Margaret Monske

Margaret (Hadenak) Monske (Grandma Pudge), 94, of Hopewell Township, peacefully passed away on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.

She was born on August 5, 1929, in Waltersburg, PA, to the late Mike and Rose Stefanic Hadenak.

Margaret was a member of Our Lady of Fatima Church. She was a beloved mother and grandmother who enjoyed spending time with her family and always gave a card for every occasion. Grandma Pudge loved seeing her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She also took pride in all her children and grandchildren’s accomplishments, often raving about their achievements to others. Her grandchildren share many fond memories with her, including her sense of humor about her grandchildren growing taller than her, never turning down a challenge in the kitchen, going on trips to Giant Eagle to get maple rolls, eating ice cream at the Windmill, seeing Easter eggs hung on the tree outside her home, tending to her money plants, reciting her mantra to always keep moving, and her love of coffee and donuts. She passed down many recipes, including malinsa, palicinkes, and stuffed cabbage. You could usually find Margaret on a daily walk to the shopping center, reading a book, or cooking up something delicious in the kitchen like apple strudel, nut roll, Jello pie, or lady locks. While she was often slow to speak, her words carried great weight, and she had the rare gift of smiling with her eyes. She enjoyed traveling, visiting grandchildren in New York, Washington, and California, seeing the leaves change in the fall in New Hampshire, and going on family trips to Utah and Hawaii. Her favorite pastimes were watching Young & the Restless and the Pittsburgh Pirates, sewing, taking photos of her flowers (especially the irises), and looking for butterflies. Margaret is the strongest and most courageous person her family ever knew. Throughout her life, she fought and beat cancer three different times, survived a stroke, and overcame other ailments.

Surviving are children, Kathleen Chester, David Monske, Tim Monske, and Carla (Michael) Zupancic; grandchildren Elaine (Leon) Wilson, Lisa (Aaron) Briggs, Brian (Michelle) Chester, Stuart (Ali) Monske, Hannah (Ben) Nagy, Marissa Zupancic, and Josh Zupancic; greatgrandchildren Hunter and Dakota Wilson, and Theo and Dean Chester; and many beloved nieces and nephews.

Margaret was preceded in death by her parents, husband Paul Monske, whom she married on September 3, 1949, sisters Mildred Barak, Helen Gallik, Mary Mihotz, Ann Shaw, and Katherine Kerzan, brothers James Hadenak, Michael Hadenak, Vincent Munk, Joseph Munk, Nicholas Munk, George Munk and John Hadenak, and son-in-law David Chester.

A viewing will be held at Darroch Cremation & Funeral Tributes, 2640 Mill Street Aliquippa, PA, 15001 on Monday, August 5, from 4 to 8 pm where a funeral service will be held on Tuesday, August 6 at 10 am. Interment to follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery.

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