Theresa Joan Kerestesy (1936 - 2022)

Born 3 Jul 1936 in Johnstown, Cambria, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Wife of Junior Lee Wine — married 9 Dec 1962 in Orlando, Orange, Florida, United States

Died 9 Aug 2022 at age 86 in Massillon, Stark, Ohio, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Chris Wine [send private message]

Joan (26) married Junior Lee Wine (33) (born on November 27, 1929 in Clarksburg, Harrison, West Virginia, United States; son of Ernie Lee Wine and Lena Leota (Forinash) Wine) on December 9, 1962 in Orlando, Orange, Florida, United States. Their children were:

• Sheryl Joan Wine (1962– )
• Christina Wine (1966– )

Biography

Joan Kerestesy was born in Appalachia, in Pennsylvania.

Written by her daughter Chris Wine wine-527. As always please excuses Chris's grammar as Joan, Chris's mom, always proof read anything she wrote. As she never claimed to be good as Grammar.

Joan always said she could write a book about all her adventures and neighbors she had during her, but some stories are best be left untold by thos writer.

Theresa Joan Kerestesy was born on July 3, 1936 in Johnstown, Cambria, Pennsylvania, United States, daughter of Andrew Kerestesy (1907–1995) and Theresa Komisar (1913–2006).

Joan growing up

Theresa Joan "Joan" grew up on Johnstown Pennsylvania. She grew up on Power Street and 5th ave. Near St Marys Byzantine Catholic church where she went to church at. She lived next store to grandma and grandpa Komisar.

In her later years, she would tell me stories about how her being the eldest, would be sent with a list of grocery to the corner store. She would take her little red wagon and she would pick up the groceries for mom.

There was one time she told me she was at the store and she heard the news on the radio that the war was over. She ran home and told her mom. "Mom, the war is over!'

Her mom said, "No, it's not" Joan said "Yes, it is. I heard it on the radio." Just then they heard bells ringing all over town. Her mom went to the door looked out and said to the neighbor "What's going on?' The neighbor said. "The war is over!"

I guess after that they got a radio. Joan always said come Lenten season her mother would go around the house turning off all the radios in the house because she thought you she be praying instead of listening to the radio. She would tell stories how she would sneak and listen to the radio when her mother was out of the house. She always knew to turn it off before her mom got home because she would be in trouble if caught with it on.

Sometime between 1945 and 1950, Joan's family moved up the mountain to Palmer Ave. Joan was not too pleased about this because all her friends were going to be going to the "other" school. She would be going to the competing school. The new home was up this big hill Joan called it. She always threaten Sheryl and Christina that she would let them off at the bottom of the hill and let them climb it.

During her Highschool years she would have to climb that hill everyday to come home from school. She would often say that her brother would ride home with his friends from school in a car and he would laugh at his sister watching her climb the hill. She said her home only missed the school by a few blocks to ride the school bus to and from the school. Her mother did give her money to ride the street car to school once she got to the bottom of the hill, but she wanted to save that money so she could buy some popcorn at the theater if she got to go to the theater the next weekend.

In high school, Joan participated in "Y-Teens" and the Chorus" She was also very active in the church. She loved singing in the jr chorus in church as well so so would not have to sit next to her mother in church. She also loved going to other churches with her friends as well. In high school Joan secretly wanted to be a fashion designer but her mother told her that only way she would pay for college is if she would become a teacher or a nurse so she decided to become a secretary.

While in Highschool Joan got herself a job as a salesclerk as she wanted to buy herself "pretty clothes" and "nice things" instead of going downstairs to the bargain department items to get her clothing as her mother do. She claimed her mother would buy her "Ugly Clothes" and "Ugly Shoes" It angered her mother as she wanted her home to her tend the younger children and helping the neighbors out for free.

1953-1954 Sales Clark for Grants Department Store (Selling Candy)

1955 - 1958 Clerk at Nation Radiator Corporation

After graduating from highshool and living at home at home for few years mom decided she had enough of Johnstown. She heard from a church friend that her roommate was moving out and she talked her mom into allowing her to move to Washington DC. Since her mother knew her and was good friend's with her mother she was allowed to as long as she would go to church on Sunday.

Living in DC

When Joan got to Washington DC she was in for a cultural shock. She was able to wear make-up and asked from service men. One of the first things she was shocked about was the amount of food she got when she went out to eat. In Johnstown she normally went to bars, movies, and to a church outing. In DC she was taken to fancy restruants. She told her daughter she was shocked by the size of a steak she got. At home her mother only gave her a small slice. At the restaurant you got big piece, She said she could not get over how big everything was.

In Washington DC she worked in a typing pool at the Department of Agriculture. She said she liked that job but didn't like it when she made a typo because she had to do the paper all over again because there was no way to correct it without retyping it.

After a few bad snowstorms in Washington DC Joan decided she had enough of it. She left the cold weather and the snow and moved to Florida.

Life in Florida

Life in Florida was great. Life in Florida was warm. Joan lived in Orlando before Disney ever existed. With the nearest beach a little over an hour away she loved going to the beach on her days off.

The only person who was not happy about this was her mother, she would have preferred her to move back home. Joan continued her promise and went to church every Sunday to a Greek Orthodox Mission Church that was nearby.

In Florida she had the opportunity to work as a secretary for the Airforce. She enjoyed that job as she got to meet all kinds of young men and was asked on all kinds on dates. Then one day a young man came into the office one day and asked her on a date. He wanted to go out on a Sunday but Joan told him that that if he wanted to date her, he would have to wait till she got home from church or come to church with her. He decided to take her to church.

She finally found a guy to take her to church on Sunday. They started dating. Later on she found out that he could fix things as well. Things were looking up. They soon fell in love and got married. December 9, 1961. Sheryl was born in Orlando a year later.

After living in Orlando, both Lee and Joan moved to Titusville as Lee didn't like the one-hour commute every day to the Cape. That was when Christina was born, but since there was no hospital on Titusville, she was born Orlando as well. They lived there till 1969, when IBM transferred him to Apex, North Carolina.

Life in Apex, North Carolina

Joan and Lee moved into a nice new neighborhood. At that time Apex was a small town. It was one of the towns that reminded you of "Mayberry." Most of and the streets were paved, and you walked on wooden planks when you visited downtown. At that time Lee worked at IBM and Joan sold Avon and volunteered at the school. When the opportunity came for Lee to move to Canton, Ohio Lee and Joan grabbed the deal as they both would be closer to home.

One of the problems she had was getting the mail in Johnstown. The mailman in in Apex didn't like delivering the mail to the ladies on Maple Avenue at all. He would go along the road and measure your mailbox if the Mailbox was not high enough or too low, he would not deliver the mail. If you did not have a letter in your box, he did not deliver your mail. So, the ladies of Maple Avenue device a plan, if one saw the mailman they would let another neighbor know then they would call to the next person then all the ladies would run down the street after the mailman to get their mail. The mailman also liked to read your magazines, newspapers and mail if it seemed interesting. She discovered it when she would get newspapers from different cities than her news Johnstown. The container said it was from Johnstown, but the paper was not from Johnstown,.

Life in Canton, Ohio

In August of 1972 they moved into a new house. Joan didn't like the house at ll. Especially it being on a main street. She feared that her younger daughter (age 5) Christina would run out onto the street. She especially didn't like the green carpet in the bedroom. Lee promised her that would be the first carpet to be replaced. Fifty-two years later the carpet has yet to be replaced. One day it will be replaced, but who knows when that will be. Sadly, Joan will never get to see that dreaded green carpet replaced as it outlived her.

The first job Joan had to do when she moved to Canton was getting the girls registered for school. Sheryl was no problem. She had attended school before, and she would be in the fifth grade. However, Christina had never been to school, such had attended a private Kindergarten at the age of 4. When the principal asked Christina would she like to go to kindergarten of 1st grade and daughter said Kindergarten. Joan would have like to have died she wanted to get rid of both her girls for the whole day. In the end it was probably for the best. As her daughter would have been the youngest and would have eventually been held back a year to catch up academically.

Joan loved living in Ohio. Earlier in her life she was active in the PTA, room mother for her daughter Christina. and Girl Scout Troup Leader. She took her girls to swim lessons and made sure they went to Sunday School when they were younger. She also supported her husband being an Orthodox Priest and went with him when he served at other churches when the priest was ill or on vacation.

Visiting Johnstown

If you had to guess, I would have to say Joan biggest enjoyment was being able to be with in a 4 1/2-hour drive to her parents. She loved visiting them and her sisters and brother. At first, she visited them on all the major holiday except for Christmas because of the snow.

There was one December that Joan was really looking forward to the church was having a big dance Saturday night. While Joan was doing the dishes with her sisters,= == Lee comes storming into the Kitchen saying, "Joan pack your bags we are going home".

Joan looked at Lee, "What do you mean we are going home we have a dance to go to Saturday night"

"Lee said back to her, "There is a Snow Storm on the way"

Joan bed didn't believe him and watched the weather, within one hour the car was load and packed. Lee said; to Joan "No drink or food for the kids because there will be no stopping till we get home"

On the way home there was one stop because Christina had to go to the bathroom. As they were pulling in the driveway the snow was starting. By morning they had received over 16 inches of snow, by Monday the total storm accumulation was over 24 inches of snow.

After that Lee started the no more gong to Johnstown rule after Thanksgiving till Easter. He kept to that rule for a long time to.

After, her husband Lee got too sick to drive to Pennsylvania and after he had passed, she would tell stories of her growing up to Christina (Chris) when they would drive to Pennsylvania.

Joan's Hobbies

Joan also had loved planting and taking care of her garden. The garden started out small till eventually it took up the back yard. She worked hard on the garden and canned and froze many vegetables. for her family to eat during the winter to eat. She said her favorite part of the garden was the everyone would hide and leave her alone when she was in the garden because they didn't want to help her and either wanted to play or watch TV.

One activity Joan loved to do was reading. She loved her paper. When she first moved out, she would get the Johnstown paper so she would get the news in Johnstown. She kept that up until she moved to Carolina, when she started to have problems with her newspaper.

Mary, Mother of Jesus

Mary

The final year she entered items was the year before Covid hit (2019) was the year she won Best of Show for Antiques. She was really proud of her win that year. It was an Icon of the Virgin Mary, that someone gave her husband, a long time ago. The Icon was an original painted in the late 19th century and blessed by a Metrepolitan of Russia. It was smuggled over the border by a Bishop of the church as many of the churches were being burnt to the ground at that time.

Joan Goes on Vacation

One thing that Joean enjoyed was going places. When she was in DC she enjoyed going to the various Museums, Churches, and she even went to the Kennedy Center a few times. In Orlando she went the beaches.

When she had children she had to give up her mini vacations till her children got older so once a year her and Lee would take the girls up the Appalachian trail to Clarksburg, West Virginia and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Which she described as almost pure torture with having to cart up two small children all the way to Clarksburg and Johnstown before they had convivence of the Highway system of 77. In today's time the drive would take close to 12 hours just to get to Clarksburg and another 2 1/2 hours. Forget the comfort of disposable diapers they were just becoming popular, Sheets, blankets, and towels were another item that had to be added to the car as "Toots" Lee new Stepmother would not provide sheets for her Stepson and his family. Bottles and Baby food was also a must because you never knew if you could find baby food. There was no McDonalds or Burger Kind of the up or back everywhere you went as the old fashion sit down restaurant, if you had to go to the bathroom, you either had to go out behind the tree or in outhouse out behind the gas station; hopefully, you didn't forget that scratchy toilet paper or you would be using that leaf off a tree. On the way back home to Florida or North Carolina Joan would talk about how they would always try to leave early enough to miss the convoy of army trucks headed south for the summer. She claimed the line of trucks would last for "miles" and they would "always get behind them.

They did not live very long in North Carolina to do too much but with Sheryl being so much old older than Christina it was hard for her to take family out much. Her and Lee did take their children to the North Carolina State Fair, local parks, and to visit their cousin that lived on a base, but mostly they played with the neighborhood children.

Day Trips

When they moved to Ohio, and the girls got older Joan started pushing Lee to take the girls to more places. Lee was more of homebody person he liked to stay at home, where Joan preferred to go places. Every summer IBM, where lee worked, had a picnic for all the IBM'ers to go to the all the parks. They would go to Geauga Lake, Sea World, Cedar Point, and other Parks. Joan and Lee would also took them to the Cleveland Zoo, King's Island, and to some local parks. During the summer Joan took them to the local Mckinely Museum and showed them where President Mckiney was buried and allowed them to run up the numerous steps while she walked up behind them. She even took them to the Pro Football Hall of Fame a few times and well and the Stark County Fair.

To Clarksburg

The annual Memorial Day trip continued but just to Clarksburg WV this time to put flowers on the graves, for Lee family. One day would be spent driving to the Newville Cemetary in Braxton County, West Virginia. to and back agai. Then when they got back the family would always get hotdogs, which was the one thing she disliked because she didn't like coney sauce on hotdogs she like sauerkraut instead.

To Johnstown

She preferred going to Johnstown instead. Where she could visit her sisters and her mom. She would go there for most holidays except during winter. She didn't like how much trouble her youngest daughter would get into, but this author wonders if she often chuckled at some of the stunts she pulled while she was at grandma's house. While in Johnstown, Joan and Lee did take the Girls and often their cousin Caula to various places like the Incline Plane, Flood Museum, Seldom Seen Mine, some parks.

To Orlando Florida

Joan and Lee did take some family vacations. They did take the girls to Walt Disney world, Tampa, Kennedy Space Center, and to the Beach. Most of the time they spent visiting their friends. Joan felt bad for the girls as she knew they didn't want to sit and listen to their parents talk and catch up. She knew her older daughter would be okay because she liked reading books but her youngest had problems sitting still. Lee did make sure that he stop by Joan favorite Deli so she could have her favorite pickles, As at this restaurant you could have as many pickles as you wanted. They did this a few times as both Joan and Lee enjoyed visiting their friends in Florida and they were able to stay down there for free as they always stayed with friends.

To Bulgaria

In 1978, the Bishop invited Joan and Fr David Wine (Lee) to Bulgaria for a private tour of his country. Now the was a big honor especially since the was still under communist control. Give her girls ages (Sheryl 16, Chris 12) she decided to leave them was their grandparents even though they were invited. Especially since she knew her youngest was not interested in visiting churches all day long.

They were told to be careful what to pack as Custom had a habit of steal what was in your baggage and to bring along some cash in case you need to bribe them. You also had to bring your own toilet paper in case the hotel didn't have any.

Her biggest shock to visiting the country were the bathrooms. Right before you went in you had to buy some toilet paper and you only got one sheet. When you tried to give them more money for more sheets, they would not take it, and they would tell her. "nyama vece" (No more)

On the weekend she described the people would climb the mountains taking young children to be baptized in the church. When they asked about it. They were told if the Government found that they took their children to church to be baptized they would lose their jobs. The churches were beautiful decorated with icons about Jesus's live, and church was more for just going to communion than staying for church as again they didn't want the Government to find out they went to church.

Joan described the trip as nice and she as glad she took the trip. She learned a lot about the country. She loved visiting the churches and museums. She also got to meet the Metropolitain of the Bulgarian Diocesans again and several Bishops. One of her last days in the country she was a bit disappointed because while she was visiting the embassy and being served Bulgarian food. The lady of the house was serving hotdogs to her children and all Joan wanted was a hotdog.

Years later she did admit to being worried being in a communist countries as they were warned to watch they say and do as they could be arrested. Before they went overseas they had seen an attorney giving custody of the their children to Joans parents in case something would to them behind the iron curtian. They did admit parts of it were scary as they did see soldier carrying high power riffles everywhere, bob wire was protecting secure Government areas. Luckily, they were under the protection of the Metropolitan Joseph and hekept them safe. It was an unsafe time between America and Sovieit Union.

To New Orleans

In 1992 the family decided to go to New Orleans. This time Joan allowed Chris to plan the trip. She enjoyed watching her daughter plan the trip. Her daughter listed everything they could do to and from New Orleans and then she worked out the way they would go. Joan enjoyed the trip. Years later Joan and Chris enjoyed watching the video of the trip they made. Joan really enjoyed the museums and the various homes they went to see.

Over the trip, she got to see many attractions including Mud Island, The Patton Museum, Bourbon Street, a Corvette Factory, Mammoth Cave, and a Coke Museum. Joan was happy that the family had a good time.

The Canadian Cruise

At home when Joan finished reading her newspapers for the day, she liked sitting down in the family room and watching movies or TV shows. One of her favorite TV series she liked happened to be Anne of Green Gables. She had read that book when she was growing up and now seeing it on TV brought back memories. Seeing Prince Edward Island and other parts of Canada on TV made her want to see Canada herself day.

One day, while exploring ways to get to Prince Edward Island (PEI)Chris found a cruise that went to PEI Island. So, Joan and Chris decided they would go a cruise to the Island. Neither her or her daughter had ever been on cruise, and they were both looking forward to it. They were at Quebec City, PEI, Sydney, Halifax, Bar Harbor, and end in Boston.

Joan had a great time with her daughter on the cruise. They mostly ate on the Lido Deck and a few times in the Main Dining room. In the evenings they took in the show and walked around the various decks to see what was going on.

During the days when there was a stop, they took on an excursion. Yes, it was more expensive but this way they knew they would be back on time to get the boat. Joan loved all the tours. She especially loved the fact that neither of us had to drive to and from the place and find the parking, everything was taken care of for us. The midnight chocolate buffet as also nice.

Alaskans Cruise

Another place the Joan wanted to visit was Alaska. She has heard so much about it and what a beautiful state it was. In 2013 Joan and Chris booked themselves a Chis to Alaska on Holland America. Joan did tell Christ she would have to raise the money for it and she did by subbing for a variety school districts in the area. They would leave the last week of September as it would be the cheapest time to go.

This time they would be gone for eight nights staying over the first night in Seattle. Joan and Chris decided to let the cruise line take care of everything since they wanted to mae sure they got to the boat in time especailly since they didn't know they were going. Coming from the small town of Canton, Ohio, neither of them couldn't get over how big Seattle was. The port was huge. Then came th ebig disappointment they would not be stopping at Sitka, This was the one place Joan and Chris wanted to stop at to see the first Orthodox Church in America. Sadly there was a storm at sea and the port was closed due to hazardous sea conditionsd. So the cruise line rearrange the ittenerary around a bit and we would be staying at Victoria Canada longer.

Booking through AAA allowed us to get one speciality dinner at Pinnacle Grill. Unforunataty all the dinner slots were taken and we did lunch there. That as an amzaing expereince. They both got the Fillet Melion Steaks Dinners. After Dinner they both had a delicious dessert.

They saw many things in Alaska they got to see the Inside passage, Mendenall Glacier, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, Victoria Canada, totem poles and Butchart Gardens. The shopping was amazing as well, as most places were having clarence sales because they wanted to get ride of their stock for the season.

Niagara Falls

Her last vacation she went on was to Niagara Falls. She had gone there a few times when she was a young girl\s when she was visiting relatives in Canada, she could not believe change in the place and how commercialize it had gotten. This time her other daughter Sheryl had the opportunity to take time off to go with Chris and Joan. This time they had rented a scooter for Joan to use. Joan had a great time on this vacation. She enjoyed seeing all the sites. Best of all she was able to move around in her scooter and didn't have to depend on someone else pushing her in the wheelchair.

The Church

If I had the to guess, Joan's biggest enjoyment out of life was the church. She just loved Jesus and what he stood for. She loved The Christian Eastern Orthodox Church. She had been a member since she had been a young child. She sang in the church choir as soon as she was old enough to do so. She once said she started doing this because she wanted to get away from her mom's eyes. At that time, they had a youth choir, and they were often invited to go to other churches and sing and enjoyed that.

When she moved away, she had promised she would continue to go to church, and she did. When she moved to a new town, one of the first things she did was find a church. She just loved the tradition loved the music.

When she married her husband, she got him to join the church and when he became a priest, she supported him, when she had children, and her husband was filling in for other priest encouraged her children would go to Sunday School wherever they were at.

When she could no longer attend because she was taking care of her husband, she would watch church on Chris's laptop at home. She never missed a Sunday. When Lee was in the hospital, she would have Chris bring her computer and she would watch it with her husband in the hospital.

After her husband had passed, she continued to watch, yes partially it was because it was her home church. Often, she would get to see her family there, but thing it brought back fond memories of when she was young child.

In 2014, when Joan had her Stroke Chris made sure Joan listen to church while she was on the Ventilator for five months. Chris knew she would want this, so she did it. There was no denying it Joan committed her life to God, she was kind to everyone she met and never said anything negative about anyone.

Orthodox Holidays

Even though Joan would deny it. She loved decorating for the holidays especially in her younger years. Every item had it special place too, and when her younger daughter took over and placed the item in a different place, she would let her daughter know and she would have her correct it or she would do it herself. Her favorite holiday was Orthodox Easter. She loved the food and the tradition. She would spend the week before Easter cooking food and getting it ready for the holiday. She didn't care if her kids didn't care for the food, she liked it and she would eat it.

Her favorite foods would include such things as: Ham, Kielbasa, Hard Boiled Eggs, Butter, Salt, Red Horseradish, Hrudka (cheese made from eggs). She would put this in a basket that she got from her Godmother that her Godmother made when she lived in Czechoslovakia, and the cloth on top of it was hand woven.

Another part she liked about Orthodox Easter was going to church on Easter Sunday and listening to the Choir sing "Christ is Risen" in various tones of the church in English and in Russian.

Another holiday she enjoyed was St Nicholas Day as she enjoyed listening to the St Nicholas song in Russian. She tried teaching her girls to singing it once, but it didn't turn out too well because she didn't practice it enough with them to since the sing.

Joan sadly died on August 12, 2022, in Massillon Ohio at the age of 86. She had fallen asleep that night and never woke up. Her Obituary read.

Theresa Joan (Kerestesy) Wine, age 86 of Massillon, passed away early Friday, August 12, 2022. Born in Johnstown, PA., to the late Andrew and Theresa (Komisar) Kerestesy, she was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years the Very Rev. Fr. David Wine. Joan was a 1954 graduate of Johnstown High School and a very active member of St. Mary Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Church in Akron. She was a member of the Girl Scouts and a troop leader.

She is survived by her daughters Sheryl (George) Shrader, Christina Wine both of Massillon, brother Fred (Mary) Kerestesy, sisters Marie (Very Rev. Fr. John) Brancho, Evelyn (Frank) Rolley, numerous nieces, nephews and several fur babies.

Family and friends will be received on Tuesday from 5 to 7 pm at the Rossi Family Funeral Home (730 30th St. N.W., Canton, OH. 44709) and Wednesday from 10 to 11 am at Holy Assumption Orthodox Church (2027 18th St. N.E., Canton, OH. 44705). A Panakhida service will be held at 11:00 am in church on Wednesday, with Rev. Fr. John Kennerk officiating. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, 10:00 am, at Christ the Saviour Orthodox Cathedral (300 Garfield St., Johnstown, PA. 15906), with the Very Rev. Protopresbyter Robert Buczak officiating. Family and friends will be received one hour before services. Interment will be in Benchoff Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of your choice.

Sources

• 1940 US Census Record for Cambria County

"United States Census, 1940", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQXB-3WG : Fri Mar 08 16:59:47 UTC 2024), Entry for Andrew Kerestery and Theresa Kerestesy

1950 US Census for Cambria County

• "United States Census, 1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XBL-6Z27 : Wed Mar 20 06:42:02 UTC 2024), Entry for T Joan Kerestery and Frederick J Kerestery, 10 April 1950.

1953 Johnstown City Directory

• https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/182724593:2469?tid=&pid=&queryId=39d2848f-8ce6-4f1f-89c1-a27883ec36d7&_phsrc=OwC3145&_phstart=successSourcethe New

• Joan Wine Obituary
  • https://www.rossifuneralhomeinc.com/obituary/Theresa-Wine