Cecelia "Cel" (Sala) Tonecha, 93, of Valley Inn, Monongahela, went to be with the Lord on Monday, November 4, 2019. She passed in the arms of her devoted daughter Nancy, who was her caretaker for many years. Cel was born on Keenan Hill, New Eagle on the Sala farm, a daughter of Joseph and Zofia Mirocha Sala. Coming from a family of 11 children, Cel quit school in 8th grade to help work on the Sala family farm. She cared for six brothers and her father when her mother passed away at a young age. At the age of seventeen, she went to work as Rosie the Riveter during WWII in the open hearth at Donora Zinc Works, where she had to wear wooden shoes 3" thick so that her feet did not catch on fire. Cel married Rudolph "Big Rudy" Tonecha on April 15, 1950. She was the last survivor of the women from Valley Inn who founded the Valley Inn Volunteer Fire Dept. Ladies Auxiliary and also volunteered and was one of the founders of Valley Inn Helping Hands group. She worked as a baker, making her "eye-opener" pies at Hill's Restaurant and the Bentleyville Truck Stop.
A very active member of St. Damien (Transfiguration) Church and was Vice President/ President of it's Altar Rosary Christian Mothers for over eight years. After years of hand frying donuts at the church, she decided to buy a donut machine and her "World Famous" donuts are still enjoyed today.
She was a quiet, humble, hard-worker that enjoyed being creative making porcelain dolls, ceramics, baking forty trays of Christmas cookies and Easter lamb cakes to give away, baking pies and preparing family meals everyday. She also enjoyed playing bingo, cards, sewing, crocheting, making crafts and was chosen by QVC for one of her creations.
She is survived by two daughters, Dr. Nancy King, Ed.D., Marlene (Bob) Lombardi, all of Monongahela; two granddaughters, Kimberly and Melissa;
two great grandchildren; brother, Joseph (Bernice) Sala of Donora; sister-in-law, JoAnn Sala of Monongahela; many nieces, nephews and Godchildren.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Rudolph "Big Rudy" Tonecha who died April 25, 1993; five brothers, Kasmier (Kas), John, Alex, Henry and Stanley Sala; and four sisters, Julia Bostek, Violet Jackson, Jennie Pucel and Antoinette "Nettie" Bewick.
Friends will be received on Thursday, November 7, 2019 from 2-4 and 6-8 PM in the Frye Funeral Home Inc., 427 West Main Street, Monongahela. A mass of Christian burial will be celebrated on Friday, November 8, 2019 at 10:00 AM in St. Damien of Molokai Church. Committal services and interment will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Monongahela.