Fraternity-Testvériség, 1986 (64. évfolyam, 1-3. szám)
1986-04-01 / 2. szám
Page 6 TESTVÉRISÉG BENEDEK JÓZSEF 1912-1985 Arról a vidékről származott, ahonnan a legtöbb Amerikába vándorolt magyar: a Szabolcs megyei Tiszaágtelken született 1912-ben. Gyermek volt még, mikor édesanyjával és testvérével kijött apjához a pennsylvániai Leechburgba. 1953 és 1968 között a Református Egyesület körzeti, majd a nyugati kerület szorgalmas, eredményes szervezője volt. Ekkor szerzett diplomát, amelynek alapján a United Church of Christ lelkésszé szentelte. Előbb segédlelkészi szolgálatot végzett Ravenna, Ohioban. Első magyar gyülekezete a michigani Kalamazoo volt 1970 és 1975 között. Onnan Gary, Indianaba került. Négy évi szolgálat után a Johnstown-Windber-Vintondale-i parókiára hívták meg, ahol hűséggel, eredménye- nyesen szolgált hét esztendeig. 1985. október 30-án halt meg. Koporsóját tizenkét palástos szolgatársa vette körül. A vigasztalás igéit Bertalan Imre, a Református Egyesület elnöke és Farkas Sándor youngstowni lelkész hirdették gyászoló családjának és gyülekezetének. Édesapja mellé temettük el a leechburgi temetőben. Emlékét szeretettel őrizzük szívünkben. Novak Miklós JOSEPH E. BENEDEK 1935-1986 Joseph E. Benedek was the son of the Rev. Joseph Benedek and Mrs. Irene Benedek (born Takach). He was born in 1935 in Warren, Ohio and lived all of his life there. He graduated in 1954 from the Bazetta High School. Then for 25 years he worked at the Republic Steel in Warren, retiring in 1979. The life of Joseph Benedek was intertwined with the life of the Hungarian Reformed/Presby- terian Church, and the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America. As long as the Hungarian Reformed Church existed in Warren he was there as a member and a faithful elder. When that church ceased to exist he came over to the South Side Presbyterian Church in Niles, Ohio, and as a hardworking member and elder he was active here until his death. He often did ministerial work also. The last time he substituted for several months in the Hungarian Reformed Church of Johnstown, PA, after the death of his father, the Rev. Joseph Benedek, Sr. And many time he was substituting in the South Side Presbyterian Church in Niles, when the pastor could not hold the worship service for some reason. But he was wellknown also far beyond the Mahoning Valley. As a life-long worker, branch manager, representative and in the last two years director of the Hungarian Reformed Federation he was known far and wide in the Hungarian community in the United States. His father was a good worker of the Federation, and Joe joined that work still in his early youth. It proved to be a lifelong commitment. He worked over three decades for the Hungarian Reformed Federation. He lived for the Federation. His everyday life centered around the Federation, and the Federation carried a great importance also in his future plans. We can say that he was faithful to his Hungarian Reformed heritage and the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America unto death. Joseph E. Benedek is survived by his wife, the former Nancy Miller; his mother Mrs. Irene Benedek, of Mantua, Ohio; two sons, Joseph of Warren and Michael at home; two daughters Mrs. Charles (Suzette) Aldridge of Warren, and Amy, at home. He is also survived by three grandchildren; his brother, Robert of Inglewood, Fla.; and one sister, Mrs. Yolanda Grubaugh of Mantua. He was called home by Almighty God on March 12, funeral services were held in the Niles South Side Presbyterian Church on March 15. Four ministers attended: Rev. A. Csaba Orosz the local minister, The Rev. Sándor Farkas of Youngstown Hungarian Presbyterian Church, the Rev. Paul Kovács, administrator of the Bethlen Home, Ligonier, PA, and the Rev. Zoltán Szucs of the Hungarian Reformed Church of Lorain, Ohio. It was National Sales Director, Mr. Joseph Tegze who expressed the condolances of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America. Rev. Csaba Orosz
