Nettie Brutka Juvancic

NILES - Nettie Juvancic, 95, of McKinley Heights, passed away Tuesday morning, Jan. 24, 2017, at her home surrounded by her loving family.

Nettie was born Sept. 3, 1921, a daughter of the late Mike and Mary Sennyk Brutka, and was born in, raised in, and was a lifelong resident of McKinley Heights. 

She was a member of St. Rose Church in Girard. Nettie was also a member of Slovenian Lodge, No. 643, and of Slovenian Women’s Union, Branch No. 55.

Nettie played accordion, and years ago she played with the Joe Umek Orchestra. She also played in a band with her sister, Anne Miller. Nettie continued playing her accordion throughout her life, and she loved entertaining her sisters by playing music on her back porch in the summer.

Nettie also loved to cook, and her Sunday dinners were like a banquet every weekend. Her specialties were homemade pierogies, German potato salad, and pineapple squares, and she especially loved feeding her grandchildren.

Nettie’s husband of 59 years, John Juvancic Jr., whom she married July 27, 1940, passed away Nov. 13, 1999.

She is survived by a son, Jamie Juvancic, and a daughter, Lindy (Jay) Nichols of McKinley Heights; three grandchildren, Jennifer (Brian) Burke of Howland, Jamilyn (Aaron) Pounds of McKinley Heights, and Jonathan (Ashley) Juvancic of Willoughby; seven great-grandchildren, of whom she was very proud, Alexis and Arianna Pounds, Molly and Katie Burke, and Jaden, Jacob and Julia Juvancic; three sisters, Rose Leskovec and Minya (Carl) DeMas of McKinley Heights, and Dorothy Basilone of Hermitage, Pa.; and many nieces and nephews, whom she loved dearly.

Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by four sisters, Katie Kocjan, Anne Miller, Jaye Pryor, and Tish Yourchisin; two brothers, Raymond Brutka and John “Bert” Brutka, who was killed on Normandy Beach during World War II; and an infant sister, Julia.

Family and friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 26, at Kinnick Funeral Home, 222 S. State St., Girard.

Funeral services will begin at 10:30 a.m., Friday, Jan. 27, at the funeral home and will continue with a Mass of Christian Burial to be celebrated at 11 a.m. at St. Rose Church, 48 E. Main St., Girard.

Interment will follow at Girard Union Cemetery, where Nettie will be laid to rest next to her husband.

In lieu of flowers, Nettie’s family requests memorial contributions be made to Hospice of the Valley, 5190 Market St., Youngstown, OH 44512.