Obit: Olejniczak, Joseph Paul #2 (1924 - 2007)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Olejniczak, Glowacki, Olney, Harycki, Pratt, Pomeroy, Bates, Schilling, Peterson, Plunkett, DiGiorgio

----Sources: Thorp Courier (Thorp, WI.) May 2, 2007

Olejniczak, Joseph Paul (September 9, 1924 - April 23, 2007)

Joseph P. Olejniczak, age 82, of Thorp, passed away on Monday, April 23, 2007 at Our Lady of Victory Hospital in Stanley. Funeral services were held on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Bernard-St. Hedwig Catholic Church in Thorp. Fr. Keith Apfelbeck officiated and burial followed in New St. Hedwig’s Catholic Cemetery. Visitation was held on Thursday, April 26, 2007 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Thorp Funeral Home and on Friday one hour prior to services at the church.

Joseph Paul Olejniczak was born on September 9, 1924 in the Town of Roosevelt, Taylor County, to Matt and Pearl (Glowacki) Olney. He was raised and received his education in the Town of Roosevelt and graduated from Thorp High School in 1943. Joe was united in marriage on October 24, 1944 to Irene F. Harycki at St. Mary’s Polish National Catholic Church in Lublin. They farmed in the Town of Roosevelt until 1951, at which time they moved to Thorp. Joe then went to work for Foremost Foods and remained there until retiring in 1987. After retirement, Joe and his wife enjoyed traveling to Texas and Connecticut to visit with family. His wife Irene passed away on July 14, 2004. He resided in Thorp until the time of his death.

He was a member of St. Bernard-St. Hedwig Catholic Church, enjoyed gardening, reading about health & nutrition, and always had time for people.

Joe will be sadly missed by his children: Sandra Pratt of Bloomington, IL, Shirley Olejniczak of Milwaukee, Susan Olejniczak-Pomeroy of Minneapolis, MN, Barbara (Bill) Olejniczak-Bates of Germain, WI, Carmen Olejniczak (Hartley Schilling) of Duluth, MN, Wayne Olejniczak of San Antonio, TX, and Vivian Olejniczak of Marshfield, WI; four grand-children: Jason Pomeroy of Minneapolis, MN, Landis Pratt of Bloomington, IL, and Hanna and Robin Olejniczak of San Antonio, TX; three sisters: Claire (Don) Peterson of Onalaska, WI, Marian Plunkett of Santa Ana, CA, and Florence "Flo" DiGiorgio of San Jose, CA; and one sister-in-law, Eleanor Olney of Jacksonville, FL.

He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers: Henry and Paul Matthew in infancy.