Helen Kowaleski

Some people shuffle through life downtrodden and depressed, never finding true happiness. Helen Kowaleski certainly wasnt one of them. Helen was a caring, fun-loving lady, who enjoyed sharing her life with the people around her more than anything. Whether it was playing cards, baking cookies, or picking blueberries, Helen loved every day of her life, a life we were so blessed to have shared. Helens story began on a cool fall day in 1915, as the leaves turned their beautiful, brilliant color in Manchester, New Hampshire. Those were tumultuous times around the globe, as the terrible battles of World War I raged on, and outraged Americans witnessed the tragic sinking of the Lusitania. In this climate of uncertainty, John and Catherine (Piecuk) Kutas found a reason for hope, with the birth of a baby girl, a daughter they named Helen Ann. Helen was the first of the couples six children, joining her younger siblings Stella, Louise, Joann, Joe and Ed. Helens parents were hardworking Polish immigrants, and her father toiled as a laborer and did whatever he needed to provide for his family. When Helen was a little girl, the family packed up and moved to Michigan, where her father had relatives. Eventually they moved to Fremont for a time, before settling in Muskegon. The family lived on Harding Street in the Lakeside neighborhood, close by Bunker School. The Kutas family was devout Catholics, and faithfully attended St. Michaels Catholic Church, the Polish Catholic church in town. Helen attended St. Michaels School for a time, before finishing at Bunker School down the road. Like so many girls of her era, Helen left school after the eighth grade, going to work as a babysitter and other odd jobs to help provide for the family. Eventually she found a good job at the Brunswick factory in town, helping during the lean times of the Great Depression. One day Helen met a young man named Leo Kowaleski, whose parents lived in Rothbury, and were family friends. It didnt take Helen long to realize that Leo was the one for her, and he wholeheartedly agreed. The two began dating, and were married in 1938, at St. Michaels. It wasnt long before the newlyweds became parents, as well, with their first child, Patricia, joining the family in 1939. They would add three sons to their oldest daughter, first Leon in 1941, Rick in 1945, and John rounded out the happy family in 1954. Helens mother sadly died in the mid-1940s, leaving her father alone with her younger brothers still at home. So Helen and Leo and their children moved in with her dad, helping raise Helens brothers, one big happy family all under one roof, just the way she always liked it. When her brothers had grown and got out on their own, Helen and Leo and their kids moved on, as well, and had a beautiful new home built on Wilson Street. Leo was working at Continental Motors, and to help make ends meet, Helen went to work as a waitress at the Doo Drop Inn. Helen was a very attractive woman, though, and Leo didnt like how friendly the customers were to her, so she went to work at Antons Bakery instead. Helen was a terrific cook and a great baker, and always made wonderful, crowd-pleasing meals. She was a very caring, kind lady, and enjoyed baking cookies and treats for the neighborhood kids, too. Helen and her family carried on the long tradition of attending St. Michaels, and she sent her kids to school there, too. Helen was a very active member of the church, and a member of the Altar Society. The family did much together, and especially enjoyed taking their small fishing boat out on Muskegon Lake and Bear Lake in the summertime, whiling away the hours with a line in the water, together. Helen also loved socializing with her large extended family in the area, getting together for cookouts or to play cards. She loved cards, whether pinochle, bridge, or 500, and belonged to a card club, too. But mostly she just enjoyed spending time with her family members, who were always friends first, family second. Leo had visions of making a better life for his family, so he and Helen bought 30 acres on Sweeter Road, to turn into a blueberry farm. Leo diligently grew the seedlings, and they soon planted 5 acres worth, the whole family out in the fields, tending to the farm. Sadly, Helens beloved Leo died in the early 1960s, at the age of 50. Helen was very saddened, but kept on going. Leos pension provided for her, and she leaned on her family and her many friends at church, where she remained active. Helen wasnt meant to remain alone forever, however. One day she reconnected with a wonderful man named Ben Pawolski, who was also a widower, and just so happened to have built Helens home on Wilson many years before. Helen and Ben began dating, and a romance ensued. Ben was good for Helen, and always made her laugh. The happy couple was married in 1988, and Ben moved in with her, in the home he built. Helen enjoyed traveling some over the years, including a very memorable trip to Poland with her brother Joe and sisters Stella and Joann, visiting their relatives. Ben also had a very big family, and they spent plenty of time with his children, as well. Eventually, Helens health began to fade, as the years began to take their toll on her. She moved to Seminole Shores Assisted Living, and Ben went to live with his children. Helen enjoyed it there, and had a room right next to the fish pond, where she got a thrill out of feeding the fish. She also enjoyed playing bingo and socializing with the other residents, too. That was Helen, though, happy-go-lucky wherever she went. In the mid-2000s, Helen suffered a few small strokes, and her health issues began to mount. She was moved to DeBoer Nursing Home in early 2007, where she remained the rest of her days. Sadly, Helen died there on Tuesday, September 9, 2008, at the age of 92. Helen was a wonderful woman, who lived a long and wonderful life, a life filled with family, faith and fond memories. Helen was a lady who loved the simple things in life, from a day on the water, to cookies in her kitchen, to a laugh shared with her family and friends. Helen was a loving wife, mother and grandmother, and a good friend to many. She will be greatly missed. Helen is survived by her sons, Leon (Shirley) Kowaleski of CA, John Kowaleski of FL; daughter-in-law, Marianne (Dale) Rector of Muskegon; 4 grandchildren; 4 great grandchildren; sisters, Stella Tutak of Rothbury, Joanne Czubko of FL; numerous nieces & nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Leo, son Richard, & daughter, Patricia. Services are scheduled for Saturday, September 13, 2008, 11:00 AM with visitation 1 hour prior to the service at Clock Chapel with Fr. Thomas Brown officiating. Interment at Rothbury Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to Harbor Hospice. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com to share a memory or sign the online guest book.