Teddy Wagner

Known for her eagerness to serve, Thaddea Rose Wagner was a compassionate and kind person. Her generous and outgoing nature won her many friends, and she made a habit of putting others before herself. Devoted to her family, she was consistently supportive of her husband, son, and siblings.

On March 9, 1918, Vincent and Josephine (Pawlowska) Gryczanowski were thanking God for the birth of their ninth baby, Thaddea, whom they immediately dubbed Teddy. The Gryczanowski family had endured the loss of an infant son, Joseph, and a set of stillborn twins. They knew how important family was and how faith could strengthen and provide purpose in difficulty. These lessons were passed on to their children, and Teddy held on to them for the rest of her life.

Teddy's father worked as a cabinetmaker at a local factory in Grand Rapids. He and his wife were devout Catholics and faithfully took their family to every Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church. Teddy and her siblings attended Sacred Heart School, and Teddy participated in Girl Scouts and learned a little bit about playing the piano. Teddy grew to appreciate the out-of-doors from the family's frequent summertime trips to Grand Haven and Little Pine Island Lake. For high school, Teddy enrolled at Mt. Mercy Academy, an all-girls Catholic school, and became involved with the drama program there, participating in many school productions.

After graduation, Teddy found employment at Lear Siegler and Jarvis Manufacturing. It was there that she met a young tool and die maker named John S. Wagner. They soon began dating and fell in love. John proposed to her at a Union vs. Davis Tech football game and after her happy acceptance, slipped a ring onto her finger. They were married at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church on June 25, 1938, and a large reception followed at Kosciuszko Hall.

The Wagners honeymooned in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and fell in love with its pristine wilderness and beautiful vistas. It became their favorite vacation spot, and they eventually traveled there over fifty times, by ferry for the first twenty years, then over the Mackinac Bridge after 1957. When John and Teddy returned home from their honeymoon, they moved into an apartment above John's mother home at 309 Gunnison Avenue where they stayed for two years. After their son John was born in the spring of 1940, they looked for a new home and found one on Hovey Street SW, then built their final home at 434 Charlotte Avenue NW, moving in on Christmas Eve, 1951. Teddy wanted her son to grow up with the same values and faith that she had had. She sent him to Sacred Heart School and then went to West Catholic High School. She was very proud when he graduated from Michigan Tech University.

Shortly after John was born, Teddy's father died of kidney failure in 1941. Her mother passed away from heart failure in 1955. With both of her parents gone and John halfway through high school, Teddy decided it was time to fulfill a dream of hers by returning to college. In 1959, she graduated from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, earning her degree in Sociology. She went on to earn her Masters Degree in education and her teaching certificate from Michigan State University. She taught in both Grand Rapids and Wyoming Public Schools.

Teddy was very proud of her Polish heritage. She was a long time member of the Polish Heritage Society and sang in its choir for many years, performing at numerous events. She and her friend Sally Bilski were instrumental in establishing the Polish Heritage Festival held every summer in downtown Grand Rapids. She shared many Polish customs with her family, including Wigilia (Polish Christmas dinner), Swieconka (Blessing of the Easter food), Dozinki Festival (Polish Harvest Festival), and Pulaski Days. The house was frequently filled with the smells of traditional polish cuisine, including kielbasa, pierogi, kapusta, and golabki.

Teddy remained a devout Catholic, praying the rosary every day and maintaining her lifelong membership at Sacred Heart. A wonderful singer, she participated in the Sacred Heart Church Choir for many years and also served as a lector. She taught many other lectors and led workshops on lecturing for the purpose of proclaiming the word of God. She was instrumental in establishing the Stephans Ministry Program at Sacred Heart Church, visiting many people.

When she wasn't working or serving in church, Teddy had many hobbies that kept her busy. She and John canned tomatoes from their garden every fall, and she loved to sew, crochet, and knit. She was a member of several golf leagues and often golfed at Gracewell and Lincoln Country Club. Well read and intelligent, she was knowledgeable about many topics. After John's retirement, the Wagners often spent two months out of the year on South Padre Island in Texas with one of Teddy's sisters and brothers-in-law. Perhaps Teddy's greatest passion was fishing; she knew virtually every lake in the UP and West Michigan.

Teddy struggled with high blood pressure and had recently developed kidney problems requiring numerous hospitalizations. On her last trip to the hospital, the doctors realized that they could do nothing more. Upon visiting her on Tuesday, January 10, 2006, her husband and son discovered that Teddy had died. Her loved ones are comforted to know that she went to her heavenly reward, and her example of selflessness, compassion, and service will continue to influence those who knew her for years to come.

Teddy passed away at Spectrum Health - Butterworth Hospital. She was preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Anna Andrakowicz, Stella Saganski, and Helen Walkowiak; and brother, Walter Gryczanowski. She is survived by her husband, John; her son, John; siblings, Alice Uzarski of Twinsburg, Ohio, Florence (Bob) Raisenen, Leo (Helen) Gryzan, and Chester (Delores) Gryzan; sister-in-law and very dear friend, Estelle Folkert, brother and sister-in-law, Joseph and Mildred Wagner; many nieces and nephews; and many friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to meet her family at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home - Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel on Thursday, January 12, from 7-9 p.m., and on Friday, January 13, from 2-4 p.m. and from 7-9 p.m. with a scripture service at 7:30 p.m. The Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church on Saturday, January 14, at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be in Holy Cross Cemetery. Please visit Teddy's personal memory page at www.lifestorynet.com to share a favorite memory, sign her guestbook. Contributions in her memory may be made to Sacred Heart School Education Endowment Fund or Sacred Heart Church Building Fund.