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December 20, 2014
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, December 26, 2014 from 2-4 and 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, December 27, 2014 at 9:00 AM from the funeral home, then to Our Lady of the Valley R.C. Church, 630 Valley Road, Wayne, where at 10:00 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
Mary “Mae” Karnas, age 96, of New Brunswick and formerly of Bloomfield, passed peacefully on Saturday, December 20, 2014.
Born and raised in Newark, she attended Saint Casimir Elementary School and Eastside High School. Growing up in a big family during the depression made life challenging, so Mae quit high school and got a job at RCA making television tubes on a production line. She was thankful for that job as it enabled her to help her parents make ends meet. Later on in life, she returned to school and received her high school equivalency diploma.
Mae was just a young girl when she met the man she would one day marry. His name was Bronislaus “Ben”, and he grew up right in her neighborhood. One day, as a very young child, she saw him standing across the street and his tall stature caught Mae’s attention. Later they re-met at a wedding. Mae was with her cousin who, upon seeing Ben, excitedly said to Mae, “See that fellow...I'd like to go out with him!” Mae thought, “I don't think so...he’s for me!” Mae and Ben ended up dancing and talking that night. They continued dating and ultimately married on Sunday, February 28, 1943 at Saint Casimir R.C. Church. They moved into a cold-water flat in Bloomfield. Later on they bought a home in Bellville where they remained until 1955. During those years, Mae was blessed with four sons: Anthony, Stephen, Kenneth, and Michael.
The family moved again, this time back to Bloomfield where they purchased their own grocery business. They called it Ben’s Hilltop Market and it became the center of the Karnas family life. The whole family lived above the store. It was tight living quarters, and it got a little tighter when they were blessed with one more child in 1959, a baby girl whom they named Mary. As tight as it was, it worked because there was always lots of love to go around. The business was open seven days a week and Mae worked side-by-side in loving devotion to her beloved Ben. The kids helped out in the store too and it was closed every Sunday from two to four PM so that Mae and Ben could take some time for family or to relax a bit.
Across the street from the store was St. Valentine’s Church. This was a big part of Mae’s life as she had a deep faith and devotion to the Blessed Mother. She was a member of the "Mom's Club." Mae was also proud of her Polish heritage and joined with many other women in the church’s Polish Women’s Association. At home, Mae also carried on many of the Polish traditions. She loved big family gatherings where she prepared hallmark, not-to-be-rivaled family recipes. Favorites included her pierogis and mushroom barszcz. Every year, Mae was thrilled to host the Polish Christmas Eve which was referred to as Wigilia. In 1968, the family moved out of that apartment above the store to a home in the Brookdale section of Bloomfield. Then, in 1978, Ben and Mae retired from the business. They enjoyed a wonderful tour through Poland and lived out their retirement years in simple fashion – enjoying walks together to Brookdale Park, spending time with their children, visiting Mae and Ben's brothers and sisters, and looking forward to time spent with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In 1993, right around the time that Mae and Ben celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, Ben’s health began to fail. Mae completely devoted herself to caring for him and stood by his side until his passing in 2003. A few years later she moved to New Brunswick where she remained to the present time.
Mary was a hard worker. She was a sweet woman who never had a bad word to say about anyone. She leaves behind a legacy of devotion to her family and her faith in God. Rest in peace, Mae.
Surviving are her five dear children: Anthony and wife Claire Karnas of South Carolina, Stephen and wife Barbara Karnas of Florida, Kenneth Karnas of Wantage, Michael and wife Kathleen Karnas of New York, and Mary and husband Peter DiTore of Wayne; twelve adored grandchildren: Stephen, Joy, Scott, Matthew, Colleen, Ryan, Katie, Kenneth, Stephanie, Glen, Michael and Teresa; fifteen cherished great-grandchildren: Jared, Logan, Kathlyn, Quinn, Chloe, Reid, Eliza, Madelyn, Aniela, Juliet, Merjeme, Juniper, Gabriel, Sailor and Zoe; and her dear brother John Zarych of Pompton Plains.
Mae was predeceased by her beloved husband Bronislaus “Ben” in 2003; her adored great-granddaughter Niko Jill in 2010; her two brothers: Walter and Thaddeus Zarych; and her two sisters: Helen and Albina Zarych.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Mary’s name are asked to donate to a charity of your choice.
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 Friday, December 26, 2014 from 2-4 and 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, December 27, 2014 at 9:00 AM from the funeral home, then to Our Lady of the Valley R.C. Church, 630 Valley Road, Wayne, where at 10:00 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
December 20, 2014
Services
Friends may visit with the family at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Friday, December 26, 2014 from 2-4 and 7-9 PM.
Funeral Services will be held on Saturday, December 27, 2014 at 9:00 AM from the funeral home, then to Our Lady of the Valley R.C. Church, 630 Valley Road, Wayne, where at 10:00 AM a Funeral Mass will be offered.
Mary “Mae” Karnas, age 96, of New Brunswick and formerly of Bloomfield, passed peacefully on Saturday, December 20, 2014.
Born and raised in Newark, she attended Saint Casimir Elementary School and Eastside High School. Growing up in a big family during the depression made life challenging, so Mae quit high school and got a job at RCA making television tubes on a production line. She was thankful for that job as it enabled her to help her parents make ends meet. Later on in life, she returned to school and received her high school equivalency diploma.
Mae was just a young girl when she met the man she would one day marry. His name was Bronislaus “Ben”, and he grew up right in her neighborhood. One day, as a very young child, she saw him standing across the street and his tall stature caught Mae’s attention. Later they re-met at a wedding. Mae was with her cousin who, upon seeing Ben, excitedly said to Mae, “See that fellow...I'd like to go out with him!” Mae thought, “I don't think so...he’s for me!” Mae and Ben ended up dancing and talking that night. They continued dating and ultimately married on Sunday, February 28, 1943 at Saint Casimir R.C. Church. They moved into a cold-water flat in Bloomfield. Later on they bought a home in Bellville where they remained until 1955. During those years, Mae was blessed with four sons: Anthony, Stephen, Kenneth, and Michael.
The family moved again, this time back to Bloomfield where they purchased their own grocery business. They called it Ben’s Hilltop Market and it became the center of the Karnas family life. The whole family lived above the store. It was tight living quarters, and it got a little tighter when they were blessed with one more child in 1959, a baby girl whom they named Mary. As tight as it was, it worked because there was always lots of love to go around. The business was open seven days a week and Mae worked side-by-side in loving devotion to her beloved Ben. The kids helped out in the store too and it was closed every Sunday from two to four PM so that Mae and Ben could take some time for family or to relax a bit.
Across the street from the store was St. Valentine’s Church. This was a big part of Mae’s life as she had a deep faith and devotion to the Blessed Mother. She was a member of the "Mom's Club." Mae was also proud of her Polish heritage and joined with many other women in the church’s Polish Women’s Association. At home, Mae also carried on many of the Polish traditions. She loved big family gatherings where she prepared hallmark, not-to-be-rivaled family recipes. Favorites included her pierogis and mushroom barszcz. Every year, Mae was thrilled to host the Polish Christmas Eve which was referred to as Wigilia. In 1968, the family moved out of that apartment above the store to a home in the Brookdale section of Bloomfield. Then, in 1978, Ben and Mae retired from the business. They enjoyed a wonderful tour through Poland and lived out their retirement years in simple fashion – enjoying walks together to Brookdale Park, spending time with their children, visiting Mae and Ben's brothers and sisters, and looking forward to time spent with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In 1993, right around the time that Mae and Ben celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, Ben’s health began to fail. Mae completely devoted herself to caring for him and stood by his side until his passing in 2003. A few years later she moved to New Brunswick where she remained to the present time.
Mary was a hard worker. She was a sweet woman who never had a bad word to say about anyone. She leaves behind a legacy of devotion to her family and her faith in God. Rest in peace, Mae.
Surviving are her five dear children: Anthony and wife Claire Karnas of South Carolina, Stephen and wife Barbara Karnas of Florida, Kenneth Karnas of Wantage, Michael and wife Kathleen Karnas of New York, and Mary and husband Peter DiTore of Wayne; twelve adored grandchildren: Stephen, Joy, Scott, Matthew, Colleen, Ryan, Katie, Kenneth, Stephanie, Glen, Michael and Teresa; fifteen cherished great-grandchildren: Jared, Logan, Kathlyn, Quinn, Chloe, Reid, Eliza, Madelyn, Aniela, Juliet, Merjeme, Juniper, Gabriel, Sailor and Zoe; and her dear brother John Zarych of Pompton Plains.
Mae was predeceased by her beloved husband Bronislaus “Ben” in 2003; her adored great-granddaughter Niko Jill in 2010; her two brothers: Walter and Thaddeus Zarych; and her two sisters: Helen and Albina Zarych.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Mary’s name are asked to donate to a charity of your choice.
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