Joseph L MOLNAR

22 OCT 1925 - 4 FEB 2011

• BIRTH: 22 OCT 1925, South Bend, IN
• DEATH: 4 FEB 2011, South Bend, IN

• MARRIAGE: 29 OCT 1949, St Joseph County, IN

1.  Joseph A MOLNAR
2. +Christopher MOLNAR
3.  Daniel MOLNAR
4.  Mary Louise MOLNAR
5.  David M MOLNAR

INDEX

[N3197] Joseph L. Molnar
Oct. 22, 1925 - Feb. 4, 2011
SOUTH BEND - Joseph Louis Molnar, 85, of South Bend, passed away Friday morning in his home. He was born in South Bend to the late Louis and Ethel (Kurtis) Molnar. Also preceding him in death was a brother, Louis Molnar. On October 29, 1949, in South Bend, he married the former Louise F. Wozniak, who survives; they were married for 61 years. Also surviving are a daughter, Mary Louise Molnar (Graham MacDonald-Smith) of San Francisco, CA; sons, David M. (Chris) and Daniel Molnar of San Francisco, CA, Joseph A. (Mary) of South Bend and Christopher (Cindy) of Lakeville, IN; eight grandchildren, Stephen Molnar, Michael Molnar, Alexandra Molnar (A.J. Remble), Chad Molnar, Chris Molnar (Audra), Nicholas Molnar (Tracy), Victoria Molnar (Joseph Ruiz) and Regina Emberton (Brad), T.J. Henry, Melissa Schroeder (Brian), Eric Henry (deceased); nine great-grandchildren, Quentyn Molnar, Aaliyah Ruiz, Jacob and Reid Molnar, Elliott Emberton, Victoria Plummer, Chloe Henry, Kaitlyn Molnar and Austyn Klick; three sisters, Marg Heineman (George) of Connersville, IN, Ethel Adamo of South Bend and Anne Gorbitz (George) of South Bend; and two brothers, Emery (Svelyn) of Pensacola FL, and Bill (Paula), also in Florida. Joe owned and operated a semi-tractor and trailer which he leased to and drove for Miles Labs, Elkhart, IN, for over 30 years. After retiring from Miles, he drove for Hoosier Tire for five years until he retired from driving for good. Joe's life revolved around his family and work. He was full of stories about his experiences growing up which instilled a sense of pride in his family's heritage. His roots were deep in the west side of South Bend where he was born and raised and spent his early years working with his father and brother, operating Molnar's Produce and Flower Market on West Washington Street. Many old-timers can remember buying their Christmas trees from Molnar's Market in the 1950s and early 1960s. Joe often commented on how lucky he was to have had such a good life. He seldom missed any of his kids' athletic events as they grew up, often driving all night to be home in time for their games. When his family was young, Joe was able to give then the gift of spending their summers at Union Pier, Lake Michigan. Those summers provided a lifetime of cherished memories. These last few years he could often be heard to say how thankful he was to have four fine sons and such a beautiful daughter, and a wife that he knew was his guardian angel. Joe was indeed a fortunate man to be surrounded by such a loving family. The family will have a private gathering to celebrate Joe's life. A special thanks to American Nursing Care and their health-care provider, Kim, for their assistance and support and to The Welsheimer Family Funeral Home for their assistance to our family with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Indiana Food Bank or to the St. Vincent DePaul Society. E-Mail condolences may be sent to www.welsheimer.com.
Published in South Bend Tribune on February 8, 2011