Aunt Rosanna was an elder sister to my late paternal grandfather, George. For many years, she had been "the oldest living Snatchko."
In the photo at right, Aunt Rosanna is the little girl in the white dress. That's her mother, Anna Kargle Snatchko, in the black hat. Anna and her husband, Charles, raised 15 children on Champion Hill in the small village of Sturgeon, PA. To provide for his large family, Charles sold fruits and vegetables house-to-house.Knowing Aunt Rosanna was a great blessing in my life. She was an optimistic and cheerful woman, always sharing the funny anecdotes of life. She had a tremendous love for her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews, friends and co-workers.
Aunt Rosanna also had energy to rival someone half her age. Into her late 80s, she worked at a part-time job at Thomas & Little Funeral Home. Until a few years ago, she also drove a sharp new-model Volkswagen Beetle (bright blue in color).
A dedicated Christian, Aunt Rosanna was a member for most of her life at Noblestown Presbyterian Church.
It's my prayer that she is now in heaven in the warm embrace of God. While her passing is currently a source of sadness, her long life should be a cause for thanksgiving and joy.
To close, another photo below: Aunt Rosanna (second from left) is pictured with her surviving sister, Dorothy Leonard (far left), her mother and her late sister, Lorraine Dewey (far right):
