Jul 21, 2013

Depression survivor cooked ethnic dishes

Margaret Katherine Slopek Pescho, 92, of Burgettstown, passed away Saturday, July 20, 2013, on her father’s birthday.

She was born January 16, 1921, in Slovan, a daughter of Joseph and Marie Nehr Slopek.

Mrs. Pescho was a survivor of the Depression and grew up never wasting anything.

She left her home from ages 13 to 15 to live and clean houses, along with her sister, Alma.

Mrs. Pescho lived with two different families who treated her like a daughter. One worked at the Hotel Webster Hall as a chef and taught her to cook many different foods and ethnic dishes. She loved Slovenian polkas, Tamburitzans, Greek food festivals and pastries. She was of German and Slovak descent. She cooked a well-balanced meal every day while raising her children. She loved to bake, giving away many of her treats to friends.

Mrs. Pescho was the last of her immediate family.

She was the mother of George (Linda) Pescho Jr. of Buffalo Village, Robert (Marianne) Pescho of South Euclid, Ohio, Joan (John) Casey of Cherry Valley, Karen (Jim) Cupit of Upper Darby and Greg Bidlow of Largo, Fla.; grandmother of Tony, Katie, Kathleen, Suzanne , Erin, Graham and Margaret and great-grandmother of Rian, Lana, Payton, Andrew, Evan and Maso. A great-granddaughter was born July 22, 2013.

Also surviving are many nieces and nephews.

Deceased are brothers Joseph, Julius, Edward, Steven, Charles and David; infant sister Helen Slopek; and half sisters Alma Mosch Windsheimer, Josephine Loucas and Mary Slopek. A best friend of 45 years, Amil Navoski of Cherry Valley, died in 2002.

Friends and family will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday in Taucher Funeral Home, 23 Erie Mine Road, Burgettstown, where services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 24, with the Rev. Sue Petritis. Interment will follow in Fairview Cemetery, Burgettstown. For further information and condolences, please visit www.taucherfuneralhome.com.