The Derrick, December 10, 2007: Christopher W. Bignell, 336 Hasson Ave., Oil City Virginia "Ginny" Fiddler, Youngstown, Ohio, formerly of Oil City Kenneth Eugene Palmer Jr., 441 Shenango St., Mercer Lois Voelkel Phero, Cincinnati, Ohio, formerly of 121 Eighth Ave., Clarion William Carl Ross, Maryville, Tenn., formerly of Oil City William Hurst Snedegar, East Main Street, Clarion Christopher W. Bignell, 34, of 336 Hasson Ave. Oil City, died at 5:46 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007, in UPMC Pittsburgh following an extended illness. He had been a patient there since Sept. 26. Born Dec. 25, 1972, in Oceanside, Calif., he was the son of Herbert "Jim" and Roberta Roemer Bignell. Mr. Bignell had been disabled all his life and had made Oil City his home since 1997. Chris was a member of the Heritage Baptist Church. His hobbies included following sports, especially professional baseball, fishing, listening to music and watching movies. Surviving, in addition to his parents of Oil City, are one brother, Peter Bignell of Oil City; his maternal grandmother, Amanda Roemer of Oil City; aunts and uncles, Danny and Shirley Cadle of Franklin, Tom and Mary Anne Wilson of Hesperia, Calif., Ron and Vicki Bignell of Alabama and Nancy Dedrick of Duncanville, Texas; and numerous cousins. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Burton Roemer, and paternal grandparents, Herbert and Mary Bignell. The family will receive friends from 11 a.m. to noon Tuesday in the Reinsel Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at noon Tuesday in the funeral home with his father, Pastor Jim Bignell, presiding. Interment will follow in Heckathorn Church Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association, 801 Roeder Road, Suite 400, Silver Springs, Md., 20910, or can be made to the funeral home to help the family defray funeral expenses. Condolences can be left at www.reinselfuneralhome.com. Virginia "Ginny" Fiddler, 84, of Youngstown, Ohio, formerly of Oil City, died at 12 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007, in the Maple Crest Nursing Home, Struthers, Ohio. Born Nov. 13, 1923, in Oil City, she was the daughter of Joseph and Aneila Maziarz Potkocielny. Mrs. Fiddler worked proudly for 48 years as an operator at AT&T, formerly Ohio Bell. After retiring, she worked seven 7 years at EyeCare, "helping the old people" and greeting patients at the door. She was a longtime parishioner of St. Nicholas parish where her children had attended school and she also attended St. Luke Church in Youngstown. Mrs. Fiddler enjoyed just about everything in life, especially outdoor work, tending to her garden and talking to and about her grandchildren. She laughed even up to her final days and everyone in the nursing home loved her. Mrs. Fiddler was married to Daniel L. Fiddler, who preceded her in death Oct. 22, 1985. Surviving are one son, Dennis J. Fiddler of Youngstown, Ohio; one daughter, Danielle Kaczensky and husband, Tobey, of Maryland; and two granddaughters, Alexis Fabbri and her husband, Massimo, and Krista Sermon and her husband, Matthew. She also is survived by two sisters, Bertha Monks and Patricia Scierka, both of Oil City. Friends will be received from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesday in St. Joseph Church, Oil City, where Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. with Msgr. John W. Swoger, pastor, presiding. Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the Reinsel Funeral Home, 116 Bissell Ave., Oil City. Condolences may be sent to www.reinselfuneralhome.com. Kenneth Eugene Palmer Jr. Kenneth Eugene Palmer Jr., 69, of 441 A. Shenango St., Mercer, East Lackawannock Township, died at 11:43 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007, in his residence. Born Sept. 26, 1938, in Grove City, he was the son of Kenneth Eugene Palmer Sr. and Georgia Rice Palmer. He was a graduate of Mercer High School and Slippery Rock University. Mr. Palmer taught health, physiology and psychology at Mercer High School. He coached boys basketball from 1967 to 1973 at Mercer High School and led the team to District 10 championship and Western regional finals in 1971. He also coached girls basketball from 1988 to 1990. He taught many of the local students who went into the medical field and some of them helped take care of him during his illness. Mr. Palmer was a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Oil City. He also was a member of the Mercer VFW and the American Legion. Mr. Palmer was married Aug. 11, 1989, to Eva Thompson, who survives. Also surviving are two daughters and their husbands, Wendy and Dave Attenberger of Washington, Pa., and Robin and John Popovich of New Castle; one son, David John Palmer of Las Vegas, Nev.; three stepchildren, James William Amon and wife, Lori, and Lisa Edwards, all of Mercer, and Lynda Volpe and husband, August, of Sharon; and 12 grandchildren. He also is survived by one sister, Mary Ellen Davey of Beverly Beach, Fla.,; and one brother, David Palmer and wife, Suzanne, of Willoughby, Ohio. He was preceded in death by his parents. Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in the Cunningham Funeral Home Inc., 144 S. Pitt St., Mercer. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday in the funeral home with the Rev. Byron Myers, pastor of Grace United Methodist Church, Oil City, officiating. Interment will be in Findley Cemetery, Findley Township. Lois Voelkel Phero, previously of 121 Eighth Ave., Clarion, died Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007, in her home at the Marjorie P. Lee Retirement Community, Cincinnati, Ohio. Born Oct. 20, 1919, in Evansville, Ind., she was the daughter of Albert C. and Ethel McCool Voelkel. Mrs. Phero was a graduate of Purdue University with a bachelor of science degree in consumer and family sciences and science and earned a master's degree from Indiana University, Bloomington. She taught for 36 years in several local school districts. She dedicated her career to encouraging her students to strive for educational experiences and career opportunities. Mrs. Phero was a long-standing member of Clarion First United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women, was a 50-year member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, American Association of University Women, Clarion Woman's Club, Order of the Eastern Star, Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees, National Education Association and the Alpha Chi Omega Sorority. She was married to J. William "Bill" Phero July 6, 1946, and they moved to Clarion shortly thereafter. He preceded her in death. Surviving are a son. Dr. James C. Phero and his wife, Hannah, of Cincinnati, Ohio; a daughter, Carole Mueller, wife of Dr. Craig Mueller of Indianapolis, Ind.; and grandchildren, Kristin, Graham, James A., and Heidi Phero, and Collin and Christopher Mueller. The family will receive friends at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Clarion United Methodist Church, Wood Street, with funeral services to follow in the church at 11 a.m. Saturday. Memorials may be directed to the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Memorial Fund, in care of Betty Elza, 618 Simpson Road, Corsica, 15829. Arrangements have been entrusted to Goble Funeral Home & Crematory, Clarion. William Carl Ross, 85, of Maryville, Tenn., formerly of Oil City, died Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007, in Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville. Born May 7, 1922, in Oil City, he was the son of Carl and Flora Gagnon Ross. Mr. Ross was a graduate of Oil City High School. He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps during World War II in the Pacific Theater from Nov. 12, 1942, to Jan. 8, 1946. He was the recipient of the American Theater Ribbon, Asiatic Theater Ribbon with one Bronze Star, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, Good Conduct Medal and the World War II Victory Medal. Mr. Ross was a retired insurance agent with Prudential Insurance. He was a member of Good Hope Lutheran Church in Oil City. Mr. Ross also was a past master of Petrolia Lodge No. 363, F. &. A.M. in Oil City and was a member of the Venango Lodge of Perfection in Oil City and the New Castle Consistory. He also was a member of the Oil City Moose Lodge. He was an avid golfer and played in a local league for many years. He enjoyed spending time with his family, friends and neighbors. Mr. Ross was married in Oil City in September 1942 to Jean Filson, who survives and now lives in Maryville, Tenn. Surviving are four daughters, Nancy Sederberg and husband, Roger, of Valparaiso, Ind., Deborah Ross of Alexandra, Va., Julie Durand and husband, Larry, of Maryville, Tenn., and Lori Gibbons and husband, Tommy, of Columbia, S.C.; five grandchildren, Rochelle Butler and husband, Mike, of Maryville, Tenn., Erik Sederberg of Golden, Colo., Ali Gibbons of Athens, Ga., Michael Gibbons of Columbia, S.C., and Amelia Durand of Maryville, Tenn.; three great-grandchildren, Brett, Benjamin and Brandon Butler, all of Maryville, Tenn.; and a nephew, Richard Titus of Emerald Isle, N.C. In addition to his parents, Mr. Ross was preceded in death by three sisters, Irene Stack, Virginia Titus and Lucille Hovermale. The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday in the Osenider Funeral Home, Oil City. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Good Hope Lutheran Church with the Rev. Philip Scherr, pastor, officiating. Entombment will be made in Sunset Hill Memorial Gardens, Cranberry. The family suggests memorial donations be made to Petrolia Lodge No. 363, F. & A.M., 3 Masonic Building, Oil City, 16301. William Hurst Snedegar William Hurst Snedegar, 81, of East Main Street, Clarion, died Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007, in the Clarion Hospital. The Goble Funeral Home & Crematory, 330 Wood St., Clarion, is in charge of arrangements. A complete obituary will be published Tuesday in The Derrick.