USA High School Yearbooks by State and County
Richard G. Lapana
ROCK CREEK - Richard G. "Papa" Lapana, 55, died Friday, Oct. 12, 2001, following an automobile accident in New Lyme.
He was born July 2, 1946, in Uniontown, Pa., to Frank and Verna (Garrison) Lapana.
Mr. Lapana was a self-employed painter and a leukemia survivor. He enjoyed riding his 1956 pan head motorcycle, nature, fishing, hunting and gardening.
Survivors include wife Aldine E. (Oskin) Lapana of Rock Creek; sons Richard R. Lapana of Ashtabula and Gregory L. Lapana of Rock Creek; daughter Dayna L. Lapana of Austinburg; parents Frank and Verna Lapana of Dorset; grandson Brian Lapana of Madison; and four sisters.
He was preceded in death by a brother.
Funeral is 3 p.m. Wednesday at Paine-Simpson Funeral Home, 3119 W. Water St., Rock Creek. Visitation is 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial is in Union Cemetery, Rock Creek.
Ernest Hiley Jr.
ROCK CREEK - Ernest C. "Jim" Hiley Jr., 69, died Thursday, Feb. 14, 2002, at Miller Memorial Nursing Home, Andover.
Born April 30, 1932, in Pennsboro, W.Va., he was the son of Ernest C. and F. Mildred (Markle) Hiley.
Mr. Hiley was a retired cutter at Horner Box Co., Jefferson.
A member of Morgan Hose Co. Volunteer Fire Department, he served for 20 years as station master and was dispatcher, radio operator, record keeper and maintenance officer.
He was in charge of tornado safety, and was the keeper of the Morgan Hose Co.'s 1939 Ward LaFrance pumper. He instructed pre-schoolers through fifth-graders, Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts on fire safety.
Special interests included the fire department, fishing, hunting, yard sales, watching professional wrestling and, he especially enjoyed his grandchildren.
Survivors include his mother of Pennsboro, W.Va.; his wife, Shirley (Shultz) whom he married March 19, 1960, at Central Station, W.Va.; four daughters, Deborah Conrad of Jefferson, Barbara Hall of Jefferson, Brenda Highlander and Sandra Hiley of Rock Creek; a son, Donald of Kinsman; three sisters, Beatrice Pierce of Pennsboro, W.Va., Naomi Neeley of Central Station, W.Va., and Eleanor Stewart of Montana Mines, W.Va.; a brother, David of Ellenboro, W.Va.; 12 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father, a brother, Creed, and a great-grandson.
Service is 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Paine-Simpson Funeral Home, 3119 W. Water St., Rock Creek, with the Rev. William Aiken of New Lyme Baptist Church, New Lyme Township officiating. Burial will be in Union Cemetery, Rock Creek.
Visitation is 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.
Gladene Sunderlin
ROCK CREEK - Gladene E. "Dene" Sunderlin, 80, of Route 534, died Friday, Aug. 16, 2002, at the Ashtabula County Medical Center, Ashtabula.
Born Aug. 21, 1921, in Chillicothe, Texas, she was the daughter of Willie and Arpie (Minerva) Reeves.
She married Thomas Sunderlin on May 30, 1950, in Detroit. Mich.
A homemaker, Mrs. Sunderlin lived 20 years in Trumbull, coming from Wickliffe.
She enjoyed crocheting, sewing, quilting and was an avid reader.
Mrs. Sunderlin was a member of St. Patrick's Church, Thompson Township.
Survivors include her husband; two sons, Dale of Harpersfield Township and Charles "Tommy" of Ashtabula; six grandchildren, Dale Ii, Erik, Stacey, David, Tommy and Stephen; and a great-grandson, Michael.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a daughter, Georgia Sunderlin; a granddaughter, Wendy Sunderlin; a brother, Shelby Reeves; and five sisters, Mabel Jeffcoat, Nettie Proper, Minnie Julius, Irene Reeves and Fay McCall.
Service is 11 a.m. Monday at the Donald E. Walker Funeral Home, 828 Sherman St., Geneva, with the Rev. Paul Tobin of Assumption Church, Geneva, officiating. Burial will be in Trumbull Cemetery, Trumbull Township.
Calling hours are 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
Jack Cone
ROCK CREEK - Jack Cone, 67, of Rock Creek, died Thursday, June 12, 2003, at Hospice of the Valley, Mesa, AZ.
Born September 3, 1935, in Neptune, OH, the son of Bernice Ellen (Shimp) and Hallie E. Cone. Mr. Cone married Mary Ann (Dynes) Cone on June 15, 1957, in Unionville.
He had been a Madison resident most of his life. He graduated from Madison High School in 1953. He enjoyed golf, fishing, and traveling. He was also a member of the Madison Volunteer Fire Department, Station #1, for 14 years.
Jack served in the U.S. Army in Korea as a Radio Operator. He moved to Roaming Shores in 1997 and belonged to the Fishing Club, Men's Golf League, and was a member of the Lake Management Committee. He was the Facilities Manager at Bailey Controls for 32 years, retiring in 1997, and since then worked for Memorials By Behm in Geneva.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Ann Cone of Rock Creek; daughter, Valery (Ted) Miller of Diamond; son, Rob (Annie Herron) Cone of Madison; mother, Bernice Ellen Cone; four grandchildren, Amber Thomas, Corey Cone, Evan and Greg Miller; brother, Hal "Gene" (Sue) Cone of Farmersbranch, TX; two sisters, Jean Benedict of Longview, WA, and Lynn (Clarence) Rankin of Mentor.
He was preceded in death by his father, Hallie E. Cone, in 1970.
A Memorial Service will be held at Central Congregational Church, 71 Park Street, Madison, at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 21. There will be no visitation.
Burial will take place in Unionville Cemetery, Unionville. Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 East Flower Street, Phoenix, AZ 85014, or Hospice of the Western Reserve, 5786 Heisley Road, Mentor, OH 44060.
Jennie A. Molenda
ROCK CREEK - Jennie A. Molenda, 81, of Rock Creek, died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002, at her home after a lengthy illness.
She was born April 22, 1921, in Trumbull Township, the daughter of Stanley and Carrie (Prysner) Kellar, and was a lifelong Rock Creek resident.
She worked as a supervisor of Sanborn Wire Products in Rock Creek.
She was a member of Sacred Heart Church in Rock Creek, and enjoyed gardening and raising chickens.
Survivors include a son, Stanley Molenda of Rock Creek; a sister, Helen Goff of Cleveland; and a granddaughter, Leah Molenda.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Edwin Kellar.
Funeral Mass is 11 a.m. Saturday at Sacred Heart Church, 3409 N. Main St., Rock Creek. Monsignor Edward Kowaleski, of Sacred Heart Church, will officiate. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery in Ashtabula.
Calling hours are 9:30 a.m. Saturday until the time of the service at the church.
The Funeral Home, 3119 W. Water St., Rock Creek, is in charge of arrangements.
Helen C. Vitez
ROCK CREEK - Helen C. Vitez, 94, formerly of Jefferson Street and a resident of the Jefferson Geriatric Center the past four years, died Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2002, at the Ashtabula County Medical Center. She was born Nov. 2, 1908 in Cleveland, the daughter of Henry and Anna (Kubic) Smetivy.
She has been a resident of Rock Creek since 1947, moving from Cleveland.
Mrs. Vitez was a charter member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Rock Creek, where she was involved in many church activities and was a member of the Altar and Rosary Society. She enjoyed her home, flower gardening and cooking. Mrs. Vitez learned to drive at the age of 75.
Survivors include one daughter, Sandra A. Ensman of Fort Myers, Fla., three sons, Norman R. Vitez of Belleville, Ill., Kenneth R. Vitez of Dorset and Donald S. Vitez of Ashtabula; 17 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Steve R. Vitez, in 1985 and seven siblings, Peter, James, Lillian, Eleanor, Ann, Julia and Mary.
The funeral mass will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 3409 N. Main St., Rock Creek, with the Rev. Fr. Gregory Fedor, celebrant. Burial will be in Morgan Union Cemetery, Rock Creek.
Calling hours are 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, at the Fleming Funeral Home, Inc., 49 W. Jefferson St., Jefferson.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Sacred Heart Church Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 305, Rock Creek, OH 44084. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.
