Latrobe woman dedicated to taking care of others
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When Marjorie L. Sigmund graduated from Latrobe High School in the midst of World War II, she did not have the opportunity to go to nursing school like she had wanted, but that did not stop her from helping others, said one of her nieces.
“All during her life, she took care of everybody,” including her mother and her brothers, said Diane Hess of Evans, Ga.
She and her husband, the late Dr. Edward J. Sigmund, provided a home for her brother, Tom. She took took care of another brother, Harry, as well as her brother, Edward E. Hunter Jr., in the final months of his life, Hess said. Her aunt was the last surviving member of the seven children from her family.
Mrs. Sigmund, 93, of Unity Township, died Friday, Aug. 2, 2019, at her home.
She was born March 14, 1926, in Latrobe, a daughter of the late Edward Earl Hunter and Margaret M. Philippi Hunter.
After graduating from Latrobe High School, she worked at Leonard’s Jewelry Store in downtown Latrobe, taking care of the financial records and serving as the manager when the owner was away, Hess said.
She met her future husband, Dr. Sigmund, when he was looking for a place in Latrobe to locate his optometry office, Hess said. The couple married in 1958 and she assisted at his office, Hess said.
Mrs. Sigmund loved to grow flowers and vegetables in her garden at her Latrobe home and was a member of a garden club, Hess said.
“She was a great floral arranger,” especially with dried flowers, Hess said.
Mrs. Sigmund also enjoyed cooking, Hess said. She was known for making great apple pies and for making chocolate cakes from scratch, Hess said.
When her aunt came to visit her in Georgia, Hess said, “she had a cooking session for my daughters” and made apple pies with them.
“She was passing the recipes down to my daughters, to the next generation,” Hess said.
Hess sister, Kimberly Sherer of Latrobe, recalled spending weekends at her aunt’s house and making cookies with her.
She also was known for hosting the family for holiday meals, Hess said.
“She taught me how to stuff a turkey,” Sherer recalled. Hess said her aunt wrote her a detailed letter on how to stuff a turkey.
“She was a second mother to us. She was always involved,” with us, Hess said of Mrs. Sigmund’s relationship with her and her sisters, Kimberly and Debra Uhrinek of Scottdale.
Mrs. Sigmund was a volunteer at Latrobe Area Hospital and was a member of the Red Hat Society, which was a group of women doing charitable work, Hess said.
She was a member of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Latrobe.
She also was preceded in death by four brothers and two sisters.
In addition to Hess and Shearer, she also is survived by several other nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
Friends will be received from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday in the Hartman-Graziano Funeral Home Inc., 1500 Ligonier St., Latrobe. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday in Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 331 Weldon St., Latrobe, with the Trinity clergy officiating. Interment will follow in Unity Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 331 Weldon St., Latrobe, PA 15650.