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Pauline Weber

April 30, 1922 - September 6, 2012
Grand Rapids, MI

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Visitation

Monday, September 10, 2012
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM EDT
Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes Van't Hof Chapel
851 Leonard St., N.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Map

Visitation

Monday, September 10, 2012
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT
Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes Van't Hof Chapel
851 Leonard St., N.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Map

Service

Tuesday, September 11, 2012
11:00 AM EDT
Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes Van't Hof Chapel
851 Leonard St., N.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Map

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

A charity of your choice

Life Story / Obituary


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Pauline Barbara “Polly” Weber was a woman of strength and character. She demanded much of herself in pursuing a career and raising a family. She lived an ordered life with high expectations, yet her heart was made tender by her faith and her devotion to her husband, children and grandchildren.

Pauline’s story began April 30, 1922 in the coal mining hills of Pennsylvania as the United States was recovering from the First World War and straining to rebuild its economy. By the end of the decade, stock markets fell and countries around the world experienced long years of economic depression. Money was scarce and life was difficult, but like others of her generation, Polly was shaped by the values of hard work and determination.

Polly was born the second child of John and Mary Ceneske in the small town of Coal Port, Pennsylvania, She grew up proud of her Polish heritage, attending dances and finding entertainment in the custom of going to the watermelon patch afterward. However, after graduating from high school, Polly was ready to go to a bigger town and headed for college in Maryland to earn a secretarial degree.

Polly’s life was on track for a career and marriage, but the latter pursuit took a slightly different turn one evening when a friend of hers invited her to go along on her date. Because she was secure in her engagement, Polly saw no harm in being paired with a young man, Robert “Bob” Weber, who was also engaged. As fate would have it, Polly and Bob fell for each other and subsequently broke their engagements. The two were married the following year on February 17, 1944. They honeymooned in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan before returning to Maryland, where Bob was stationed in the Army.

After he left the service, Bob and Polly returned to Grand Rapids and started their family in 1949 with the birth of their daughter, Karen. The family lived many years on the lower west side on Myrtle NW then Escott NW, and Polly was content to be a stay-at-home mom for a few years. But after their second child, Andrea, was born, Polly went back to work as a secretary or executive secretary for several businesses over the years. As a parent, she had high expectations of her daughters, and as a working mother, Polly counted on the girls’ help around the house. Not a bad way to grow up with a sense of responsibility and initiative.

Polly was good at her job and just liked going to work. She was sociable, enjoyed the interactions with co-workers, and readily engaging in conversation. She rose to the requisite duties and routine; she was skilled in shorthand, efficient in her tasks, and organized in her work habits. Her final job was with Michigan Plating and Stamping, where she was a mainstay for over 20 years before retiring into her seventies. Admittedly, Polly cycled through several bosses during that time, as she was the constant in the office and most often knew best what was going on.

No question that Polly loved her career, yet she very much appreciated the comforts of home and rarely went elsewhere once she settled in after work. She knitted and crocheted, giving away many of her creations as gifts. She was a fan of Elvis and liked watching Lawrence Welk on TV as she munched on popcorn, often a little burnt from the microwave. In later years, she got hooked on television talk and game shows and was impacted by listening to Oral Roberts on TV, and as a result, became more vocal about her faith and “sowing the seeds” of hope and purpose.

As her family grew with grandchildren and great grandchildren, Polly found true joy in having them around. Grandma might be a little slow to catch onto jokes, but the kids enjoyed spending time with her.

They knew her to be generous and fair. She gave equally to them and even kept record in a book so as to be completely evenhanded. In gathering at her home during the holidays, they could expect to see the small Christmas tree she always put up.

Polly’s fondness for routine and organization guided the way she moved in her world. Interestingly, Bob was a perfectionist, so between the two of them, Polly learned to navigate their mutual expectations and become more easy-going. Still, she had her quirks and could be stubborn and opinionated, but her highest expectations were reserved for herself. She was not easily content with herself and often saw things she liked on others—whether a certain perfume or a house and furnishings—but once she had them for herself, they were never quite right. Gratefully, toward the end of her life, Polly started thinking a little differently, more positively, and was really interested in living. She often said through life "everything happens for a reason. Be patient and believe."

Polly had come through the tragedy of losing her daughter Karen in 1997. Sorrow came again with the death of husband Bob in 2005. He had always done so much for her, and life without him was a considerable adjustment. With her family’s help, she carried on, secure in their support and care. Family became even more important in recent years when Polly spent many months in nursing homes, recovering from a reoccurring pneumonia. They were there for her as she had been for them.

Mrs. Pauline “Polly” Weber, age 90 of Grand Rapids, entered her eternal home on September 6, 2012 where she has joined her husband, Robert, daughter, Karen Eastman, great granddaughter Kenzie Jo Young, and sister, Mary Brown. Polly is survived by her daughter, Andrea (Stanley) Brown; grandchildren Mende and Heather Brown, Timothy (Jill) Eastman, Kimberly Young (Judy Wilder), Jeffrey (Daphne) Eastman; seven great grandchildren; brother, John Ceneske and sister, Charlotte Mitchell. A funeral service for Polly will be held on Tuesday, September 11 at 11 AM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home – Van’t Hof Chapel, 851 Leonard NW where friends may visit with her family on Monday from 2-4 and 7-9 PM. To read more about Polly’s life, to share a favorite memory or to sign the guestbook, please visit www.lifestorynet.com

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