Margarite Chest

Margarite "Maggie" Palmiero Chest, age 96, of Meadville, PA passed away on Tuesday, September 30, 2014 at the Marquette Hospice House. She formerly lived on Pennsylvania Avenue for 69 years. She made her home with her daughter, Betty for two years, on Doughty Road, Meadville, PA. Margaret was born a twin on February 6, 1918 in Meadville, PA the daughter of the late Antonio Palmiero and Angiolina Massaro Palmiero. Margaret's twin brother, Andre, lived only a few months and developed flu complications and passed away. Margaret survived. Margaret married James (Vincent DiCesare) Chest at St. Mary's Church on April 3, 1937 with Salvatore Papandrea, Pastor. James preceded her in death on July 4, 2005. Margaret was a member of St. Mary of Grace Church, Meadville. She graduated from Meadville Schools. At the age of 18, she worked with her mother at her Mother's and Father's business, called " The Ritz", in Fifth Ward, making meatballs and sauce and spaghetti to serve to Viscose worker's on their way home after work. That is where she met her husband, James Chest. She married him two years later. They had four children together. It was the Depression Era and very hard times. While she was raising four children and her husband was working at Meadville Mallable, there was not enough money to make ends meet, so she had to go out and find a job. She worked as a Nurse's Aid at Spencer Hospital. Over the years, she had worked at a shoe store in downtown Meadville, at Sandy's Paint and Wallpaper Store in Meadville, at the Shryocks, in Meadville, binding rugs, at the Shoe Lok Factory in Meadville and at Westinghouse, before it became Seco Warwick, in Meadville. She also was an Avon lady. Her last employment was at Talon Plant 5 and 7 in Meadville, where she retired after many years. After her retirement, she traveled on cruises with her husband. She loved to hunt and fish and camp. Her real passion, besides her family, was to go deer, turkey, rabbit, squirrel, dove and duck hunting. She also trapped and sold fox furs, mink and coon skins. She loved to tramp the woods looking for the herb, Ginseng and sell its roots. She enjoyed cooking, baking, canning and sharing it all with others. Vegetable gardening was her specialty; especially growing from her own traditional Italian pepper seeds, which her nephews and daughter would save the seeds as has been done for over 70 years and more and carry on that tradition that she so diligently did. She loved her flower gardens, rock gardens, her pond she built and her frog, Wilbur. She enjoyed watching the Cleveland Indians baseball games with her husband, Jim. She still watched them and could still call the games by balls, strikes, fouls and hits very accurate. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt and friend with an enormous energy and love of life. She was blessed with a long healthy life and she inspired us all. She was a member of the Vernon Central Fire Hall and a lifetime member of the Vernon Volunteers Fire Hall. She loved to play cards with her sister every Sunday at Liz Froncillo's house or Grace Peterson's house. She was the last living sibling of Antonio and Angiolina Palmiero Margaret is survived by her daughter; Betty Bayer, her son; William Chest (Luann McDaniel), daughter; Donna Dearborn (Danny) all of Meadville, eight grandchildren; Robert M. Bayer (Nancy Bodner) of Meadville, Debbie Eger (Ray) of Meadville, Dianna Paris (Brian) of South Carolina, James Chest Jr. (Brenda) of Meadville, Kim Siegel (Jack) of Meadville, Mark Chest of Meadville, Laurie Dover of Oklahoma,, and Stephanie Bradley of Meadville, PA, seven great-grandchildren; Natasha Eger, Anthony Paris, Bobby Bayer Jr., Jimmy Chest Jr., Jessica Chest, Justin Dover and Lisa Dover. She is further survived by several nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and her husband of 68 years, she was preceded in death by a son, James Chest, her infant twin brother, Andre and six brothers, Sam Palmiero, Mike Palmiero, Henry Palmiero, Anthony Palmiero, Patsy Palmiero and Joe Palmiero, five sisters, Theresa Petruolo, Elizabeth Allegretti, Rose Thomas, Grace Peterson, and Phyliss Main. Family and friends may call on Thursday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 PM at the Hatheway-Tedesco Funeral Home & Crematory, 614 Baldwin Street, Meadville, PA. Family and friends are invited to attend the funeral services on Friday at 11 AM at the funeral home with Father Matthew Kujawinski, officiating. Maggie will be laid to rest beside her husband Jim in the Mausoleum at St. Brigid Cemetery, West Mead Township. Memorials can be made to the Marquette Hospice House, 464 Pine Street, Meadville, PA 16335 Please sign the online guestbook at hatheway-tedesco.com Arrangements have been entrusted to the Hatheway-Tedesco Funeral Home & Crematory, 614 Baldwin Street, Meadville, PA 16335