Obit: Szczech, Apolonia "Polly" (1915 - 2006)
Contact:  Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Szczech, Kubera, Badzinski, Vircks, Seichter, Jorgensen, Paull, Olsen, McConville, Richards, Lord, Yenter, Krych, Zeck, Dmytro, Kramer, Strzok, Staszuk

----Sources: Thorp Courier (Thorp, WI.) December 27, 2006

Szczech, Apolonia "Polly" (December 3, 1915 - December 21, 2006)

Apolonia (Polly) Szczech, age 91, of Thorp, died at the Stevens Point Care Center on December 21, 2006.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, December 27, 2006 at St. Bernard-St. Hedwig Catholic Church in Thorp. Fr. Keith Apfelbeck officiated and burial followed in St. Hedwig’s Country Catholic Cemetery. Pallbearers were grandsons and great-grandsons: Bruce Szczech, Scott Paull, Chad Seichter, Darren Szczech, Michael McConville, Dominic Paull, and Brandon Jorgensen. Visitation was held at the Thorp Funeral Home on Tuesday, December 26, 2006 from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. Rosary service.

Apolonia Badzinski was born on December 3, 1915 in Thorp, WI to Myrtle (Kubera) and Walter Badzinski. When she was a young child, her family moved to rural Thorp where she was raised and received her education at the Goff School, in the Town of Reseburg. Polly worked taking care of her siblings and on the family farm. She was united in marriage to Walter J. Szczech on June 20, 1933 at St. Hedwig’s Catholic Church in Thorp. They farmed in the Town of Reseburg, where they raised their family and lived until Walter died on December 10, 1970. Polly resided in her home until moving into Morgan Plaza in March 1986. She later moved to Oakbrook Health and Rehab in December 2000 and to Stevens Point Care Center in October 2006.

Polly was a member of the St. Bernard-St. Hedwig Catholic Church and was an active member of its Rosary and Alter Societies and PCCW. She was also a member of the Oakland Homemakers Club and a volunteer at the Thorp Nursing Home and the Thorp Area Senior Citizen’s Nutrition Center for many years.

Polly had many interests, and especially loved attending as many of her grandchildren’s activities and sports as possible. She also enjoyed baking, cooking, and making patchwork quilts for her grandchildren.

She will be sadly missed by her children: Marlene (Gerald) Vircks of Stevens Point and Dan (Anne) Szczech of Greenwood; daughter-in-law, Carol Szczech of Wittenberg; son-in-law, Clarence (Shorty) Seichter of Cadott; 13 grand-children, 11 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-granddaughter: Bruce (Sandy) Szczech and children, Leah and Erica; Janine (Szczech) Jorgensen and children, Blythe and Brandon; Scott (Donna) Paull and children, Aimee (Matt) Olsen and daughter, Kendall, Dominic (Nicole) and Brittany; Denise (Jim) McConville and children, Bethany and Michael; Kerri (Michael) Richards and son, Marcus; Chad Seichter; Sharilyn (John) Lord; Amanda (Kevin) Yenter and son, Carson; Darren, Alyssa, Dustin, Ashley and Angel Szczech; brothers, Harry (Margaret) Badzinski and Alex Badzinski; sister, Valerie (Edmund) Krych; sisters-in-law: Dorothy Zeck, Alice (Leo) Dmytro and Helen Badzinski; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Polly was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Walter; daughter, Dolores (Laurie) Seichter; son, Jerome Szczech; infant great-granddaughter, Kayla McConville; brothers: Louis, John, Joseph, George, and Albert Badzinski and sisters: Elizabeth Kramer, Josephine Strzok, Gertrude Staszuk; and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.