Frances M. O'Connor was a pierogie-making machine. As the daughter of Polish immigrants, Mrs. O'Connor celebrated her heritageby cooking a variety of delicious ethnic dishes, much to the delight of herfamily. But her specialty was pierogies. "She never gave it up. She had a special method, unique method ... unlikewhat you see on cooking shows. She was very quick with the dough. She couldturn out 10 dozen quickly. I would come over anytime and there wouldbe pierogies. There are some in her freezer right now," said her son,Patrick O'Connor, of New Kensington. Mrs. O'Connor died Thursday, June 16, at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, inOakland, after a second battle with cancer. She was 78. Born in Mt. Pleasant, Mrs. O'Connor was one of nine children of Paul andMary Catherine Niesgoda Plazza. A child of the Great Depression, Mrs.O'Connor lost her father at age 7, and was raised by her mother on a farm. Her son described his mother as "a very unselfish woman."

"She lived her life for everyone else. I remember, when we were young, mymother never ate the white meat from the chicken. She liked the dark meat. When she moved in with my family three and a half years ago, she asked forwhite meat. I said, 'I thought you like dark meat.' She said, "I ate itbecause no one wanted it.' She was always the type of person who ate thesmallest portion of meat," he said. When Mrs. O'Connor's husband, John, became ill, she cared for him for adecade until he died in 1998. "Mom lived her life for him. I believe shekept Dad alive," said Patrick O'Connor. Three years ago, she moved from Mt. Pleasant into an apartment behind herson's house. "She was fully self-sufficient. She continued to bake bundts,bread, pies, all kinds of cookies, and of course, pierogies." Mrs. O'Connor also excelled at crafts, especially knitting and crocheting.She enjoyed fashioning crocheted Christmas ornaments and baby afghans foreach of her five grandchildren. "None of them have children yet, but they'rein her cedar chest for them," he said. She beat breast cancer in 1981, but the disease returned three years ago.She appeared to have conquered it again, until she was diagnosed with rareesophageal cancer. She underwent surgery, but complications later set in,her son said. Patrick O'Connor said his mother's pride in her Polish heritage will live onwith her family. "My sons' last name is O'Connor, but my wife is also fullPolish, so they're three-quarters ... they're Polish." In addition to her son, Mrs. O'Connor is survived by a daughter, TeresaRothermund, of Greensburg; five grandchildren; a brother, Frank Plazza, ofScottdale; and a sister, Helen Wawrzyniak, of Mt. Pleasant. Friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today and Sunday at EugeneG. Saloom Funeral Service Inc., 730 W. Main St., Mt. Pleasant. A parish wakewill be at 3 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. There will be a blessingMonday in the funeral home, followed by a Mass of Christian burial at 10 am.at St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church, Mt. Pleasant, with Msgr. Michael W. Matusak as celebrant. Interment will follow at St. Pius X Cemetery.

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