Ranka Banda

Ranka Banda,  97, of Vinco, passed away June 5th, 2025 at St Judes Haven while in Hospice Care. 

Born on January 27, 1928 in Cvijanovic Brdo, Karlovac, Yugoslavia. Daughter of Juro and Milka (née Vujakljia) Banda. She was preceded in death by her husband of 75 years, Dragich Banda (March 25, 2023); her son, Borislav Banda (2007); her infant son, Rade Banda (1949); and her siblings: brother Rade, sister Dragiča, sister Ljubiča, sister Stanka, brother Ljuban, brother Stanko, and brother Dushan. Ranka was the last of her siblings to pass. 

She is survived by daughters: Marija Banda, of Dayton OH, and Radojka Rita (Steve) Merriman, of Medina OH; her daughter-in-law, Loraine Vautar-Banda, of Johnstown PA; and her grandchildren: Eric (Carolina) Banda of Ocala FL, Nicholas (Jessica) Merriman of Creston OH, Michael Merriman of Creston OH, Adam Banda of Queens NY, Luke Banda of Los Angeles CA and Julianne (Andrew) Banda-Adams of Raleigh NC; and her great-grandchildren: Joshua and David Banda, Ocala FL, and Steven, Owen and Lily Merriman, Creston OH. 

Ranka was a member of St Petka Serbian Orthodox Church and St Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church. 

She enjoyed gardening in her large 40' x 60' backyard vegetable garden, where she'd plant each & every seed and/or seedling --by hand-- each spring, that she meticulously kept weed free by going out each morning thru out the summer to hand hoe around each plant keeping the garden weed free. Ranka & Dragich would harvest the vegetables by hand, and would store those vegetables in their cellar, which would  be their food source sustaining them thru the winter.  She also loved planting herbs & flowers in other remote mini gardens scattered throughout their back yard & inside their home.  Ranka had a knack for taking any seed, dying plant or a even a twig and successfully nurturing it into something spectacular and beautiful. She also had a gift of being able to attract Chickadees to feed off her hand, and was always sure to keep her bird feeder full. Ranka loved playing multiple rounds of the Board Game "Sorry" with her family. She loved playing chess and would play multiple rounds of Chess, each day with Dragich.

She loved cooking and baking "goodies" --aka: apple struedle, "krofne" (Serbian donuts) and Palachinkas (Serbian crepes) for her family. Rita & Mary & family wish to thank the staff of Conemaugh Memorial Hospital Pallative Care unit for their kindness and enormous patience with Ranka during her very brief stay. 

And we'd also like to thank the whole staff St Judes Haven for their kindness & compassionate care in accepting Ranka into their "Home". In addition, thank you to Ranka's AsceraCare Hospice Team for all their daily visits.

Funeral arrangements being handled by Frank Duca Funeral Home.

Family and friends are invited to a graveside service on Monday June 9th, 2025, at 12 Noon, at St Petka Serbian Cemetery, lead by Rev. Presbyter Dragan Vukovic of St Nicholas Serbian Orthodox Church.

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