Mary Zilka

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Born on February 14,1912 in Bagley, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. She was the third oldest child to Michael Fritz Zilka and Katherine Fircz.

Description

Mary was of average build and short of stature. She had brown hair and brown eyes. She wore glasses in later years.

Early Years

• Childhood -
• Siblings
  • Joseph Zilka
  • John Zilka
  • Susanna Zilka

Education

Completed the eighth grade.

Religion

Mary was baptized into the Byzantine Catholic faith. She was a member of St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church.

Family Years

Mary married Peter John Berish on June 12, 1933 at St. Mary's Church in the Homer City, Indiana County, Pennsylvania. She was eighteen years old at the time of her wedding. The couple had three children: two boy - Robert John and Edward George, and one girl - Margaret Ann.

The couple would eventually have three children:

• Robert John Berish
• Edward George Berish
• Margaret Ann Berish-Zilka

Residences

• She previously lived in Homer City, Indiana County, Pennsylvania.
• They later moved to their new home which was on the south side of Warren at 769 Fourth Street, not far from her bother-in-law Joseph Timko. To buy their new home, Peter and Mary had to borrow money from Mary’s father, Michael Zilka. In order for them to repay the loan, Mary went to work at Packard Electric, a division of General Motors, for a couple of years. When they saved enough money to repay her father’s loan, Mary took him the money. Michael took the money, counted it out and said that the amount was the correct amount. He then quietly gave the money back to his daughter and told her to keep it. His daughter had done what she had promised to do by repaying the loan. He looked at the arrangement from the point of view that he had helped his daughter and she had learned to manage her families finances, her family was building a new life and that was all he really wanted. They both got what they wanted.

Working Years

She was a homemaker. She had previously worked as a laundry worker in Indiana County, Pennsylvania.

Personal Life

She was a member St. Mary’s Church and First Catholic Slovak Union 764.

Mary was a very social person who when visiting her hometown of Homer City, Indiana County, Pennsylvania would make it a point to call upon family and friends if time permitted. She also found time to write to her relatives in Jakubany, Slovakia who were descendants of Uncle Joseph Berish. As for her person enjoyment, Mary loved to play Bingo, so much so that she would play several evenings each week. She was know for playing a number of Bingo cards at one time and, as it turned out, she was very lucky and won often.

Mary also loved to make afghans for family members.

Death

Mary died of a heart attack on July 19, 1973 at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren, Trumbull County, Ohio.

She was buried on July 21, 1973 at Pineview Memorial Cemetery in Warren, Trumbull County, Ohio. The grave of Mary is located in Pineview Cemetery at 4049 Youngstown Rd SE in Warren, Trumbull County, Ohio. This cemetery is approximately 3.2 miles southeast of the city.