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Obituary of Ethel G. Rabagia
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Ethel Genevieve Rabagia, age 90 of Granville, went to be with her Lord, Sunday, April 11, 2021 at Stonerise (Mapleshire) Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Morgantown following a brief illness.
Born on March 20, 1931 in Morgantown, Ethel was the fourth daughter and youngest of eight children born to the late Mike Ballas and Barbara (Bertha) Menhart Ballas. The last surviving member of her immediate family, Ethel was the only sibling to be a native-born West Virginian and the only one to have been born in a hospital (Old Mon General), as her elder seven siblings were born at home in a coal mining camp in Pennsylvania, attended by their maternal grandmother who was a mid-wife in her native Hungary.
Ethel was a graduate of University High School, Class of 1948. For the majority of her life, Ethel was a homemaker, wife, mother, and grandmother. From 1966 to 1971, she was employed as a cashier at Foodland on Dunkard Avenue in Westover.
Ethel is survived by her husband of 65 years, George, whom she met in 1947 while working as a clerk at a pharmacy in Osage during her senior year of high school. That same year her family moved to Granville where she and George became next door neighbors. Following a 9 year courtship, they were married on June 16, 1956.
Also surviving are her 3 children, Barbara (Doug) Conn, and Mick (Patty) Rabagia of Morgantown and John Rabagia of Granville; two granddaughters, Loriann (Colin) Foster of Morgantown and Brittany (Jason) Hicks of Alexandria, VA. She is also survived by three great-grandchildren, Adalyn Hicks, Conor Hicks, and Michael Foster, who were the Lights and Joys of her life.
Ethel is also survived by a step-granddaughter Erin (Conn) Johnson. Several nieces and nephews also survive her.
In addition to her parents, Ethel was preceded in death by four brothers and three sisters; Mike Ballas, Andy Ballas, John Ballas, infant brother Andy Ballas, Margaret Ballas, Helen Ballas, and infant sister Helen Ballas. She was also preceded in death by sisters-in-law Genevieve (Mike) Ballas, Alice (Andy) Ballas, and a niece, Dolores (Ballas) Jones, with whom she grew up with like a sister.
Friends may call at the McCulla Funeral Home, 770 Fairmont Road, Westover from 4-8 pm Wednesday, April 14th and on Thursday, April 15th from 12 noon until the 1:00 pm funeral service with Pastor Kevin Cain officiating. Burial will follow at East Oak Grove Cemetery. Following COVID-19 guidelines, masks must be worn and social distancing practiced. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.McCulla.com.
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