WILHELMINA WETZLER "WILLY" PELUSO On Good Friday, April 10, 2020, age 96, died at Butler Memorial Hospital in Butler, PA, a victim of COVID-19. She was born on October 26, 1923, in Waubach, Netherlands. She resided at Concordia at the Orchard in Butler, PA, and previously in Pittsburgh, PA. Willy was the loving wife of Frank A. Peluso who preceded her in death on July 2, 1991. Willy was the beautiful and alluring "foreigner," his "Schat," his darling, and he was the handsome GI, her Mia Cara Mia who brought her to his home in the US as his World War II bride. She was fiercely independent, unconditionally loving, and accepting, while maintaining her higher standard of dignity. All her love was shown by her steadfast presence in all of our lives always. Willy raised her five children in the times of cloth diapers and wringer washing machines. She spent times as her family's advocate, a sewing teacher, president of the Emsworth Fireman's Auxiliary, Emsworth Judge of Elections, dog walker, pre-school teacher, babysitter, seamstress, knitter and crocheter, sole care-taker for her ill husband, family and friend advisor, and she often held court on her massive front porch. She also had a fondness for taking and caring for older people, miscellaneous stray animals, and people who needed her special kind of caring. She was a 29-year breast cancer survivor. She was the loving and faithful mother of Anita Peluso Padrick of Pittsburgh, PA, Pauline Peluso of Butler, PA, Corine Peluso Geldhof (Joe) of Juneau, Alaska, Frank W. Peluso (Barb) of Loveland, Colorado and the late Christina Peluso, who passed on May 23, 2018. She was the beloved grandmother of Randy Gaertner (Sandy), Christy Gaertner (Paul Sinciline), Dana Gaertner, Katja Geldhof-Cross (Michael), Dara Peluso-Hoffman (Jason Lauver), Jaymes Peluso-Hoffman (Natalie Hatcher), Jack Peluso-Hoffman, Claire Geldhof, Hannah Peluso, Stacy and Calvin Kliner, and Alycia and Tito Martinez; great-grandmother of Kayla Thompson, Darrien Burke, Kara Burke, Randy Gaertner, Jr. (Brandi), Melissa Gaertner Ryan (Sean), Mathew Lauver, Emilia Lauver, Max Peluso-Hoffman, and Ezra Cross, Molly and Evelyn Kliner; and great-great-grandmother to Kaleya and Kyrie Thompson. She was the sister of Elisabeth McKeone of London, England. In addition to her husband, Frank, and her daughter, Christina, she was preceded in death by her brother, Jack Wetzler and her sisters, Mia, Kate, and Peg in Holland. Tante Min/Aunt Willy also leaves many nieces and nephews, their children, family and friends in Holland, Germany, England, and in her very large US family. A memorial service will be held in a safer future. In lieu of flowers and memorial donations, the family would like you to share your condolences and memories of our mother at www.mccabebrothers.com, where updated memorial service information may be found when available. Send condolences post-gazette.com/gb
