Olga M. Butchko

Obituary for Olga M. Butchko

Olga M. Chaszar Butchko, 85, of Bethlehem, PA

died on Monday, June 12, 2006 at St.Lukes Hospital in Bethlehem.

Born August 16, 1920 she was the daughter of the late Elizabeth Meszaros and Joseph Chaszar.

She was married to Joseph Butchko on August 8, 1942

Olga earned an Associate?s Degree from Bethlehem Business College in 1940. She graduated from both high school and business college with honors. In 1956 she completed a 2 year correspondence course with the Newspaper Institute of America, New York, N.Y., in journalism. In addition, she completed several correspondence courses in flower arrangement, interior decorating, and other domestic subjects at Pennsylvania State University. She graduated from Northampton Community College with honors with an Associates Degree in 1995 at age 74. Plus a summer course encompassing child psychology, mental health, personality development, and human relations at Lehigh University in Bethlehem.

In 1960 Olga earned the standing of ?Certified Professional Secretary? by successfully completing a 12 hour examination at Temple University in Philadelphia. In 1961, in competition, she was selected by the Pennsylvania Division of The National Secretaries Association International as ?Secretary of the Year? for the State of Pennsylvania.

In 1940 Olga worked as a secretary in the War Plans and Estimates Section of the Ammunition Division of the War Department in Washington D.C. In 1941 she transferred to the U.S. Navy Inspection Office in Bethlehem. In 1943 she transferred to the German Prisoner of War Camp at Camp Swift, Texas, where she supervised 11 clerks in maintaining personnel and work records for over 3000 German prisoners of war. When her husband was sent overseas, she transferred back to the U.S. Naval Inspector of Ordnance Office in Bethlehem. There she supervised nine clerks in the Contracts Termination Section at the end of World War II. She was bookkeeper for one year for the Greater Bethlehem Area United Way before joining the Bethlehem Steel Corporation where she worked 15 years as secretary to various executives at the Headquarters Office of the Corporation in Bethlehem, followed by 8 years as Administrative Assistant in the Transportation Department.

Olga was a Girl Scout leader for two years, a Den Mother for two years, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the local Credit Union for 10 years. She taught evening classes in Conversational Hungarian at Northeast Junior High School, Bethlehem; tutored Hispanic residents in reading and writing English at the local library conference room for two years; and read the local news and human interest stories over a closed circuit radio station for the blind and otherwise print handicapped. Her hobbies are genealogy, needlework, cooking, reading, sightseeing, and walking.

She is survived by her husband Joseph Butchko of Bethlehem, her son Jospeh R. Butchko and wife MaryBeth of Temple, PA, and a daughter-in-law Rose Marie Butchko of Mechanicsburg, and 6 Grandchildren.



Olga was preceded in death by her son Michael J. Butchko and her brother William Chaszar.

Arrangements are being handled by Connell Funeral Home 245 E. Broad Street Bethlehem, PA 18018 where the family will receive friends on June 15, 2006 from 10-11 AM followed by a service at 11:00AM.

Burial will be at Holy Saviour Cemetery, in Bethlehem.

In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to The American Cancer Society 3893 Adler Place, Bethlehem, PA 18017.