Yetta J. Pennington Relyea, 68, of Glenville, New York passed away on Monday, December 24, 2012, of cancer. Yetta was born in Beaver Falls, PA. on Saturday, January 1, 1944. She is the daughter of the late Walter and Estella Baker Pennington. Survivors include her husband and best friend, Barry Relyea; and daughters, Tania Relyea of Cincinnati, OH and Keira Relyea Barnes and her husband Donald, of Clifton Park, New York; her grandchildren: Shannon and Connor Barnes and a sister, Mary Jane Hudak of Beaver Falls.

Yetta is a 1961 graduate of Beaver Falls area high school and a graduate of Gordon College. Yetta taught elementary school for 33 years with the last 30 years being spent at Schenectady Christian School (now Mekeel Christian Academy). In addition to her classroom teaching, she taught learning disabled children, was a cheerleading coach/advisor, and was a yearbook and class advisor. Working and teaching at Schenectady Christian School was her vocation, mission, and a labor of love. She retired from her teaching career in 2005.

Yetta's foremost passion in life was her family, witnessed by her caring for Shannon and Connor every weekend for the last five years. She was immensely proud of her daughters and the relationship that she maintained with them as adults.

Yetta had many interests. She was an avid reader, an accomplished artist, and a lover of music and travel. Her favorite musical group was a local band "Hair of the Dog" with whom she traveled to Ireland (5 times) as well as to London and Italy. She cherished her Irish roots as well as her many friends and family with whom she shared her love for all things Irish.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, January 5, 2013, at 11 AM at Faith Baptist Church, 11 Glenridge Rd. in Rexford, New York. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to share in a celebration of her life. Committal services will be held on Monday, January 7, 2013, at 1:00 PM at the Gerald B.H. Solomon National Cemetery, 200 Duell Rd.in Schuylerville, New York.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Yetta's name to Mekeel Christian Academy Scholarship Fund, 36-38 Sacandaga Rd. Scotia, NY 12302. In her own words... "don't be cheap; there are some great kids who need help!"

Service Information:11:00 am Saturday, January 5, 2013. Faith Baptist Church, 11 Glenridge Rd. Rexford, New York, United States. Interment Information: Gerald B. H. Solomon National Cemetery, 200 Duell Rd. Schuylerville, New York, United States.