Greensburg

MARCH 29, 1940-AUG. 14, 2011 Nancy L. Rafferty, 71, of Greensburg, Pa., died Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011, at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg. Born March 29, 1940, in Greensburg, she was a daughter of the late Louis and Christina (Pastore) Capasso. She had been employed by Westinghouse and Kaufmann's Department Store. She is survived by her husband, Thomas L. Rafferty; two daughters, Cheryl Rafferty of Greensburg and Colleen Winters of Hagerstown, Md.; a son, Thomas Rafferty and wife, Vickie, of Youngwood, Pa.; five grandchildren, Jordan and Emily Winters, Amanda Rafferty, and Hope and Tony Buskirk; four brothers, Alexander Capasso and Frank Capasso of Greensburg, Rocco Capasso of Hannastown, Pa., and Louis Capasso, of Irwin, Pa.; six sisters, Dolores Shirey, Donna Testa, Celeste Mulvehill, Marlena Capasso, all of Greensburg, Mary Smith of Youngwood and Natalina Brown of Homer City, Pa.; and many nieces and nephews.

NOV. 7, 1923-JULY 31, 2010 GREENSBURG, Pa. - Mary Violet Charlton, 86, of 551 Hamel Ave., Greensburg, and formerly of Williamsport, Md., died Saturday, July 31, 2010, at Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg. Born Nov. 7, 1923, in Terra Alta, W.Va., she was the daughter of the late William H. and Alice Riley Hartman. She was preceded in death by her first husband, John H. Long, and her second husband, Albert Charlton. She was a member of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Hagerstown.

Washington County Commissioners Vice President William J. Wivell doesn't yet know whether his job with Allegheny Energy Inc. will be transferred to Greensburg, Pa., he said Tuesday. If asked to relocate, Wivell said, "Obviously, it will be a very difficult decision for me to make. There would have to be a big incentive to move to Greensburg. " Allegheny Energy Inc. spokesman Guy Fletcher said Tuesday that the company will relocate its finance and accounting positions in Washington County, and employees from some other departments, to the company's Greensburg office by March 1. Wivell is a regulatory specialist at Allegheny's corporate headquarters in the regulation and rates division.

The Smithsburg Area Church Association will conduct its annual community Thanksgiving Eve service at St. Peter's (Beard's) Lutheran Church, on Old Forge Road near Old Forge School. The service will begin at 7:30 p.m. The Rev. David C. Baker will be the speaker for this service. Holy Communion will be celebrated. Churches participating will be Trinity Lutheran, St. Paul's Methodist, St. Ann's Episcopal, Mt. Moriah Lutheran (Foxville), Mt. Bethel Methodist (Foxville), Leitersburg Free Lutheran, St. Paul's Lutheran (Greensburg)

julieg@herald-mail.com Allegheny Energy Inc.'s corporate headquarters will remain in Washington County even though more than half of the jobs there are expected to be transferred to Greensburg, Pa., by March 1, a company spokesman said Tuesday. The energy utility is consolidating its finance and accounting offices in Greensburg, which is southeast of Pittsburgh, said Allegheny spokesman Guy Fletcher. Positions from some other divisions at the headquarters also will move to Greensburg, but most of the jobs are in finance and accounting, he said.

JAN. 15, 1919-JUNE 16, 2009 BOONSBORO -- Mrs. Bertha Louise (Law) Clever, 90, a resident of Fahrney-Keedy Nursing Home, Boonsboro, Md., formerly of 36 N. Allison St., Greencastle, Pa., died at 7:45 a.m., Tuesday, June 16, 2009, at the nursing home. She had been in failing health for the last year and a half, and critically ill for the last three months. Born Jan. 15, 1919, in Greensburg, Md., she was the daughter of the late John W. Law and Rosa S. (Kindle) Law Mortz. Mrs. Clever attended Greensburg schools and spent her early years in Greensburg.

Washington County residents will have the opportunity to recycle Christmas trees at no charge at county solid waste facilities. Clean Christmas trees, with all lights, ornaments, nails, etc., removed, will be accepted from Dec. 26 to Jan. 30, excluding holidays, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Trees are being accepted at the following locations: o Forty West Landfill, one mile west of Huyett's Crossroads, off U.S. 40 on Earth Care Road ...

OCT. 18, 1918-SEPT. 17, 2009 Anna Lillian Reece, 90, of Hagerstown, passed away on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009, at Ravenwood Lutheran Village in Hagerstown. Born Oct. 18, 1918, in Hagerstown, she was the daughter of the late John L. Biser and Minnie Mae (Knight) Powell. She was a homemaker and had worked at the Kemphorn Children's Home and volunteered at Ravenwood Lutheran Village. She was an active member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church (Greensburg), Smithsburg. She was preceded in death by her husband, Wilbur S. Reece, who passed away in September 1994; two sisters, Betty Alt and Erma Grove; and two brothers, Bruce Powell and Frank Powell.

The Greensburg Farm Market will close July 10 so the building that was destroyed by a March 8 fire can be rebuilt. The market, which sells a variety of annual and perennial plants, bushes, vegetable plants and produce, is scheduled to reopen Sept. 1. “I will be glad when the new store is rebuilt, but you can’t replace 18 years of history,” said store owner Mary Stagner. “I had all of my sons’ FFA plaques in there, and the first dollar the store made hanging on the wall.

MARCH 29, 1940-AUG. 14, 2011 Nancy L. Rafferty, 71, of Greensburg, Pa., died Sunday, Aug. 14, 2011, at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg. Born March 29, 1940, in Greensburg, she was a daughter of the late Louis and Christina (Pastore) Capasso. She had been employed by Westinghouse and Kaufmann's Department Store. She is survived by her husband, Thomas L. Rafferty; two daughters, Cheryl Rafferty of Greensburg and Colleen Winters of Hagerstown, Md.; a son, Thomas Rafferty and wife, Vickie, of Youngwood, Pa.; five grandchildren, Jordan and Emily Winters, Amanda Rafferty, and Hope and Tony Buskirk; four brothers, Alexander Capasso and Frank Capasso of Greensburg, Rocco Capasso of Hannastown, Pa., and Louis Capasso, of Irwin, Pa.; six sisters, Dolores Shirey, Donna Testa, Celeste Mulvehill, Marlena Capasso, all of Greensburg, Mary Smith of Youngwood and Natalina Brown of Homer City, Pa.; and many nieces and nephews.

The Greensburg Farm Market will close July 10 so the building that was destroyed by a March 8 fire can be rebuilt. The market, which sells a variety of annual and perennial plants, bushes, vegetable plants and produce, is scheduled to reopen Sept. 1. “I will be glad when the new store is rebuilt, but you can’t replace 18 years of history,” said store owner Mary Stagner. “I had all of my sons’ FFA plaques in there, and the first dollar the store made hanging on the wall.

The Greensburg Farm Market went up in flames less than three weeks ago, but Friday morning the lot was cleared of debris and covered with pallets full of winter pansies in multiple hues as the family business reopened. "The whole parking lot was covered with black ash," owner Mary Stagner said of the lot where she has marketed flowers, fruits, vegetables and other products for the past 18 years. On March 8 — the day she and her husband, Raymond, returned from vacation — the business at 17835 Virginia Ave. went up in flames, gutting the converted gas station building that was filled with candies, jellies, pastas, nuts and other foods.

One of the operators of the Greensburg Farm Market gutted by a fire Tuesday night said that he and his wife hope to continue their business and might set up a temporary structure at the site for the upcoming flower season. "We're trying to move forward. There's so many things up in the air," Raymond Stagner said after walking through the charred remains of the market with fire investigators Wednesday afternoon. The longtime local landmark at 17835 Virginia Ave. southwest of Hagerstown, where jellies, juices, snacks and produce were sold, burst into flames Tuesday night, frightening neighbors as embers blew toward their homes.

Fire poured through the Greensburg Farm Market on Virginia Avenue southwest of Hagerstown on Tuesday night, sending heavy flames and embers into the night sky. Firefighters had the fire under control in about 30 minutes, said Assistant Fire Chief Jamie Drawbaugh of the Volunteer Fire Co. of Halfway, Md. There were no injuries reported, according to a 911 dispatcher. A Maryland state fire marshal arrived at the scene at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday and was sifting through the charred remains of the building.

NOV. 7, 1923-JULY 31, 2010 GREENSBURG, Pa. - Mary Violet Charlton, 86, of 551 Hamel Ave., Greensburg, and formerly of Williamsport, Md., died Saturday, July 31, 2010, at Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg. Born Nov. 7, 1923, in Terra Alta, W.Va., she was the daughter of the late William H. and Alice Riley Hartman. She was preceded in death by her first husband, John H. Long, and her second husband, Albert Charlton. She was a member of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Hagerstown.

Washington County residents will have the opportunity to recycle Christmas trees at no charge at county solid waste facilities. Clean Christmas trees, with all lights, ornaments, nails, etc., removed, will be accepted from Dec. 26 to Jan. 30, excluding holidays, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Trees are being accepted at the following locations: o Forty West Landfill, one mile west of Huyett's Crossroads, off U.S. 40 on Earth Care Road ...

OCT. 18, 1918-SEPT. 17, 2009 Anna Lillian Reece, 90, of Hagerstown, passed away Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009, at Ravenwood Lutheran Village in Hagerstown. Born Oct. 18, 1918, in Hagerstown, she was the daughter of the late John L. Biser and Minnie Mae (Knight) Powell. She was a homemaker and had worked at the Kemphorn Children's Home and volunteered at Ravenwood Lutheran Village. She was an active member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church (Greensburg) in Smithsburg, Md. She was preceded in death by her husband, Wilbur S. Reece, who passed away in September 1994; two sisters, Betty Alt and Erma Grove; and two brothers, Bruce Powell and Frank Powell.

JAN. 15, 1919-JUNE 16, 2009 BOONSBORO -- Mrs. Bertha Louise (Law) Clever, 90, a resident of Fahrney-Keedy Nursing Home, Boonsboro, Md., formerly of 36 N. Allison St., Greencastle, Pa., died at 7:45 a.m., Tuesday, June 16, 2009, at the nursing home. She had been in failing health for the last year and a half, and critically ill for the last three months. Born Jan. 15, 1919, in Greensburg, Md., she was the daughter of the late John W. Law and Rosa S. (Kindle) Law Mortz. Mrs. Clever attended Greensburg schools and spent her early years in Greensburg.