Dorothy Mae Bonczynski
Dorothy Mae (Brahatcek) Bonczynski, 90, of Farwell, passed away on Wednesday, September 13, 2023 at Brookefield Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation in St. Paul.
Mass of Christian Burial was held on Monday, September 18, 2023 at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in St. Paul. Father Vince Parsons presided. Val Killinger and Dan Nielsen were the musicians. Music selections included “On Eagle’s Wings,” “Blest Are They,” “I Am The Bread Of Life,” and “Beloved Mother Polka.” Pallbearers included Troy Lukasiewicz, Jay Obermiller, Mike Meinicke, Joe Swanson, Russ Kasson, and Levi “Donny” Gouldie. Interment was in the Elmwood Cemetery in St. Paul.
A Rosary was held prior to the Mass at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in St. Paul. In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, the American Heart Association, or the donor’s choice. Jacobsen- Greenway-Dietz Funeral Home in St. Paul assisted the family.
Dorothy was born on August 26, 1933, in Farwell, to Frank and Josephine (Tuma) Brahatcek. She grew up and attended school in Farwell. She was united in marriage to Stanley Bonczynski in 1951. The couple lived in California for three years before moving to a farm in Howard County in 1953. The couple moved to Farwell in 1972. Stan passed away in 1994.
She was a wonderful homemaker who was known for her amazing potato dumplings and kolaches. Dorothy worked for Elstermeier Floral in St. Paul for three years. She enjoyed volunteering at the St. Paul Thrift Store. She was a member of St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Farwell, Catholic Daughters, and the Western Fraternal Lodge. She enjoyed quilting and crocheting, growing flowers, fishing, and collecting owls. Dorothy made a quilt or two for every, child, grandkids, and great-grandkids as a representation of her love and impact on her family. She also donated quilts to the nursing/care homes in St. Paul. She loved polka music, and you could always find her listening to it when you went to visit her.
Those left to cherish her memory include her daughter and sonin-law, Sue and Tom Pirnie of Grand Island; son, Steve Bonczynski of St. Paul; grandson, Jim Pirnie of Grand Island; great-grandchildren, Eli, Brayden, Madison, and Tenley Pirnie; granddaughter, Tracy Bonney- Haenke (Kraig) of Prior Lake, Minnesota; great-grandchildren, Jacob and Quinn Bonney, Gia, Lucie, Lydia, and Cullen Haenke; grandson, Scott Bonczynski of St. Paul; plus, numerous nieces and nephews.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Josephine Brahatcek; husband, Stan; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Tony and Anna Bonczynski; siblings and spouses, Valeria and Willard Ross, Clarence and Marilyn Brahatcek, Dale and Darlene Brahatcek, Raymond and Pat Brahatcek, and Dwayne Brahatcek; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Irene and Richard Woitalewicz and Ernestine and Clarence Schmidt.