Olive Ann Coneybeer

Olive Ann (Plesko) Coneybeer passed away peacefully at her home on Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at the age of 95. Olive, known to some as “Ollie”, was born March 22, 1928, in Duquesne at the Oliver Hotel, which her parents ran at the time, hence the name.

Daughter to European immigrants, Rita and Charles Plesko, Ollie was one of 12 and permanently wore rose colored glasses throughout her life. Ollie grew up in Roscoe, PA, traveled the world with her family and moved to Santa Fe after World War II with her beloved husband, George, before settling down in Rostraver, PA, where they built their dream home at Cedar Creek farm in 1970. Ollie had an endless love for animals, and the farm created the perfect landscape to house everything from horses, cows, chickens and ducks to the natural wildlife that she claimed as her own to love. Ollie and George were the proud owners of Cedar Creek Construction Company which employed their children, nephews, and close friends for 30 years up until the late 90s.

There’s so many ways but yet so few to put into words the amount of kindness that could exist in one persons heart. Ollie was an artist at heart, a skilled seamstress, embroiderer, musician, bull fighter, painter, wood worker and homemaker. Ollie held multiple jobs throughout her younger years before assuming a new role of motherhood to her 4 children, Bern, Christine, Barbara and Charles. Obviously a multifaceted woman, she answered to many names but most significantly, she eventually earned the endearing title of Grammy. Throughout her life, Grammy excelled in the art of nurturing and loving her grandchildren, a role that defined her in the most profound way. With constant affection and kindness, she enveloped them, allowing each one to flourish as an individual. She recognized the uniqueness of each and helped them find their space in the world. The Cedar Creek farm transformed into a limitless playground for the kids, where imagination and curiosity thrived amongst the animals she loved so dearly. Grammy was always present, wholeheartedly supporting their mischievous adventures. The season of Christmas beckoned a house overflowing with presents and beloved family members, while Thanksgiving never passed without a full house of gratefulness. If luck smiled upon you, you would know that breakfast soup was the norm each morning, and a swift ride on the golf cart from the bus stop was an afternoon certainty. Handstands in the kitchen were a given, and tea parties on the patio were a must.

Grammy may have been the originator of the unshakeable "I can do that" spirit that courses through her family's veins. This notion became evident when she apprehensively believed that the boys might return empty-handed from a hunting trip years ago. To remedy this, she positioned a shotgun outside her kitchen window, successfully procuring a couple of rabbits, which she promptly prepared for dinner upon their return. Her tenacity shone even brighter in her later years when, against all reason, she decided to clean out her gutters personally at the age of 85 and didn’t see anything wrong with climbing trees to pick peaches at 90. She never shied from a challenging task and consistently instilled the same fearlessness in her grandchildren, urging them to embrace difficulty with open arms.

Grammy weathered countless hardships in her lifetime, from economic depressions and wars to recessions and personal losses. However, she possessed a remarkable resilience and never allowed negativity to taint her spirit. As the matriarch of her family, she embraced her role with unwavering love and ensured that everyone who she loved felt cherished every single day.

Ollie was predeceased by her husband George, son Charles, son-in-law Richard Fusia, and her brothers and sisters; Mary Coneybeer, Michael Plesko, Emery Plesko, Jane Burkett, and Irene Leonard.

Ollie’s memory will continue to live on forever with her children Barb Fusia, Bern Coneybeer, Christine Proch, and daughter in-law, Janet Coneybeer as well as 8 grandchildren, Daniel, Jason, Melissa, Jake, Brett, Seth, JT, and Molly, 10 great-grandchildren, and countless “honorary” grandchildren she accumulated throughout the years.

Friends will be received on Thursday from 10 to 11 a.m. at Concord United Methodist Church, 100 Old School Road, Rostraver Township at which time a Funeral Service will be held at 11 a.m. with Pastor Sandra E. Fitzgibbons officiating. Interment will follow in Belle Vernon Cemetery.

Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the James C. Stump Funeral Home Inc., 580 Circle Drive, Rostraver Township (724-929-7934) www.jamesstumpfuneralhome.com