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April 2, 2008

Update: Woman, 98, dies in Warren house fire / Photo

Journal photo / Bill Murphy
Warren firefighters were still at the scene this afternoon of the fatal morning fire on Seymour Street.

WARREN -- The 98-year-old widow of the founder of Delekta’s Pharmacy, an East Bay landmark, died in a fire at her home this morning.

The body of Stacy W. Delekta was found in the basement of her one-and-a-half story Cape at 91 Seymour St. after firefighters were called to the house at 10:08 a.m.

It took about 45 minutes for the more than 50 firefighters from Bristol and Warren to get the blaze under control, said Deputy Fire Chief Norman Blake. The fire was extinguished by noon.

Blake could not say how the fire started or where it originated. Investigators from the state fire marshal’s office were inspecting the house today.

Delekta’s late husband, Ignatius F. Delekta, worked at the pharmacy at 496 Main St. for 15 years before taking over the store in 1940 and operating it under his name. He ran the drug store, famous for its soda fountain and coffee milkshakes called cabinets, for 45 years before his death in 1985.

The store, with its black and gold sign, is an immediately recognizable feature of downtown Warren. It was passed on to the Delektas’ son, Ignatius Jr., and he in turn passed it on to his son, Eric.

Eric Delekta has maintained the store as an old-fashioned pharmacy. He declined comment today on his grandmother’s death.

-- Journal staff writer Alex Kuffner

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 5:24 PM | Permalink

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