My ancestral home sat neatly on Elderwood Drive. It was precisely one mile from the downtown Dairy Dell and the sights, sounds, and smells of the Cambria County Fairgrounds annually crept through the upstairs bathroom window. The U-shaped street (which made a P when you threw in Hillcrest) seemed to go on forever on foot or on my Schwinn. Once I hit 16 and upgraded to the driver’s seat of the ’78 Civic, that same stretch seemed small and limiting. But it was perfect for my firstborn’s first steps while visiting Gram and Pap decades later. Timed perfectly with Pap’s recovery from surgery, that doubly wobbly voyage around the block saw the two lockstep in time.
June 11, 2020
Trash talks. When I listen, I hear its story. I’m drawn into the developing plot as I trudge deeper into the Sticks where bits of broken iPhone cases and Starbucks cups slowly secede to Bud Light and snuff cans, evicted tenants of Priuses and Pickups. No happy ending though, just bunnies and such asking why.
June 9, 2020
Ironically, in this town it’s never sweater weather. My hometown was constantly cold. The daily specials on our weather menu included fresh flurries, frozen-bone winds, dim sun, endless refills of rain, all with a side of chilly. The Ebensburg Borough Pool was more like an athlete’s ice bath, where we trained unwittingly for a Polar Bear Plunge. It’s the place where “pleasant” was two dozen degrees lower than anywhere I’d ever been. 80 was when Dad would start singing, We’re having a heatwave, a tropical heatwave.
Emma Louise Baylock
Emma Baylock
March 3, 1931 – May 1, 2025
Resident of Estero, FL and Ebensburg, PA
Emma Louise Baylock, 94, passed away peacefully on May 1, 2025. Emma was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 68 years, Dr. Adrian Baylock; infant daughter, Ruth Ann; parents Tony and Ruth (Leary) Sunseri; and brothers Robert and Tom. Emma is lovingly remembered by her six children, 20 grandchildren, and 21 great-grandchildren: Lou Ann (Philip Cater), Sarasota, FL (Christopher and Carman (Diana)); Marilee Tudi (Bob), Sewickley, PA (Renee Putze (Mike), Bobby (Olga), Becca Christof (Brad), Dom (Carley), Dan (Emily), Gina, and David, and 18 grandchildren); Jerry (Alicia), Holmdel, NJ (Chloe and Emily); Dr. Carol Stapanowich (Frank), Virginia Beach, VA (Nicholas (Josie), Capt. Bethany Gurba (Dave), and Matthew (Amy)); Donna Kocur (Tom), Cary, NC (Bobby (Emily), Anthony, and Gianna); Alan (MSgt, USAF, Ret.) (Maria), Denton, TX (Francis (Sarah), Michael, and Dom).
Emma is survived by siblings: Mary H. Lechene (Patton, PA); Albert (Belton, MO); and John, Anthony, Paul, and Susan Morris, (Patton, PA).
Emma graduated from MHNC School of Nursing in Spangler, PA (1952) and was the first person to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Saint Francis University in Loretto, PA (1984). Her career included roles at the Cresson Center, Cresson State School, Miner’s Hospital, Lee Hospital, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
A devout Catholic, Emma was a daily communicant and served as a Eucharistic Minister and Lector at Holy Name Catholic Church (Ebensburg, PA) and Our Lady of Light Catholic Community (Fort Myers, FL). She played a foundational role in establishing the Cursillo movement within the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown and took part in the Nocturnal Adoration Society and the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
Emma lived life with joy and boundless energy. She delighted in baking, cooking, shopping, swimming, playing bridge and pinochle, biking, walking, and shuffleboard. An avid emailer, she stayed close with her large family and wide circle of friends. A 4-H leader and member of the Ebensburg Senior Center, Emma gave selflessly of her time and talents. Her kindness and unwavering love enriched all who knew her. Her family was her greatest joy – she faithfully baked and mailed birthday cookies to each child, grandchild and great-grandchild for many years.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Holy Name Catholic Church in Ebensburg, PA on Tuesday, July 8 at 11:00 AM, with internment to follow at Holy Name Cemetery.
Donations may be made to the Dr. Adrian Baylock Mathematics Scholarship at Saint Francis University, Loretto, PA. Contact rcrusciel@francis.edu for more information.
June 7, 2020
These back roads skirting Denton remind me of the rural routes I saw growing up in Western Pennsylvania. Those asphalt labyrinths, dotted by modest farmhouses and fortified by huge swaths of rolling green and brown, snaked for endless miles. Many memories were made on those buckling ups and downs, like bouncing wildly on the inner tube in the back of the Scout on the way to Lake St. Francis. The 9th grade students who arrived at school with fresh mud thickly caked to their boots lived on such arteries. The hijacked earth was a sign that their address started with RD.
Alan Baylock 