relatives and friends are invited to her funeral on Saturday morning at 10:30 AM from David D. Jarrett Funeral Home of Mahanoy City. The Rev. Kevin P. Gallagher will officiate.
Interment will follow in St. Canicus Cemetery in Mahanoy Township. Friends may call at the funeral home on Saturday morning beginning at 9 AM.
Ruth A. Webster Bordner, 72, of Hegins, passed away Monday, January 12, 2026 at the Hershey Medical Center.
Ruth was born in Harrisburg on Sunday, May 4, 1952, a daughter of the late John Sr. and Retha Enders Webster.
Ruth was raised in Halifax, graduating in 1971 from Halifax High School. Following graduation, she attended bible college then went on to serve as an missionary in South Dakota for several years.
Over the years, Ruth held down numerous job. She worked at the former Johnson Bailey Shoe Factory, the Elizabethville Quarry, the Federal Government, the Dollar Store, The Marriot, and the Polyclinic Hospital to name a few. She loved helping people, and working with the general public fulfilled her. Ruth and her husband Cliff were foster parents to numerous foster children.
She last attended the Immanuel Bible Holiness Church in Halifax. Her love for her Lord and her faith were very strong.
Ruth enjoyed all the simple things in life like canning, gardening, her flowers, animals and traveling.
In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by three brothers, Edward, Joseph and John Webster, and a sister Mary Schwalm.
Surviving are her husband of 34 years, Clifford Bordner; her siblings, Wayne Webster, Nancy Keiter (Henry), Ellen Wagner, David Webster (Susan), Darlene Oxenrider (Leonard), and Cathy Oxenrider; sister-in-laws, Esther, Donna, Gladys and Althea; her godchildren, Matthew Webster and Nettie and Felicia Bordner; numerous nieces and nephews she dearly loved.
A Celebration of Ruth's life will be held on Monday, January 19, 2026 at 7:00 pm from the Chapel of the Dimon Funeral Home, Inc., Tower City, with Pastor Bobby Saville officiating. A visitation will be from 6-7 pm at the chapel.
Ruth was born in Harrisburg on Sunday, May 4, 1952, a daughter of the late John Sr. and Retha Enders Webster.
Ruth was raised in Halifax, graduating in 1971 from Halifax High School. Following graduation, she attended bible college then went on to serve as an missionary in South Dakota for several years.
Over the years, Ruth held down numerous job. She worked at the former Johnson Bailey Shoe Factory, the Elizabethville Quarry, the Federal Government, the Dollar Store, The Marriot, and the Polyclinic Hospital to name a few. She loved helping people, and working with the general public fulfilled her. Ruth and her husband Cliff were foster parents to numerous foster children.
She last attended the Immanuel Bible Holiness Church in Halifax. Her love for her Lord and her faith were very strong.
Ruth enjoyed all the simple things in life like canning, gardening, her flowers, animals and traveling.
In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by three brothers, Edward, Joseph and John Webster, and a sister Mary Schwalm.
Surviving are her husband of 34 years, Clifford Bordner; her siblings, Wayne Webster, Nancy Keiter (Henry), Ellen Wagner, David Webster (Susan), Darlene Oxenrider (Leonard), and Cathy Oxenrider; sister-in-laws, Esther, Donna, Gladys and Althea; her godchildren, Matthew Webster and Nettie and Felicia Bordner; numerous nieces and nephews she dearly loved.
A Celebration of Ruth's life will be held on Monday, January 19, 2026 at 7:00 pm from the Chapel of the Dimon Funeral Home, Inc., Tower City, with Pastor Bobby Saville officiating. A visitation will be from 6-7 pm at the chapel.
Mary Rita Karpovitch, born on March 17, 1944, in Ashland, PA, entered eternal life on January 3, 2026, at her home in Toms River, NJ.
Mary Rita was raised mainly in Philadelphia, PA. She graduated from St. Hubert’s High School. She then earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Chestnut Hill College and a Master’s Degree in Counseling and Human Relations from Villanova University.
Mary Rita worked for many years as a Sister of St. Joseph (Chestnut Hill) in the Philadelphia area, serving as a teacher for 21 years and later as Director of Youth Ministry at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Whippany, NJ, for three years. After this, she worked as a lay Program Director with Catholic Charities in Edison/Fords, NJ, for three and a half years, and then as a School Counselor in the Eatontown, NJ Public Schools, where she retired after an additional 25 years of service.
Throughout her long career, Mary Rita served on the Cardinal’s Commission for Human Relations (Philadelphia), was a member of the Interagency Council and the Woodbridge Youth Services Commission in New Jersey, served on the Youth Ministry Advisory Committee for the Diocese of Paterson, NJ, and was a member of both the New Jersey Education Association and the Monmouth County School Counselor Association.
At the last place Mary Rita taught, she wrote and received a grant from the Bucks County Drug and Alcohol Commission to develop a community awareness program. She founded Building a Better Community (BBC), a parent group focused on adolescent substance abuse and related issues. She also started a World Hunger Action Club for students, taking them to feed people on the streets of Center City Philadelphia. She trained students to carry out projects in their school community, at a local college, and at a local mall to raise awareness of both world and local hunger issues.
Mary Rita loved her work with children and their families and always felt privileged to truly get to know so many along the way. She treasured the friendships she made. Mary Rita loved music all her life—singing and dancing too. In her mind, she remained a “Bandstand girl” right to the end, even when health conditions impacted her mobility. She also loved the ocean, and seeing it always made her heart happy.
Mary Rita was predeceased by her parents, Joseph T. and Mary R. (Shivelhood) Karpovitch. She is survived by many cousins, living mainly in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
There will be a visitation at 9:30 AM followed by a Funeral Mass at 10:30 AM on Friday, January 16, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Villa in Flourtown, PA. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a graveside burial service at 2:30 PM on Friday, January 16, 2026, at the New Saint Joseph’s Cemetery, 24th and Brock Streets, Ashland, PA. Officiating will be Deacon John Sutter.
Condolences may be made at http://www.Fritzfuneralhome.com. The Richard W. Fritz Funeral Home is in charge of the burial service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Sisters of St. Joseph (Chestnut Hill), 9701 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118.
These obituaries are being brought to by Mark J. Hummel Funeral Home, Frackville
