ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP — Helen B. Tussy (Kerekgyarto), age 98, of Ashtabula Township, died Saturday morning, June 23, 2012, at home with her daughter holding her hand.

Helen was born in Woodbridge, N.J., on Oct. 12, 1913, to Stephen and Mary (Lasko) Kerekgyarto. Helen lived in Passaic, N.J. eight years before moving to Ashtabula, where her father, Stephen Kerekgyarto, found work with the railroad and brought his family to Ohio from New Jersey.

From age 8 to 18, Helen grew up in and around the Morrison, Bell and West St. area of Ashtabula near the railroad switching station. For Helen, it was an ideal place to live. During those early years, her mother, Mary, would pack delicious lunches for Helen to carry to her father a few blocks down the street at the railroad switching station to enjoy eating with her father. She treasured her experiences and memories from this time. Even as a child, no grass ever grew under Helen's feet. When she was 8, Helen taught her parents English. She accompanied her father and translated for him at his naturalization swearing in ceremony in 1921.

Besides playing with the neighborhood kids, she was always finding little jobs to do. At age 10, she washed and set a neighborhood grandmother’s hair for which she earned a quarter a week; subsequently, in 2012, she was able to share that particular memory with that particular grandmother's granddaughter. At age 11, she wanted to have a bike and a camera, so she found an ad to sell salve door-to-door and she earned enough money to buy her new bike and camera.

Another job Helen found was cooking and cleaning house for a neighbor lady who was ill with cancer. Since both her parents worked, Helen was responsible for bringing her three sisters home for lunch, which she prepared and then cleaned up, before taking them back to school for the rest of the day. To entice potential customers, area stores offered trial use of radios before purchase, and Helen kept bringing them home until her father relented and finally purchased one.

Helen's love for books drew her to the Ashtabula Library, where she volunteered throughout Junior High and High School. Helen was a bright and eager student and appreciated the beauty of her school, its fine architecture and workmanship. Even more so, was Helen's love and respect for her excellent teachers, some of whom became life-long friends. Helen loved to play tennis, baseball and even though short, her performance as a basketball forward was outstanding; she also enjoyed archery, roller and ice skating.

Helen's teen years were spent dancing to the Big Band Orchestras that came to Lake Shore Park, Geneva-on-the-Lake and other area venues. She reminisced about the enchanting hotel and boardwalk east of Lake Shore Park. Helen met her future husband, Andrew F. Tussy, at a Lake Shore Park big band dance. Helen and Andy were married on March 17, 1932, at St. Joseph Church and lived with her parents for awhile. Shortly thereafter, the newly-weds moved to Cleveland where Andy found work at Eaton Axle and Helen took care of her new daughter, Marilyn, in their new apartment.

They met some of their life-long friends, Stella and Modest Angelo, Anna and Joe Wagner and Mary and Joe Gyure while in the Cleveland area. They moved back to Ashtabula after Andy was told by a doctor he could no longer work indoors due to the dust conditions aggravating his health and Andy eventually found work outdoors at the Ashtabula docks. They shared 54 years together and joyfully danced through most of them; oh, how they danced!

Helen and Andy helped form the Mr. & Mrs. Club at St. Joseph's, which held formal dances throughout the year. Helen was a very active member of many ladies church groups at St. Joseph's, such as the Catholic Ladies of Columbia (CLC), Catholic Daughters, the Altar and Rosary Society and others. Helen provided CLC services such as washing and cleaning the pews, visiting the sick (homebound and hospitalized), and bringing necessities and gifts to them, especially at Christmas which were much appreciated and eagerly awaited during the War years. She also belonged to Catholic Daughters, a social group that enjoyed card playing and had a vibrant book club.

She also enjoyed her garden club. Helen helped at St. Joseph's church bazaars and in their kitchen all through the years at breakfasts, First Communions and other church events. She helped organize a St. Joseph's girls teen club along with Mrs. Dorothy Vettle and Mrs. Mary Beth Zabak, so mothers and daughters could share activities such as field trips and picnics. Helen coached girls basketball for St. Joseph Grade School.

During the war years, Helen excelled as a Red Cross nurse, impressing her supervisor with her knowledge, dedication and caring skills. In addition, she worked in a bayonet factory and served as a volunteer civil defense block warden. When the air raid sirens sounded for the "blackouts", Helen would don her steel hard-hat, grab her special flashlight and patrol her Lake Ave. neighborhood with another volunteer looking for any signs of light escaping the blackout curtains in nearby homes and alerting anyone with escaping light problems. Helen continued to the present day the tradition, which began during the war years, of eating meatless meals on Tuesday



In 1945, Helen heard the hymn, Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven), sung at Mass just before Regina was born in June and knew immediately that would be her child's name, as Helen had a loving devotion to the Blessed Virgin. Helen also lovingly cared for her parents and in-laws until they died. In 1951, Helen and Andy met the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) who came to St. Joseph as retreat facilitators. Before we knew it, the MSC requested Helen's help in training their cook, Brother Ukelman, on running their retreat house kitchen in Youngstown. Once she was employed (1951-53), the MSC were reluctant to let her go, but she left and went off to cook for the pastor of Mt. Carmel Church, Reverend Joseph Feicht (1953-59).

Finally, she cooked for St. John High School and St. John Convent from 1965-89. Helen was a gifted baker and both Helen and Andy were fabulous cooks. Every meal in their home was delicious, owing to their Hungarian and Slovak heritages. Their home was always a gathering place for family and friends. Helen cooked and baked as if praying, serene and sacred, never rushed or noisy.

It was beautiful to watch her roll out and cut her noodle dough which she continued making into her early 90's. When her husband suffered a debilitating accident while working at the docks and was in a half body cast for at least 6 months, Helen kept the family going by baking pies, pastries and wedding cakes for customers throughout Ashtabula all without the aid of an electric mixer. After this successful experience, Helen decided to open a bakery. The shop was ready to rent and all the equipment and supplies purchased, but just before the shop opening, their daughter, Marilyn, age 15, contracted polio and Helen lost all interest in her bakery. Helen was never in a quandry, or unsure of the proper action to take, she simply KNEW what was right and how to get it done, and carried on with her whole heart and soul. She always left things in God's hands.

Survived by her two daughters, Marilyn (Roy, deceased)) Katzmann of Ashtabula, Ohio and Regina (Russell) Callahan of Arlington, Va.; grandchildren, Sharon (Katzmann) Fenton, Andrew Katzmann, Cara Katzmann, Genea Callahan and Ryan Callahan; great-grandchildren, Joshua Fenton, Jordan Fenton, Terry Wurgler, Jamie Katzmann and Julie Wurgler; great-great-grandchildren, Robbie Rousch, Andrew Fenton, Jude Fenton, Triniti Wurgler, Courtney Wurgler and Cameron Wurgler; sibling, Ann (Kerekgyarto) Tickner; nieces, Patricia (Tickner) DiGiacomo, Priscilla (Simcsik) Schwenk and Karen Lanigan; nephews, John Simcsik, Craig Tickner, Tim Lanigan and Michael Lanigan; grand-nieces, Beverly Pierce, Sandy Klingler, Becky Eget, Allison Knapp, Stephanie (Simcsik) Kiphart, Robyn Schossler, Melissa (Tickner) Treece, Jennifer Tickner and Erin (Lanigan) Aasland; and grand-nephews, Paul Simcsik, Christopher DiGiacomo, Jason Schossler, Will DiGiacomo, Stephen DiGiacomo, Timothy Lanigan, Eric Lanigan and Matthew Lanigan.

She was predeceased by her husband, Andrew F. Tussy on Feb. 16, 1986; siblings, Eugene (stillborn), Stephen (died age 2), Marian (Keregyarto) Simcsik on July 7, 2000 and Irene (Keregyarto) Lanigan on Nov. 10, 1995; brothers-in-law, Paul Simcsik in July 1981, William Lanigan on Dec. 12,1969 and Robert Tickner on Feb. 24, 1978; son-in-law, Roy Katzmann on Sept. 4, 2008; nephew, Jeffrey Simcsik on March 28, 2010; and nieces, Beth DiGiacomo on June 1999 and Tatum Lanigan (died age 2, 1975).

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 27th, at GUERRIERO FUNERAL HOME, 1550 W. 19th St., Ashtabula, Ohio.

Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10 a.m., Thursday, June 28th, at Our Lady of Peace, St. Joseph Church, 3312 Lake Ave., Ashtabula, with the Rev. Raymond Thomas presiding. Interment will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery, W. 19th St. at Myrtle Ave., Ashtabula.

Memorial fund donations may be sent to Sts. John & Paul High School or the Knights of Columbus-Council 360 in the name of Helen Tussy.

Three words that sum up the life of Helen Tussy: Food, Dance, Pray.

Obituary and condolences at starbeacon.com.