Violet Elizabeth Woitaszewski
Violet Elizabeth Woitaszewski, age 98, of Grand Island, passed away surrounded by family on Tuesday, April 19, 2022.
Funeral Mass was held Tuesday, April 26, at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Grand Island. The Reverend Martin Egging officiated. Burial was in Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Grand Island, beside her late husband Daniel.
Memorials will be directed by the family.
Violet was born February 8, 1924, on a farm near Sweetwater to Daniel and Edith (Anderson) O’Neill. She attended country school north of Gibbon. At age nine she moved to a farm northeast of Wood River, where she attended District 76 through the eighth grade. She graduated from Wood River High School in 1941 after which she taught country school for six years.
She married Daniel Woitaszewski on October 15, 1945, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Grand Island. To this union seven children were born. Daniel preceded her in death on January 27, 2003. Throughout their married life they farmed and raised livestock north of Wood River. Of course, Violet had a helping hand in every aspect of the farm. She also worked in several nursing homes over the years including, Lakeview, Wedgewood, and Lebensraum Assisted Living in Grand Island. She is remembered as being “kind and sweet,” “a lovely lady,” “busy,” and willing to try new things.
Violet enjoyed sewing just about anything: stuffed animals, car seat covers, quilts, clothes, and costumes. She wrote lovely poems, made up games and fun for her family, designed cut out wood lawn ornaments, and made doll houses donating them to charities.
Violet savored getting together with family and friends and always had time to visit. She taught herself to play the piano, organ and accordion by ear. She was famous for her wonderful apple pies baking 24 or more at a time then driving them around delivering them. She always had pies and lots of food in the freezer for anyone that happened to pop in.
She was the family historian, remembering everyone and how they were connected. She wrote and shared the stories of her siblings’ lives, as well as those of her husband and herself. She preserved and organized family photos in albums. All things were done with care, leaving a priceless legacy.
After the death of her husband, Violet moved to Grand Island and proceeded to try many other hobbies in her spare time. She joined a line dance group to which she sewed seasonal matching vests and hats. Violet also joined a kitchen band, learned Tai-Chi, and how to play hand bells. She fearlessly tackled computer technology, using the internet, including Facebook and texting, to keep in touch with family and to write and print her family histories. She lived a very rich, long and loving life, a most remarkable woman.
She is survived by her children, Kathy Wagoner-Wiese, of Kenesaw; and Dennis (Kim) Woitaszewski, Ron (Kathy) Woitaszewski, Jerry (Linda) Woitaszewski, and Ken (Deb) Woitaszewski, all of Wood River; Virg Oseka (John Anderson), of Hastings; and Danette (Gerard) Houdek, of Grand Island. She is also survived by one sister, Anne Mart, of Hutchinson, Kansas. Violet has 21 grandchildren, 27 greatgrandchildren, and four great great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, three brothers, three sisters, one son-in-law, and two infant granddaughters.