Maria SPOLOWECZ

8 AUG 1922 - 27 MAR 2019

• BIRTH: 8 AUG 1922, Poland
• DEATH: 27 MAR 2019, South Bend, St Joseph, IN

• MARRIAGE: 10 JAN 1946, Germany

INDEX

[N20878] Daughter of - Dimetri and Sofia (Waneusewe) Spolowecz

Maria Zajac
Aug. 8, 1922 - March 27, 2019

SOUTH BEND, IN - Maria died peacefully of old age at age 96 with her family around her. Maria was born in Poland to the late Dimetri and Sofia (Waneusewe) Spolowecz. On January 10, 1946 in Germany, Maria married her loving husband, Stefan Zajac, who preceded her in death on May 5, 1970. She was also preceded in death by a sister, Lidia Lisna. Maria is survived by her son, Edward (Cira) Zajac and granddaughter, Julia Zajac, all of Chicago, IL; and a nephew, Roman Lisna of the Ukraine. Maria was a survivor and overcomer who never let life's difficulties or challenges get her down. She survived a Nazi labor camp, typhoid fever, and the aftermaths of World War II to meet her beloved husband, Stefan, who was a survivor of the Auschwitz concentration camp. Together they came to America from Poland. She always said, “I can handle anything one day at a time so I am not going to worry about tomorrow but I am going to put in all of my energy from 7 am to 10 pm and that will be good enough”.A self-taught intelligent woman, she could speak five languages and said, “I had to learn these languages to survive so there were no other options but to learn them.” She was a happy woman who was always laughing and joking but who also had a very strong side and was not afraid of working hard. This ability to work hard became a necessity when her husband Stefan suddenly died when she was 48 years old, and she worked for 13 hours a day for 20 years at Memorial Hospital and The Associates to retire from one job at 65 and the other at 75. She never remarried because she said, “I could never meet another man as good as him so why bother to look”. She loved reading and would read a new book every few days. She also enjoyed walking in the cemetery and when asked why she walked there she said, “Nobody talks back to me and everyone is a good listener”. She loved her granddaughter, Julia and listening to music, especially Bobbie Vinton, whose music was playing when she passed. A week earlier in a conversation with her son Edward she said, “I am so happy I am going to heaven because I hear it is a very beautiful place so don't grieve for me too long or suffer too much since we will be together again there”. Everyone who met her loved her and she will be greatly missed but she is now in a much better place. Visitation will be 9:30am - 11:00am, Saturday, April 6, 2019 at St. Joseph Funeral Home, 824 S. Mayflower Rd. with a Funeral Service beginning at 11:00am. Burial follows at St. Joseph Cemetery. Condolences to the family may be made at www.sjfh.net. Published in South Bend Tribune on Apr. 3, 2019