Elizabeth Mary Sokolowski 1916 - 2020

SOKOLOWSKI

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 12/6/2020 at 08:09:20

Sioux City Journal
29 November 2020

Elizabeth Mary Sokolowski

Sioux City

Elizabeth Mary Sokolowski, 104, of Sioux City passed away from Covid at Holy Spirit Retirement Home on Nov. 25, 2020.

A private family burial will be held at Calvary Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Waterbury Funeral Service of Sioux City.

Elizabeth was born on August 23, 1916 in Sioux City. The family moved to St. Paul, Minn., and then to Mankato, Minn., before finally settling in Sioux City. She graduated with honors from East High School in 1934.

After graduation Elizabeth worked at Northwestern Bell. During World War II, she was employed at the Sioux City Airbase. She always remembered the large number of military personneland bomber aircraft that used the base.

On Jan. 28, 1940, she married Frank Sokolowski in Sioux City. Elizabeth was a loving mother of six children. She was dedicated to their faith and education.

After Frank died in 1966, Elizabeth continued to live in the large family home with her mother, Aniela Bujarski.

When her mother died, Elizabeth moved to a smaller home next door to her daughter, Mary, where she lived for 35 years.

Elizabeth was a long time member of Immaculate Conception Parish. She was an exceptionally well-read person who always had at least two books going at a time. She loved good literature, especially history, biographies and the classics. Elizabeth also enjoyed sewing, cooking, baking bread and visiting with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In 1987, her son Paul, daughter Mary and son-in-law, Pete bought The FitzGibbon Company and there Elizabeth found an added interest in life. She loved coming to the store every day to prepare the business deposits and wait on customers. In fact, she continued to work at FitzGibbons until February 2017.

Elizabeth did not move to Holy Spirit from her home until she was over 100 years old. She soon came to love and enjoy all the residents, their family members and the entire wonderful and caring Holy Spirit staff. She was especially fortunate to share a close friendship with Alice Sea, who passed in May 2020.

Elizabeth is survived by her six children, Larry of Spanish Fort, Ala., Mary (Pete) Johnson of Sioux City, Frank (Rosanne) of Poquoson, Va., Paul of Sioux City, Ann (Jon Staudt) of Des Moines, Iowa, and David of Winona, Minn.; 12 grandchildren, Dean, Heather, Molly, Hilary, David, Paul, Mark, Tesia, Matt, Lynn, Andy, Genevieve and numerous great-grandchildren.

Elizabeth was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Frank, her sister Kathryn and her daughter-in-law Virginia.

God blessed our family with the most special and caring mother. We will miss the love and joy she brought to our lives and we will always love and cherish her memory.

Our family would like to thank all you good people who sent Mom birthday cards this past August. Mom treasured those cards and read and reread them a countless number of times.

Memorials may be sent to the Siouxland Food Bank in Sioux City.