Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com
Published - Saturday, April 19, 2008
Obituaries for Saturday, April 19, 2008
Joseph P. Emanuel | SFC (Retired) Stanislaus Adamczyk Jr. | Sandra Kay Schultz | Neal G. Decker | Euphrosine Theresa Rybarczyk
Joseph P. Emanuel
Joseph P. Emanuel, 91, of Winona died Wednesday, April 16, 2008, at Lake Winona Manor, after a two-month battle with leukemia.
Joe was born Jan. 26, 1917, to Dominic and Catherine (Barberi) Emanuel, in Keewatin, Minn. He attended Hibbing Junior College, where he studied forestry and played basketball. In 1939, he graduated from Duluth State Teachers College (now UMD), with a degree in teaching. Joe and his brother, Tony Emanuel, were co-captains of the Duluth State basketball team. Joe met his future wife, Gladys Erickson of Chisholm, Minn., at DSTC, where she was a cheerleader. He was a high school teacher when he was drafted into the U.S. Army on June 26, 1941. Joe and Gladys were married in Paris, Texas, near where Joe was stationed at Camp Maxie, on June 12, 1943. They were fond of saying that they were married in Paris and remained together and in love for 64 years.
Joe entered active duty in the Army as a private and was discharged as a major, at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. He trained in chemical warfare tactics and defense. He served 16 months overseas earning a bronze star with the 102nd Infantry Division, in France, Holland and Germany. After the war, he served in the Army reserves. Joe commanded the 419th Civil Affairs Company, in Winona, from 1953 to 1963. He retired as a lieutenant colonel.
After graduate studies on the G.I. Bill at the University of Minnesota, Joe taught biology at Northern Montana College in Havre, Mont., from 1947 to 1949. He moved to Winona in 1949 and taught at Winona State for 33 years, retiring in 1982. Joe served as chairman of the biology department and then chairman of the Division of Science and Mathematics for a total of 10 years, was Faculty Senate president for five years and represented Winona State Faculty for six on the Inter Faculty Organization. Among the contributions of which Joe was most proud was his pivotal role as an administrator in establishing Winona State’s successful nursing program.
Joe was energetically devoted to the community beyond WSU. He served two terms on the Winona Board of Adjustment, resolving city zoning issues. He spent 15 years on the city’s Charter Commission and was elected chairman during the push to adopt the city’s Home Rule Charter. The document creating Winona’s current Council-Manager form of government was overwhelmingly adopted by election on May 7, 1968.
Joe worked on behalf of many community groups. He belonged to the American Legion Post 9, and served as post commander. He ushered at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart for 35 years and belonged to Knights of Columbus Council No. 639 of Winona. He volunteered at the Winona Visitor’s Center, belonged to Kiwanis Golden K, worked on the Red Cross blood drives, assisted at Saint Anne Extended Healthcare, and helped seniors prepare taxes at the Winona Senior Center. He was an enthusiastic YMCA member, working out and helping out at the Y for more than 40 years. Joe loved wildflowers and was a recognized expert on the spring wildflowers of Winona County, a passion he shared through field trips and slide shows for students and diverse groups, including Community Education, Garden Club, Learning Club, WSU Alumni Society and local church groups and retirement homes.
Joe is survived by his wife, Gladys; and sons, Douglas Emanuel of Winona, Richard Emanuel and daughter-in-law, Julie Dumoulin and granddaughter Nicole Emanuel of Anchorage, Alaska; Donald and grandson, Andrew Emanuel of Great Falls, Mont., and Dean and daughter-in-law, Heidi and granddaughter Alyse Emanuel of Maple Grove, Minn.; brother, Patsy Emanuel of Keewatin, Minn.; and sisters-in-law, Mary Emanuel of Keewatin and Arminia Emanuel of Waverly, Minn.; also numerous nieces and nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, eight brothers and one sister.
A Mass of Christian Burial to celebrate Joe’s life will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, April 21, 2008, at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, with the Rev. Swaminatha Pothireddy officiating. Interment will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery, Winona, where members of American Legion Post 9 will conduct military burial honors.
Friends may call on Sunday, April 20, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Fawcett-Junker Funeral Home, where there will be a prayer service at 4:30 p.m. Friends may also call at the church on Monday from 9:30 a.m. to time of services.
Donations in memory of Joe are welcome to the Joe and Gladys Emanuel Scholarship Fund, for biology students at WSU, and to Winona Area Hospice Services.
Services entrusted to Fawcett-Junker Funeral Home, Winona.
Words of sympathy and remembrance may be left at www.fawcett-junkerfuneralhome.com.
SFC (Retired) Stanislaus Adamczyk Jr.
LAWTON, Okla. — Funeral service with military honors for SFC (Retired) Stanislaus Adamczyk Jr., 71, of Lawton will be at 10 a.m. Monday in the Becker Funeral Home Memorial Chapel, with the Rev. Herman Lawrence, deacon, Holy Family Catholic Church, officiating.
Sergeant Adamczyk died Wednesday in a local hospital.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.
He was born July 30, 1936, in Winona, Minn., to Stanley and Dorothy Adamczyk at Winona Community Hospital. He grew up in Winona and attended school at St. Stanislaus Church and then Cotter High School.
He enlisted in the Army on Aug. 30, 1953, and went to basic training at Fort Bliss, Texas. In July 1954, he was sent to Germany. He was first stationed in Hanau and then Darmstadt, where he worked on the Atomic Annie. That is where he met his wife, Ilse Juliane Schafer, of Offenbach A/Main, and they were married on April 7, 1956. He was sent to Fort Polk, La., then to Fort Riley, Kan. In 1960, he was sent to Korea for a year. Upon his return, he was sent to Fort Sill, Okla., where he remained until 1968 and then returned overseas to Frankfurt, Germany. After that, he was sent to Fort Snelling, Minn., to close the base. In 1971, he returned to Fort Sill until he retired in 1975 and made Lawton home for himself and his family. He received numerous awards, medals and ribbons during his 22 years of service, including the National Defense Service Medal (2nd Award), Army of Occupation Medal (Germany), Good Conduct Medal (6th Award), Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Commendation Medal.
Upon his retirement, he went back to college to receive a degree in business from Cameron University in 1979. He then returned to work at Fort Sill for Civil Service in the One Stop (Training Aides) and worked there until 1995, when he had to medically retire. He was a member of the VFW Post 5263 and served as the post commander. He was also a member of the DAV Chapter 56, Holy Family Catholic Church and the Winona Polish Historical Society.
Survivors include his wife of the home; a son and daughter-in-law, Michael Adamczyk and Beth of Phoenix, Ariz.; two daughters, Dorothy Adams and her husband, Paul, of Meers, and Mary Adamczyk of Lawton; his grandchildren, Christina Chilcote, Trista Adamczyk, Janell and Josh Bigger, Nicholas Chilcote and his fiancée, Amber Johnson, Brandon Adamczyk, Juliane Adams and her fiancé, Logan Jones, Christopher and Sabina Adamczyk, Donaven and Erin Adamczyk, Michael and Lisa Adams, Mathew Adams and his fiancée, Jessica Gilmore, Michael Smith, Brittany Smith and Heather Smith; his great-grandchildren, Sean Bigger, Camdin Chilcote, Jacob Adamczyk, Isabella Adamczyk, Colton Adamczyk, Lexi Adams, Autumn Adams, Alan Adams and Davis Gilmore; a sister, Diane Duden; a brother and sister-in-law, Richard and Jean Adamczyk; a sister-in-law, Rosie Adamczyk; an uncle, Ralph Drwall; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
His parents; a daughter, Ilse Adamczyk; and a brother, Frank Adamczyk, preceded him in death.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, 4704 Motif Manor, Suite 5, Lawton, OK 73505.
An online guest book and sympathy cards are available at www.beckerfuneral.com.
Sandra Kay Schultz
Sandra Kay Schultz, 47, of Highway 43, Winona, died on Thursday, April 17, 2008, at Methodist Hospital in Rochester, Minn.
Sandra was born on May 20, 1960, in Winona, to Robert and Lois (Neitzke) Jacobs. She graduated from Winona Senior High School and attended Minnesota State College Southeast Technical.
Sandra married Roger Daniel Schultz on May 6, 2000, at St. Martin’s Evangelical Church.
She was a member of St. Martin’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, where she also taught Sunday School.
Sandra worked for 16 years as a medical secretary at the Mayo Clinic. She was a member of the Winona Humane Society, the International Humane Society of America and was an SPCA Guardian.
She was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Bradley Jacobs.
She is survived by her husband, Dan; stepson, Dan (Christina) Schultz, Isanti, Minn.; two brothers, Dennis (Sandra) Jacobs, Stockton, Minn., and Jerrod (Brenda) Jacobs, rural Winona; grandchildren, Kelsey and Kiana; nephew, Ryan; nieces, Taylor and Rachel; and aunts, uncles and other relatives.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at St. Martin’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, with the Rev. Richard Moore officiating. Burial will be in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Visitation will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday at Martin-Myhre Funeral Home and on Tuesday after noon at the church.
Casket bearers will be Steve Haedtke, Paul Kreidermacher, Dan Streich, Craig Schultz, Paul Ziebell and Russ Neitzke.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Winona Humane Society.
Neal G. Decker
Neal G. Decker, 65, of Winona died Thursday, April 17, 2008, at Lake Winona Manor.
Neal was born in Arcadia, Wis., on June 16, 1942, the son of Gilbert O. and Margaret M. (Baechler) Decker.
Neal is a lifelong resident of this area. He was married to Melania Koch, they later divorced. He is a U.S. Army veteran and a member of St. Michael’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Fountain City, Wis.
He owned and operated Decker Stained Glass Studio of Winona for over 40 years.
He is survived by a special friend, Fran Kortsan of Winona; children, Mike Decker, and fiancée, Jane of West Salem, Wis., Kathryn (Don) Felch, Montgomery, Ala., Mark (Natalie) Decker and Kelly Decker, both of Appleton, Wis., Francis Kortsan and friend, Ahlex of Winona and Jeremy Kortsan of Winona; eight grandchildren; 10 nephews and six nieces. Neal is also survived by his siblings, Douglas Decker, Fountain City, Diane (Robert) Ward, Decorah, Iowa, Gilbert “Gib” (Sharon) Decker, Jr., Dennis (Vicki) Decker, both of Winona, Renata (Bill) Wojchik, Fountain City, Jacqueline (Thomas) Huebner, Alma, Wis., and Mary (Hal) VanFossen, Eau Claire, Wis.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Funeral services to celebrate Neal’s life will be at 11 a.m. on Monday at St. Michael’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, Fountain City, with the Rev. ElRoy V. Conradt officiating. Interment will follow at Fountain City Public Cemetery, where members of American Legion Post 9, Winona, will conduct military burial honors.
Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. on Sunday at the Fawcett-Junker Funeral Home, Winona, where there will be a prayer service at 7:45 p.m., then on Monday from 10 a.m. to time of services at the church.
Neal’s nephews will serve as casket bearers, Scott, Brent and Doug Decker Jr., Chris Ward, Kevin, Brian and Todd Wojchik, Nick Huebner, Bradly and Benjamin VanFossen. Honorary bearers are Gerald Giem and Dale Welch.
Memorial gifts may be directed to St. Michael’s Ev. Lutheran Church, Fountain City.
Services entrusted to Fawcett-Junker Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Winona.
Words of sympathy and remembrance may be left at www.fawcett-junkerfuneralhome.com
Euphrosine Theresa Rybarczyk
ARCADIA, Wis. —n Euphrosine Theresa Rybarczyk, 90, of Arcadia died Wednesday, April 16, 2008 at the Franciscan Skemp Healthcare Nursing Home in Arcadia.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at the Holy Family Parish. Burial will be at St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Arcadia.
Friends may call from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday at the church, where there will be a 10 a.m. rosary.
The Wozney-Killian Funeral Home will be assisting the family with arrangements.
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