Martha L. Melick Valenga

Martha L. (Melick) Valenga, 97, of Salem Township, died peacefully Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, in Westmoreland Hospital. She was a member of St. James Catholic Church in New Alexandria. She was born Oct. 18, 1918, in Nanticoke, a daughter of John Melick and Agnes Opalinski. She grew up on a farm in Nanticoke, where she worked hard, looked after her mother and acquired her strong work ethic and numerous entertaining stories, which she loved to share with everyone. Her journey then took her to New York City, N.Y., where she was a live-in housekeeper and cook for a large family. She brought home many of her much-loved cooking and cleaning secrets from her time in New York, of which she spoke with great fondness. During World War II, she began a long career with Gailstyn-Sutton in New Jersey, where she worked her way to floor supervisor, and from which she retired. Upon retirement, she and her husband, Michael, joined their only child, Martha (Marti) Simmons, in Greensburg. She resided in Marti's home with her daughter, son-in-law and four grandchildren for 32 years, where she could never be stopped or slowed down from cooking, cleaning, yardwork and looking after her grandchildren. In her very brief periods of downtime, Martha could often be found watching any Chuck Norris movie and his popular TV show, "Walker, Texas Ranger". During her last days, she was bouncing her great-grandchildren on her lap and doing outside work, which were two of her passions. Martha is greeted in heaven by her parents, John and Agnes; her husband, Michael, and her daughter and only child, Martha Simmons; her sisters, Veronica, Louise, Frances and Agnes; brothers, John and Fritz. She will be sadly missed by her sisters, Gertrude Rowland and Margaret Miklosi; son-in-law, Gordon Simmons; grandchildren, Marie Brown, Susan Smith, Barbara Menhart and David Simmons; grandsons-in-law, Benjamin Brown, Joseph Smith and William Menhart; and great-grandchildren, Hayden and Lincoln Brown, Joseph Smith and Gavyn, Rylee and Jordyn Menhart. Family and friends will be received from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, 2016, at the P. DAVID NEWHOUSE FUNERAL HOME, corner of Church and Washington streets, New Alexandria. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, 2016, at St. James Catholic Church, New Alexandria, with Monsignor Larry Kulick presiding. Interment will follow in Calvary Hill Cemetery, Crabtree, with a luncheon to follow at St. James.  - Funeral and condolence advice from Legacy.com experts Funeral Etiquette Expert advice: what to do and say when someone dies. © Copyright 1999-2016 Legacy.com All Rights Reserved | Questions? Contact us | Search obituaries nationwide ShareThis C

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