Lena Jeanette, 98, Known for Her Hungarian Cooking

Lena was born in Little Prater, Virginia on September 7, 1925, to Jesse and Toy (nee Van Dyke) Childress and was the oldest of 14 children. After graduating from Grundy High School, Lena moved to Washington, DC where she worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Lena loved to tell stories about her experiences supporting FBI agents on some of the key organized crime investigations of the day.

It was in Washington DC that she met Steve Dohanyos, who was serving in the Army Air Corps during World War II. they married in Washington on January 12, 1946. After the war, they returned to Steve’s home in Lorain, where they would raise their family and become contributing members of the Hungarian community and the City of Lorain.

Lena learned and was known for her Hungarian cooking which she was taught by family and church friends. Friends and relatives regularly sought her out for her recipes, which she claimed was mostly Hungarian with some help from her Virginia roots. Lena also loved to garden, producing wonderful flowers and vegetables that she loved to share with family and friends. She also loved to travel and considered that a real bonus in her senior years.

Lena was an active member of the Lorain Hungarian Reformed United Church of Christ. She was a founding member of the Lorain Hungarian Reformed Church Sick Benefit Society Federal Credit Union and served as its treasurer and manager for 39 years. Lena was also a member of the church’s Busy Martha’s Guild (past secretary), Sick Benefit Society (past assistant treasurer) and the Senior Ladies Guild. She belonged to the Hungarian Young Men’s Society, Lorain County Hungarian Council, American-Hungarian Citizen’s Club and Lorain County Hungarian Friends Society. Lena was a past president of the Lincoln Elementary School PTA and past vice president of the Clearview High School PTA. She was also a member of the American Businesswomen’s Golden Crescent Chapter and the Lorain AARP.

Lena is survived by her daughters Terrisa (Teri) Foisy and Darlene Rico (husband Freddie), both of Lorain; her son, Steven Donald (Don) Dohanyos (wife Sheree) of Escondido, California; her grandchildren Jennie, Greg, Jessica, Velvet, Christopher, Jeremiah, Allison and Steven and 10 great grandchildren. Surviving siblings are Virgil (Bo) Childress (Roanoke, VA) and Linda Cook (Abington, VA).

She was preceded in death by her husband Steve, her daughter Elizabeth (Betty Ellen) Dixon, son-in-law Raymond Foisy, her parents, many brothers and sisters and a great grandson Jacob Lockridge.

Her family will receive friends at the Reidy J. Reidy Funeral Home, 1783 East 31st Street, South Lorain on Sunday, July 7 from 4 to 8 p.m. The funeral service will be at the funeral home at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 8. followed by a interment at Elmwood Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made in lieu of flowers to Hospice of the Western Reserve, 17876 St. Clair Ave. Cleveland, Ohio 44110.

For expressions of sympathy and further information please see, Reidyfuneral.com.