Cornelia Jane Stella, 91, formerly of Clearfield, passed on to God’s loving care on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at the Silver Lake Nursing Center in Bristol with family by her side.
Mrs. Stella was born in Bloomington on May 14, 1925, the daughter of Hans and Lillian (Osman) Hanson.
Before marriage, she worked at the Airplane Marine factory making parachutes for the World War II effort.
She worked in later years at Natoli’s Restaurant in Clearfield and at the Acme Markets in Morrisville. She later moved to the Philadelphia area to be near her children.
She was a member of the St. Francis Roman Catholic Church of Clearfield.
She leaves to mourn her loss two daughters and two sons, all of whom she loved and visited often, Patricia Lyons (John) of Burlington, NJ, Mary Lou Graves (Robert) of Morrisville, Joseph Stella of Levittown and William Stella (Dr. Marta Jimenez) of Elverson.
She also leaves behind five grandchildren, all of whom she was very proud of, Wendy Maldonado D’Amico (Michael) of East Greenwich, RI, Nancy Maldonado Markert (Keith) of St. John, Ind., and Ashley Graves, Amanda Graves (her fiancé, Casey Smith) and Brian Graves, all of Morrisville, and two great-grandchildren, both of whom she adored, Angela Patricia of East Greenwich, RI and Emma Rose of Morrisville.
She also leaves behind her most cherished sister, Annabelle Evans of Clearfield; several beloved nieces and nephews; a daughter-in-law, Shirley Stella; and extended family in Italy. She will be sorely missed by her special friend, William Daniel Miller.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, James Stella, to whom she was married March 7, 1948 and who died Feb. 8, 1993; her beloved son, Edward Vaughn Stella in 2003; and an infant sister, Marion Louise Hanson.
Mrs. Stella dedicated herself to raising her family and being a homemaker. She enjoyed sewing, decorating her home and traveling.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be said at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the St. Francis Roman Catholic Church of Clearfield with Father Brandon Kleckner as celebrant. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery.
Friends will be received from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Monday and from 9 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Bennett & Houser Funeral Home Inc. of Clearfield.
The family wishes to thank Compassionate Care Hospice for its kindness and care.
Memorial contributions may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.
To send online tributes go to www.bennettandhouser.com or www.mem.com.