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December 17, 2013
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Thursday, December 19, 2013 from 4-8 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Friday, December 20, 2013 at 9:30 AM from the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary R.C. Church, 580 Ratzer Road, Wayne, where at 10:30 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Interment will follow at Fair Lawn Memorial Cemetery.
Barbara Wielgus, age 81, entered into eternal rest on Tuesday, December 17, 2013, while her dear children and grandchildren lovingly stood beside her bedside.
Barbara was one of three children born to Samuel and Ellen Johnson in Stoke-on-Trent, England. While she was growing up, the man she would one day marry, Stanly Wielgus, was growing up in Poland. Three times during World War II Stanley was captured by the German Army and forced into slave labor in the manufacturing of German Messerschmitt fighter planes. On his third attempt to escape, he fled to Italy where he joined with the Polish division of the British Army. After the war, Stanley moved to Barbara’s homeland in England where he found work as a coal miner and lived in a camp called a coal miner’s hostile. Stan loved to dance and his travels throughout Europe gave him plenty of opportunity to learn different languages. It was one night during a dance in the hostile that Barbara and Stanley’s paths first crossed. The story is told that she was initially struck by how handsome he looked in his suit! The handsome Polish man and the beautiful English woman soon fell in love and eventually married on May 30, 1952 in Cobridge, one of five towns which collectively made up Stoke-on-Trent.
After marriage, the newly-wedded couple purchased a home in Smalthorne and soon after, welcomed a beautiful baby girl which they named Veronica (Ronnie). Two years later they welcomed a son which they named Stan. Barbara embraced motherhood, providing a nurturing and loving atmosphere for Ronnie and Stan to grow up while their father Stanley worked hard to provide for them as a coal miner. Barbara and Stanley strove to model the virtues of hard work and saving, while doing their best to bless their kids with the little pleasures of life. Once, when they asked their mom for ice cream, Stanley made their wish come true by one day walking to work instead of taking the train so that the days train fare could be used for Barbara to buy the kids ice cream.
The family enjoyed many blessings in their lives living in England, but Barbara and Stanley wanted to give Ronnie and Stan better opportunities than they felt England offered. So in 1962, when Barbara was twenty-nine, she and Stanley and the kids boarded a ship to the U.S., initially settling in Passaic before moving into a second floor apartment of a house owned by Stanley’s brother Walter. Barbara quickly got a job at a factory in Passaic called Drico and in 1966, they were able to buy their own home in Garfield. Three years later, they were blessed with a great big surprise – a precious baby girl which they named Janine. 1969 brought one other surprise; Barbara had purchased some raffle tickets from Ronnie’s school. Assuming the attitude that she never won, she paid for the tickets but threw the stubs in the garbage. Without Barbara realizing it, Ronnie had fished the discarded tickets out of the trash and it’s a good thing she did! One of those tickets was the winning one for a brand new, 1969 Chevy Impala! The irony was that Barbara never had her driver’s license! Barbara and Stanley raised their three children in that home in Garfield and remained there for the rest of their lives. In 1982, Barbara left her job at Drico and began a new one as a mail processor with Merck-Medco in Elmwood Park. She remained there for thirteen years until retiring in 1995. Between her two jobs at Drico and Merck Medco, Barbara worked for approximately thirty years. She worked days and took care of the kids at night and Stanley worked nights and took care of the kids when they were home during the day.
For all of her life, Christmas was truly Barbara’s favorite holiday. She and Stanley did their best to see to it that their kids enjoyed the magic of Christmas! Back in England, Ronnie and Stan once saw a stagecoach in a store display while going to visit Santa. They asked Santa for that big stagecoach for Christmas! Barbara, who never drove but who always made sure Christmas wishes came true, took trains and busses all over England, looking for similar stagecoaches to fulfill their wish! On Christmas Eve, Dad carried on a tradition of pretending he was going to the pub as an excuse to change into his Santa suit to surprise the kids. Santa outfits were in short supply in those days and Stanley’s beard was cleverly fashioned from rope he brought home from the coal mines which Barbara bleached white and fashioned into a beard. Barbara loved to bake for Christmas. There was never any shortage of Christmas cookies in the house and she took great delight in preserving the unique Polish and English traditions of the holiday season.
Barbara also enjoyed knitting – especially sweaters, and she was an avid reader, typically of popular romance stories and New York Times best sellers. She felt that it was very important to be aware of current events so watching the news was a regular evening event. Barbara loved to cook and the food was typically meat and potatoes fare. Her children like to joke that they never knew what pasta was until they went for dinner to their friends house. Speaking of food, Barbara loved to finish off dinner with a delicious bowl of ice cream!
Barbara will be remembered for her loving devotion to her family. It was always said in her house that Stanley was the hands of the home and Barbara was the heart. She leaves behind a legacy of instilling a great sense of the importance of love, virtue, truthfulness and values, to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Surviving to mourn her loss are her three dear children: Veronica (Ronnie) Rose and husband Michael, Sr. of Woodland Park, Stan Wielgus and wife Maureen of Rochelle Park and Janine Hintz and husband Richard of Wayne; Five adored grandchildren: Michael, Jr., Nicole, Dana, Daniel, and Jaclyn Grace; four adored great-grandchildren: Michael, III, Jeremy, Vincenzo and Caeli; her sister Elaine Slade and her brother Stan Johnson and wife Sandra, both of England.
Barbara was predeceased by her beloved husband of 54 years, Stanley, in 2006.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Barbara’s name are asked to consider the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241-7005.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Thursday, December 19, 2013 from 4-8 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Friday, December 20, 2013 at 9:30 AM from the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary R.C. Church, 580 Ratzer Road, Wayne, where at 10:30 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Interment will follow at Fair Lawn Memorial Cemetery.
December 17, 2013
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Thursday, December 19, 2013 from 4-8 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Friday, December 20, 2013 at 9:30 AM from the funeral home, then to Immaculate Heart of Mary R.C. Church, 580 Ratzer Road, Wayne, where at 10:30 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered. Interment will follow at Fair Lawn Memorial Cemetery.
Barbara Wielgus, age 81, entered into eternal rest on Tuesday, December 17, 2013, while her dear children and grandchildren lovingly stood beside her bedside.
Barbara was one of three children born to Samuel and Ellen Johnson in Stoke-on-Trent, England. While she was growing up, the man she would one day marry, Stanly Wielgus, was growing up in Poland. Three times during World War II Stanley was captured by the German Army and forced into slave labor in the manufacturing of German Messerschmitt fighter planes. On his third attempt to escape, he fled to Italy where he joined with the Polish division of the British Army. After the war, Stanley moved to Barbara’s homeland in England where he found work as a coal miner and lived in a camp called a coal miner’s hostile. Stan loved to dance and his travels throughout Europe gave him plenty of opportunity to learn different languages. It was one night during a dance in the hostile that Barbara and Stanley’s paths first crossed. The story is told that she was initially struck by how handsome he looked in his suit! The handsome Polish man and the beautiful English woman soon fell in love and eventually married on May 30, 1952 in Cobridge, one of five towns which collectively made up Stoke-on-Trent.
After marriage, the newly-wedded couple purchased a home in Smalthorne and soon after, welcomed a beautiful baby girl which they named Veronica (Ronnie). Two years later they welcomed a son which they named Stan. Barbara embraced motherhood, providing a nurturing and loving atmosphere for Ronnie and Stan to grow up while their father Stanley worked hard to provide for them as a coal miner. Barbara and Stanley strove to model the virtues of hard work and saving, while doing their best to bless their kids with the little pleasures of life. Once, when they asked their mom for ice cream, Stanley made their wish come true by one day walking to work instead of taking the train so that the days train fare could be used for Barbara to buy the kids ice cream.
The family enjoyed many blessings in their lives living in England, but Barbara and Stanley wanted to give Ronnie and Stan better opportunities than they felt England offered. So in 1962, when Barbara was twenty-nine, she and Stanley and the kids boarded a ship to the U.S., initially settling in Passaic before moving into a second floor apartment of a house owned by Stanley’s brother Walter. Barbara quickly got a job at a factory in Passaic called Drico and in 1966, they were able to buy their own home in Garfield. Three years later, they were blessed with a great big surprise – a precious baby girl which they named Janine. 1969 brought one other surprise; Barbara had purchased some raffle tickets from Ronnie’s school. Assuming the attitude that she never won, she paid for the tickets but threw the stubs in the garbage. Without Barbara realizing it, Ronnie had fished the discarded tickets out of the trash and it’s a good thing she did! One of those tickets was the winning one for a brand new, 1969 Chevy Impala! The irony was that Barbara never had her driver’s license! Barbara and Stanley raised their three children in that home in Garfield and remained there for the rest of their lives. In 1982, Barbara left her job at Drico and began a new one as a mail processor with Merck-Medco in Elmwood Park. She remained there for thirteen years until retiring in 1995. Between her two jobs at Drico and Merck Medco, Barbara worked for approximately thirty years. She worked days and took care of the kids at night and Stanley worked nights and took care of the kids when they were home during the day.
For all of her life, Christmas was truly Barbara’s favorite holiday. She and Stanley did their best to see to it that their kids enjoyed the magic of Christmas! Back in England, Ronnie and Stan once saw a stagecoach in a store display while going to visit Santa. They asked Santa for that big stagecoach for Christmas! Barbara, who never drove but who always made sure Christmas wishes came true, took trains and busses all over England, looking for similar stagecoaches to fulfill their wish! On Christmas Eve, Dad carried on a tradition of pretending he was going to the pub as an excuse to change into his Santa suit to surprise the kids. Santa outfits were in short supply in those days and Stanley’s beard was cleverly fashioned from rope he brought home from the coal mines which Barbara bleached white and fashioned into a beard. Barbara loved to bake for Christmas. There was never any shortage of Christmas cookies in the house and she took great delight in preserving the unique Polish and English traditions of the holiday season.
Barbara also enjoyed knitting – especially sweaters, and she was an avid reader, typically of popular romance stories and New York Times best sellers. She felt that it was very important to be aware of current events so watching the news was a regular evening event. Barbara loved to cook and the food was typically meat and potatoes fare. Her children like to joke that they never knew what pasta was until they went for dinner to their friends house. Speaking of food, Barbara loved to finish off dinner with a delicious bowl of ice cream!
Barbara will be remembered for her loving devotion to her family. It was always said in her house that Stanley was the hands of the home and Barbara was the heart. She leaves behind a legacy of instilling a great sense of the importance of love, virtue, truthfulness and values, to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Surviving to mourn her loss are her three dear children: Veronica (Ronnie) Rose and husband Michael, Sr. of Woodland Park, Stan Wielgus and wife Maureen of Rochelle Park and Janine Hintz and husband Richard of Wayne; Five adored grandchildren: Michael, Jr., Nicole, Dana, Daniel, and Jaclyn Grace; four adored great-grandchildren: Michael, III, Jeremy, Vincenzo and Caeli; her sister Elaine Slade and her brother Stan Johnson and wife Sandra, both of England.
Barbara was predeceased by her beloved husband of 54 years, Stanley, in 2006.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Barbara’s name are asked to consider the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241-7005.
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