Gertrude Kuszak Passes at Age 95
Gertrude M. “Gert” Kuszak, 95, of St. Paul, formerly of North Loup, died on Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at Brookefield Park in St. Paul.
Mass of Christian Burial was held on Wednesday, July 6, 2022 at St. Josaphat’s Catholic Church in Loup City. The Reverend Richard L. Piontkowski celebrated the Mass. Cheryl Holcomb served as lector. Rita Shoemaker was the eucharistic minister. The musicians were Pat Setlik and Sonny and Bonnie Sekutera. Musical selections for the vigil included “Only A Shadow” and “The Old Rugged Cross”. The musical selections for the Mass included “On Eagle’s Wings”, “Shepherd Me, O God”, “Hail Mary, Gentle Woman”, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand”, and “How Great Thou Art”.
Burial was in the Evergreen Cemetery in Loup City. Casket bearers were Kelly Hawk, Scott Brewer, Andrea Brewer, Melissa Brewer, Rochelle Schuka, Nick Shoemaker, Joe Shoemaker, and Stacy Kuszak. Memorials may be made to the Polish Heritage Center in Ashton or to North Loup Pride for the purchase of planters for main street.
Peters Funeral Home of Loup City assisted the family. Gert was born on December 6, 1926, in Ashton, to John and Victoria (Kurtz) Kuffel.
She attended rural schools in Sherman County. As a young girl, she cleaned homes in Ashton and later worked at the ordinance plant in Grand Island.
She was united in marriage to Ben Kuszak on May 22, 1950 at the St. Francis Church in Ashton. They farmed in rural Sherman County their entire married lives until retiring in 1986, when they sold the farm and moved into North Loup. Gert worked side by side with Ben, milking cows, raising hogs, fixing fence, and chopping thistles. She loved this life and never complained. She loved cooking and baking, and there was never a feed salesman who ever came on the place and left without being invited in for coffee and some type of homemade delicacy. She made the best cinnamon rolls, apple pie, bread, and fried chicken, which she raised and butchered. Ben and Gert enjoyed years of going to polka dances and glided effortlessly on the floor. They spent many Sunday mornings dancing in the kitchen while listening to the polka show on the radio.
She was a member of the North Loup American Legion Auxiliary, St. Josaphat’s Church, CCW, and Rosary Sodality. While living in North Loup, she spent many years calling for the Red Cross Bloodmobile.
Gert loved to entertain card players at her home in North Loup and always served them a hefty lunch. She loved flowers and polka music, but, most of all, she treasured her grandchildren, as well as their friends. Her door was always open to all of them, and treats were abundant, as they came there after school and hungry.
Gert moved to St. Paul in October of 2011, residing at Matelyn Retirement Community until moving to Brookefield Park in June of 2021.
She is survived by her children, Jim and Vee Kuszak of Kokomo, Indiana, Linda Brewer of Omaha, and Rita and Jim Shoemaker of North Loup; nine grandchildren; thirteen great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and a sister, Jean Pilakowski of Portland, Oregon.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ben in 2003; son-in-law, Don Brewer; brother, Ben Kuffel; sisters, Mary Guzinski and Elizabeth Kuszak; and brothers-in-law, Alonzo Guzinski, Clemence Kuszak, and Paul Pilakowski.