Salem…..

Catherine (Polemenako) (Zappas) Mento age 101, wife of the late Giovanni "John" Mento, predeceased by her first husband John Zappas, died Wednesday afternoon in the Lafayette Nursing Home, Marblehead.

Catherine was born to Marianthe (Panagakos) and John Polemenako in a craggy, mountain village in the Mani of southern Greece. She grew up tending the family's sheep and roamed through the olive groves and the mountains gathering kindling. In l920, at the age of fourteen, she migrated to the United States and soon was working in the factories of the then booming leather industry. In her twenties she married John Zappas and had two daughters. She was widowed when her children were 6 and 4 years old.

In l946, she met and married the late John Mento and together they raised her daughters and became loving grandparents. Catherine loved to garden and kept friends and neighbors well supplied with fresh fruits and vegetables from her yard. She loved to cook and bake: cooking for a dozen or more family members on holidays and baking pounds of Greek sweets, enough to send home with her guests. In her late 70's, she returned to Greece for the first time and happily was reunited with cousins and childhood friends.


She is survived by her daughter Mary Zappas of Salem, Grandson John Jenks of Wakefied, a granddaughter and husband Elaine and Curtis White of Salem and five sisters: Georgia Walsh of Salem, Anna Skouras of Salem, Evelyn Lameroux of Beverly and Francis Perry of Knoxville, TN. She leaves two great grandchildren Nathaniel and Lydia White of Salem and many nieces and nephews.

Catherine was predeceased by her daughter Helen (Zappas) Jenks and 5 siblings: John Polemenako, James Polemenako, Stella Pramas, Peter Polemenako and Beatrice Corum.


The family wants to give a special thanks to the caring staff at the Lafayette Nursing Home who for the last five years became part of Catherine's extended family.

Her funeral will be held on Saturday at 9:15 A.M. from the Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal St., (cor of North St) Salem to be followed by funeral services at 10:00 A.M in St. Vasilios Church 5 Paleologos St., Peabody, Ma. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Visiting hours will be Friday from 6 to 8 P.M. Interment will be in Greenlawn Cemetery. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to the St. Vasilios Church Altar Fund, 5 Paleologos St. Peabody, MA 01960. . For online guest book or additional information please visit www.MurphyFuneralHome.com or call 978 744 0497.