Obit: Mikolainis, Sophie A. (1906 - 2006)

Contact:  Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon

Surnames: Mikolainis Rogus, Jaarosz, Grzeszkowiak, Micke, Skrzenta

----Sources: Thorp Courier (Thorp, WI) March 22, 2006

Mikolainis, Sophie A. (July 12, 1906 - March 21, 2006)

Sophie A. Mikolanis, age 99, of Thorp, died at Zastrow Care Center in Gilman, on Tuesday, March 21, 2006.

Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 25, 2006 at St. Bernard-St. Hedwig Catholic Church in Thorp. Fr. Keith Apfelbeck will officiate and burial will follow in Old St. Hedwig’s Catholic Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Tim Micke, David Micke, Carol Jugo, Cathy Kuhl, Robert Mikolainis and Ron Grzeszkowiak. Visitation will be held at Thorp Funeral Home on Friday, March 24, 2006 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. with a 7 p.m. Rosary Service.

Spphie A Rogus was born on July 12, 1906 in Thorp, WI to Jacob and Helen (Jarosz) Rogus. She was raised on the family farm and received her education at Colby School. Sophie was united in marriage on September 1, 1935 to Kase Mikolainis at St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church in Thorp. They moved to Chicago for a short time, and then moved to Marathon City, where they operated the Gamble’s Store for two years. They moved back to Thorp and rented a farm. In 1941, they bought timbered land in the Town of Withee, which they cleared and built all of the buildings, as Kase built homes and barns by trade. They retired in the late 1960’s and moved into Thorp, in a house that Kase built. Sophie sold her home in June of 1991 and moved to Morgan Plaza, where she lived until moving to Zastrow Care Center in 2000. Sophie had many interests, but especially enjoyed gardening, flowers, crocheting, traveling, and making Christmas trees out of old jewelry.

She was a member of St. Bernard-St. Hedwig Catholic Church and its P.C.C.W., a member and past president of Roman Catholic Council of America, a past president of the Rosary Society of St. Hedwig’s parish, a past president of Thorp Senior Citizens, and chairperson of the parish thrift sale for 23 years.

She is survived by one son: Donald Mikolainis of Thorp; one daughter, Jolanta (Ron) Grzeszkowiak of Sheldon; five grandchildren, seven step-grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren, and nine step great-grandchildren.

Sophie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Kase, on April 12, 1979; one son-in-law, Kenneth Micke, in 1981; two daughters-in-law: Darlene Mikolainis in 1999 and Bernice Mikolainis in 2005; and one sister, Victoria Skrzenta.