Joseph (Joe) F. SHANLEY (1940-2022)

Hilarie's uncle Joseph (Joe) SHANLEY passed away on Christmas eve 2022, and the memorial service was held on Thursday (yesterday) December 29th. The funeral was held at St Patrick's Olyphant (where Joe had been baptized in 1940 on the same date as the funeral), and the burial took place at the St Patrick's Cemetery (off Route 6).

 

Joseph F. Shanley

Obituary published by Scranton Times from Dec. 27 to Dec. 28, 2022.

JOSEPH SHANLEY OBITUARY

Joseph F. Shanley, 82, of Olyphant, died unexpectedly on Sunday, at home.

Born in Olyphant, he was the son of the late Francis and Gertrude Kelly Shanley, and he was a member of Holy Cross Parish at St. Patrick's Church, Olyphant. He was a 1958 graduate of St. Patrick's High School. He served with the U.S. Army stationed in Monmouth, N.J., and Japan, and he was a member of the American Legion Raymond Henry Post 327, Olyphant. He had been employed by Tobyhanna Army Depot, and he retired from General Dynamics. He owned and operated Shanley's Bar in Jessup.

Joe appeared to be a no-nonsense kind of guy but inside he was much softer. He had a fierce loyalty to what he believed in and to his people. To know him was to love him and he was a great friend. He worked hard his whole life. In addition to his full-time job, he always had a weekend job going from doing roofing with his twin brother or later cutting trees.

Surviving are three children, Leigh Runco, and husband, Frank, Olyphant; Joseph Shanley, Olyphant; and Tiffany Shanley, Jessup; a granddaughter, Chelsea Strelecki, and husband, Steve, Archbald; a brother, James Shanley, and wife, Diane, Dickson City; sisters, Jeanne Van Nort, Olyphant; and Mary Boretsky, Dickson City; his former wife, Paula Shanley; nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by brothers, William and Francis J. Shanley; and a sister, Ann Shanley.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Thursday at 10 a.m. in St. Patrick's Church, 200 Delaware Ave., Olyphant. Friends may call Thursday morning from 9 to 10 a.m. at the church. Interment will follow at St. Patrick's Cemetery, Blakely.

Arrangements are by the Frank T. Mazur Funeral Home, Inc., 601 Dundaff St., Dickson City. For directions or to leave an online condolence visit the funeral home website.

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In line with his military service, his coffin was draped in an American flag, and there was a grave-side volley of 12 rifle shots. The flag was presented by the flag party to his brother James (my father-in-law).

Death of Harry Wasilchak (1894-1929), updated

 This is an update of the original blog post (https://upanddownthevalley.blogspot.com/2010/11/death-of-harry-wasilchak-1894-1929.html ) with some extra articles I've found.

Harry Wasilchak was ran a dairy in Jessup, PA. I have seen a milk bottle with his name on it. Each bottle had a cardboard stopper placed on the lid - this is the Wasilchak dairy lid:

There is one newspaper article I've found that mentions Harry Wasilchak's dairy. The dairy was located behind the family home on Hand Street in Jessup: 

The Scranton Republican 14 July 1928 › Page 13

JESSUP, July 13. After being missing for eighteen days during which time police from every town In the Mid - Valley searched for him. Alfred Keller, aged 13, of Throop, was found early this morning in the Jessup Dairy stables, owned by Harry Wasilchak. Young Keller was sleeping and obviously on the verge of exhaustion when Policeman,. - John Keller, of Throop, discovered him, He was returned to his parents. Keller formerly lived here and It is believed he was going to visit relatives. -

While details are scarce, Harry died at the age of 38 when his truck crashed:

 

Scranton Times Annual
15 Jan 1929
JESSUP DAIRY OWNER IS KILLED IN MOTOR CRASH
"WASILCHAK'S CAR PLUNGES OVER 15-FOOT BANK ON MONTDALE ROAD - FOUND BY PASSERBY
Harry Wasilchak, thirty-eight, of 208 Hand-street, Jessup, proprietor of the Jessup Dairy, was instantly killed last night about 10 o'clock when the truck he was operating plunged over a fifteen foot embankment on the Montdale Road.
The wrecked truck and Wasilchak's body were found by Charles Brown, of Peckville, as he passed along the highway in his automobile. Constable Ralph Hunt, of Chapman Lake, was notified and he made an investigation.
The body was removed to the Turko morgue, where it was examined by Deputy Coroner Murray Finkelstein. Wasilchak, who is survived by his widow, and four children was widely known throughout the mid-valley."

The funeral of Harry Wasilchak was also reported in the paper:

The Scranton Republican 18 January 1929 › Page 5

JESSUP, Jan. 17. A fine tribute to the memory of Harry Wasilchak, Hand street dairyman, who met death in an accident on the Montdale road, was paid this morning, when hundreds of people were in attendance at his funeral. Members of Hose company, No. 2, of which Mr. Wasilchok was a prominent member, kept a constant vigil throughout the morning. At 9:30 o'clock a high mass of requiem was celebrated in the Holy Ghost Greek Catholic church. Rev. Theodore Lodomersky officiating. Rev. Lodomersky also delivered a fitting eulogy on the deceased. Interment was in the Holy Ghost cemetery. The casket was carried by the following members of Hose company. No. 2 : Joseph Podrasky, Joseph Sobolcskie, "Chic" Simler, Andrew Smolko, Michael Cholish, and Joseph Maceyko. Over a score cf firemen were required to carry the numerous floral wreaths.

Obituary for Daniel Grabin (1921-2005)

My wife Hilarie SHANLEY wrote this obituary for her grandfather Daniel Grabin. At the time it was published in the Scranton Times Tribune, but this text ensures his obituary is now available on-line. This blog has a separate transcribed history of the 33rd Troop Carrier Squadron, and a separate post with newspaper article describing the car he built.

 

Daniel Grabin, 84, of Dickson City, died early Sunday at home. His wife of 64 years is the former Martha Wasilchak.
 
Born in Peckville, son of the late Stephen and Anna Grabin, he attended school in Archbald. He began working as a mechanic at Grabin Oldsmobile of Olyphant, which was owned by his father. He was the head mechanic, responsible for the repair and service of automobiles throughout the Midvalley.

He was a proud soldier in the Army Air Corps, 33rd Troop Carrier Squadron. During World War II, he worked as a crew chief in the Pacific theater. He repaired and flew in the planes that took men, munitions and material where they were needed. He fought overseas for three years, during which time he earned nine battle stars and saw duty in Australia, New Guinea, Morotai, Biak, the Philippines, Okinawa and Japan. He was one of the first 50 soldiers into Japan in the final days of World War II, an achievement of which he was extremely proud. Segments from the letters he wrote home were published in a local newspaper. He retained an active interest in the great history that he had been a part of, saving his medals, photographs and B-4 bomber bag.

When he returned home, he worked with Grabin Oldsmobile to bring an automobile to every local veteran who had lost a limb in battle. Always interested in a challenge, he then decided to build his own custom sports car from scratch. Using the old, rusty shell of a 1942 automobile, he rebuilt it piece by piece, adding customizations that would not be seen in automobiles for decades. The finished product was featured in the newspaper and was a source of wonder for anyone who saw it.

He opened his own garage, Grabin's, in 1973. It was there that he would work for the rest of his life. He made a real friend out of each person who met and knew him. Often he would have the companionship of any number of his friends at the garage. He was a kind, ethical businessman, always opting to give his customers a break at the sacrifice of his own pocket.

He was a constant source of knowledge, an avid reader and he enjoyed all types of debate. He was a mechanic in every sense of the word: He had a true, intuitive grasp on the inner workings of everything. He lived for his family, working hard to provide the best opportunities for the people he loved most.
He was a beloved and wonderful husband, father and grandfather.

He is survived by his wife, Martha; two daughters, Sandra Bianca and Diane Shanley and husband, James, all of Dickson City; a granddaughter, Hilarie Shanley, Boston; a brother, John, Eynon; several nieces and nephews.

He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Joseph and Stephen Jr.

The funeral will be held Friday from the James M. Margotta Funeral Home, 1019 Main Street Peckville, with Mass at 9:30 a.m. in Holy Ghost Church, Olyphant, to be celebrated by the Rev. Phillip Sladika, pastor. Entombment, St. Mary's Visitation Mausoleum, Dickson City.

Friends may call Thursday, 4 to 8 p.m.

{Written by Hilarie SHANLEY}

Legion of Merit citation for Stephen Grabin

Stephen Grabin is known in the family as a war hero. I've previously posted a short article (https://upanddownthevalley.blogspot.com/2009/08/stephen-grabin.html ) about him - he arrived in Australia in Feb/March 1942, and served as an aircraft mechanic (grease monkey) in the US Army Air Corps.

U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946

Name: Stephen R Grabin
Birth Year: 1923
Race: White, citizen (White)
Native State or Country: Pennsylvania
State of Residence: Alaska
Enlistment Date: 7 May 1941
Enlistment State: Pennsylvania
Enlistment City: Wilkes Barre
Branch: Air Corps
Branch Code: Air Corps
Grade: Private
Component: Regular Army (including Officers, Nurses, Warrant Officers, and Enlisted Men)
Education: 4 years of high school
Civil Occupation: Semiskilled mechanics and repairmen, motor vehicles
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 68
Weight: 145

 

Jones to Howells to Shanley - and Wales to Olyphant via Nanticoke

The Shanley family uncovered a written family history about the HOWELLS and SHANLEY family. While it isn't dated or signed, it was written by Mary WALBUSH nee SHANLEY (who appears on page 2) and was likely written in the late 1970s. Excitingly, it mentions the Welsh heritage of the family back into the 1850s - which I haven't previously been able to find, given the lack of birth/marriage/death registrations before around 1905 in Olyphant/Lackawanna/Luzerne counties in Pennsylvania.

The letter is likely highly reliable, and possibly includes information extracted from a family bible given the birth/marriage/death dates cited.


Transcript:

Page 1

Evan R Jones of North Wales and Jane Thomas of Llandillo, South Wales were united in marriage June 17th 1858. Jane Thomas was a sister to the Thomas Bro of the firm T Thomas and Sons, Tanners, Bootmakers and Woolstaplers of Llandillo and Carmarthen, S. Wales.

The first child to bless this union was a daughter, Sara Jane. She was born in Mountainash, Glamorganshire, S. Wales, May 6, 1859.

In 1861 they came to America at the beginning of the Civil War. Jane was less than 2 years old when they arrived in America. She married very young to David Howells.

They had 2 children, girls, and at the birth of the 3rd child both mother and child passed away. The girls names were Olwen and Maggie Jane.

Page 2

1. Olwen Howells married Ceradoc Rees, they lived in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania.

    Children
Jane - married Arthur Harris - 1 child - Rees Harris
Ceradoc - single, died at age early 20s 
Ann - single
Ralph - single - Professor at Bucknell U.
Willard - died when a young child

2. Maggie Jane married Frank Shanley and they lived in Olyphant Pennsylvania. 

    Children
Nellie - single, born May 26 1896 died Mar 18 1967
Elizabeth - single, B Nov 20 1899
William - died in infancy
Francis - married Gertrude Kelly He was born Feb 10 1902, died Jan 2 1954
Margaret - single
Joseph (there were two Josephs) - died in infancy
Joseph - single - Born Oct 30 1907 Died Sep 4 1976
Mary - married George Walbush - Born July 22 1910
Olwen - married Edward Hayes - Born Oct 15 1912
Catherine - married Francis Brennan - B Nov 28 1916 D Jun 7 1952
Ann - stillborn

Page 3

1. Francis Shanley and Gertrude Kelly
    Children
Jean Marie - marred Frank Van Nort
Ann - single
Frank - married Jane Weller
Margaret Mary - married Pete Boretsky
William - married Jacqueline Mackell
Joseph - married Paula Baumgartner
James - married Diane Grabin

2. Olwen Shanley - Edward Hayes
    1 child Mary Hayes married James Harbottle

3. Catherine Shanley - Francis Brennan
    1 child - James Brennan married Mildred Naglak

Take it from here



Images

Frank (Francis) SHANLEY (1938-2017)

Hilarie's uncle Frank (Francis) SHANLEY passed away two few weeks ago, and the memorial service was held on the weekend.

I have some material on Frank to add here.

Scranton Times, July 2017

Francis J. Shanley

July 2, 2017

Francis J. Shanley of Houston, Texas, and formerly of Olyphant, died Sunday, July 2, at Memorial Herman Hospital, Houston.

Born in Olyphant, son of the late Francis and Gertrude Kelly Shanley, he was a 1958 graduate of St. Patrick's High School, Olyphant. He served with the Air Force and was a self-employed entrepreneur his entire life.

Surviving are two brothers, James Shanley and his wife, Diane Shanley, Dickson City; and Joseph Shanley, Olyphant; two sisters, Jeanne Van Nort, Olyphant; and Mary Boretsky, Dickson City; nieces and nephews.

He was also preceded in death by a brother, William Shanley; and a sister, Ann Shanley.

A memorial Mass will be offered Friday at 9:30 a.m. in St. Patrick's Church, Olyphant.

At the memorial Mass, Frank's sister Mary Boretsky read the eulogy, which is slightly edited here:

Big Uncle Frank. That's what we all called him. He was always larger than life. Not only in his physical size but in his dynamic personality. He was so much fun to be around. He seemed to know something about everything. He had such a quick wit and could make you laugh for hours. When he would come home from Texas everyone was happy to gather to be with him.

He was very intelligent and was successful at just about everything he ever tried to do. When he was young he was a very good basketball player, and something of a pool shark. He always told me that he made all his spending money playing pool. He was inclined to always find the mischief in every situation. He was part of a Dynamic Duo with his good friend John Kilker. He could always find someone to share his adventures.

He also had a serious side. He and his friend, Joe Nixon, served 6:30 Mass every morning Monday through Friday for the 4 years he was in high school. He spent 4 years in the Air Force. That included a 1 year tour at King Salmon, Alaska. He played basketball with the base's team because they got to fly all around the area and it was a good diversion on a base where you could never even go outside.

He worked in business and lived in Philadelphia and Syracuse. When he got a chance to move to Texas he was very happy to do so. He spent most of his life there and considered it home. He went on to be successful in business and to eventually run his own company.

When he started his business he bought a house to live in and to run the business from. He had always had a Doberman Pinscher and he bought a Miniature Dachshund (Fritz). He was a cute little dog who literally never left his side. I asked him why he would buy a little dog like that and he said, very matter of factly, that is was the size of the doggy door in the house. He was nothing but practical.

He was the third Frank Shanley. He used to tell me that he probably would not live to be 52. And if he did he would be the first Frank Shanley who ever did.

He loved cars and was drawn to convertibles. Mostly he would have a Corvette. Somehow that suited him fine. He loved children and they loved him.

I feel like this is biographical. So I want to say that he was our brother and we all loved him very much. He was the kind of person we will not forget.

My sister Jeanne found a nice piece I would like to read:

'We are the rememberers, the people left behind to keep the one who's gone from us alive in heart and mind-the people left to cherish and preserve a legacy.'

Yes, we are the rememberers, and we will always be. As long as we live, we will share who you were.

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At the wake, there were several photo boards with photos of Frank:

Frank Van Nort (1931-2016)

Frank Van Nort
August 9, 1931  -  November 22 2016
(married Jeanne Shanley abt 1955)

Scranton Times Obituary
25 November 2016

Frank J. Van Nort, 85, of Olyphant, died Tuesday at home. His wife is the former Jeanne Shanley. The couple had been married for 61 years.

Born in Carbondale, son of the late Frances Flederbach and Frank Van Nort, he was a graduate of Archbald High School and was a member of Holy Cross Parish, Olyphant. A machine operator and programmer at Lockhead Martin for most of his life, Frank was a talented handyman, fixing and building anything asked of him.

He enjoyed bowling, golfing, hunting, fishing and was very proud to have served his country. Frank was a veteran of the Air Force, serving in Japan during the Korean War.

Also surviving are his children, Joseph Van Nort, Jeanne Van Nort Kropa and husband, William; a sister, Loretta Brennan; two grandchildren, Corrinne and Shayna Kropa; and several nieces and nephews.

He was also preceded in death by a brother, William Van Nort; and three sisters, Frances Kerzic, Mary Dilts and Rita Kulikowski.

The funeral will be Saturday at 9 a.m. from the Hudak-O'Shea Funeral Home, 115 Garfield Ave., Olyphant, with Mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 in Holy Cross Parish at St. Patrick's Church, 200 Delaware Ave., Olyphant, to be officiated by Monsignor Delaney. Burial will follow in the parish cemetery. Military services will be held by American Legion Raymond Henry Post 327 Olyphant and the Air Force.


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The Olyphant branch of the Legion had this sign up on Saturday of the funeral, regarding the military service.

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I will update this post with a photo of the headstone at the St Patrick's cemetery, Blakely PA, in the future.

UPDATE July 2017: headstone installed: