Wanda Stachowiak

Throughout her rich and rewarding life, Wanda Stachowiak was a sensitive and compassionate woman with unending love for her family that grew to include the grandchildren and great-grandchildren who were the light of her life.

The year 1919 was a year to celebrate as America had emerged as a world leader with the end of WWI just the year before. This same year was a year to remember in the lives of Frank and Pauline (Jaczkiewicz) Maslowski as they were blessed with the birth of a baby girl on October 19, 1919. Born and raised in the family home on Fourth Street on the West Side, Wanda was the third of five girls as she was joined in her family by her sisters, Jean, Helen, Lucille, and Agnes, to whom she was very close. Her father was in the booming furniture industry at Stow/Davis Furniture while her mother was a homemaker. Wanda and her family were members of St. Adalbert Catholic Church where she was baptized and received both her first holy communion and confirmation. She cleaned area homes for some extra income, and she also attended St. Adalberts Elementary and graduated from Union High School in 1937.

New and exciting changes were in store for Wanda when she met John Stachowiak at the duck pond in John Ball Park. They soon began dating, and one year later they were married on August 10, 1940, at St. Adalbert’s Catholic Church. The newlyweds settled into the home that John’s father built at 218 Garfield Avenue, SW, which became their lifelong home. This was also where they raised their six children including twins, Marie and Marilyn, John, Joan, Lawrence, and Daniel. They became members of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish where they worshipped as a family. Wanda and John were both involved in all aspects of their children’s lives, and together they enjoyed frequent picnics to Gun Lake as well as a memorable trip to Cedar Point.

Always one to be busy, Wanda was a woman of many interests. She loved classic television shows like All in the Family and Golden Girls along with classic movies, musicals, and the opera.She was a wonderful cook and proud of her Polish Heritage making delicious traditional dishes of keilbasa, pierogi's, golumbki,and kapusta. Wanda faithfully read the newspaper from cover to cover each day, and she also watched the news, too. Together she and John did some traveling including trips out East and to New York and Las Vegas.

A sensitive, faith-filled, and dear woman to many, Wanda Stachowiak will be deeply missed but never forgotten.

STACHOWIAK (Maslowski) Wanda Stachowiak, aged 95 of Grand Rapids, passed away on Saturday afternoon, January 10, 2015 at St. Ann’s Home. She is survived by her husband of 74 Years, John Stachowiak; her children, Marie Jason, Marilyn (Dave) Zimmerman, John (Tina) Stachowiak, Joan (Edward) Kunde, Lawrence (Ann) Stachowiak, Daniel (Laura) Stachowiak; 6 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren, one great great grandchild; many nieces, nephews and friends. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Jean (Bernard) Miller, Helen (Bud) Milliken, Agnes (Bob) Manning and Lucille (George) Zylstra. A special thank you to the wonderful staff of St. Ann's Home for the love and care extended to Wanda and her family these past two years. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday morning at 10:00 AM at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church, 159 Garfield Ave. SW.. Visitation at the funeral home on Wednesday from 2-4 and 6-8 PM with the rosary prayed at 7:00 PM.. Burial in Holy Cross Cemetery. Contributions in her memory may be made to Sacred Heart of Jesus Capitol Campaign. To read more about Wanda’s life, to sign her guest book and to leave your own memory of her, visit her web page at www.lifestorynet.com