Grace F. Meighen, 94, founder, manager and board member of the$60 million Washington FCU inWashington, Pa., died on Mar. 18.

Meighen was a librarian at Chartiers-Houston High School inHouston, Pa., and was among a group of school employees who met inJune 1959 to form the Washington Area Teachers Credit Union. Theyeach contributed $5.25, and by the end of the year, the cooperativehad grown to 52 members, according to the credit union'swebsite.

By 1969, WATFCU was serving more than 400 members and hadprocessed more than 800 loans totaling $500,000, without a loss orwrite-off of any of the borrowed funds, according to the creditunion.

Today, Washington Area FCU serves more than more than 4,000members and broke ground for its second location in November thatis scheduled to open this year.

“There are a lot of neat stories (about Grace) from some of themembers that talked about how the credit union used to be in herhouse,” said Joseph S. Marzullo, president/CEO of Washington AreaFCU. “Members talked about going to Grace's house and sitting inher front room while she typed up loan documents.”

When Marzullo became the credit union's CEO in June 2008, Gracewas a board member.

“She served on the board for the better part of a year after Iarrived,” said Marzullo. “She was active into her late 80s. Ourcondolences go out to her family and friends.”

Meighan was born Feb. 10, 1920, in East Finley, Pa., thedaughter of George P. and Josephine Porter Francis. Following highschool, she obtained her bachelor's degree at Bethany College andher master's degree in library science at Duquesne University.

On December 20, 1942, she married Harold W. Meighen, who diedJune 2, 1980.

Surviving are a son and three grandchildren.

Services will be Saturday, 12:30 p.m., at Forest Lawn GardensChapel in McMurray.