OBITUARY FROM REES FUNERAL HOME WEBSITE:

Sophie Wojihoski (Wojciechowski), born January 25, 1920, died of natural causes November 14, 2014, at the age of 94 years, 10 months.

Sophie was born in Gary, Indiana to Polish immigrants. Her parents, Stella and Roman Mikolajczak, had three children together, Walter (Marge), now deceased, Sophie, and Eugene (“Jimmy”), who died as a child in a handgun accident. The loss of her brother affected Sophie throughout her life. Her father died when Sophie was about three years old. Stella remarried and had seven more children, Ed Beladela, Gina (Beladela) Bjorkland, Tom Evans, Bob Evans, Evelyn Lahaie, and Joseph Nicholas.

Despite hard beginnings growing up during the Great Depression, Sophie lived a remarkable life. Sophie went to West Pulaski Grade School and Froebel High School (Class of 1940) in Gary, Indiana, where she excelled at sports, was the girls’ Handball captain, and a senior class officer. In 1940 after graduation she married Joseph Wojciechowski, a Golden Gloves and professional boxer and steelworker. After living through World War II, Sophie dedicated her early life to raising her children. They moved from Gary to Hobart, where they spent the remainder of their lives. During the course of their marriage, they had six children, two of whom died as infants.    After living through World War II, where her husband served in the Army in the Pacific Front, Sophie dedicated her early life to raising her children. She was proud of all her children: Joseph, Jerry, Linda and Lisa. When the youngest was in grade school, Sophie returned to college with her husband’s encouragement to fulfill her life’s ambition of becoming a teacher.

Sophie graduated from Indiana University Northwest with a Bachelor of Arts Degree on or about 1969, although she continued to take classes and was awarded her Master’s Degree two years later, and thereafter completed sufficient graduate credits for her doctorates degree, although she declined to do a dissertation. She began her teaching career on or about 1969 as the Special Education teacher at the Hobart Middle School, having obtained a temporary state license to teach special education. The next year, she taught 6th grade at Ridge View Elementary School in Hobart, where, in her own words, she “had a ball”. But before the year had ended, a new need had arisen in the Hobart City Schools, and Sophie was asked to start a Pilot I Reading program at the Junior High. She went back to college, taking night classes while teaching during the day, and helped implement the Right to Read program for all of Indiana. As a result of her work developing a state wide reading program for Indiana Governor Otis Bowen, she was invited to attend Governor Bowen’s Inauguration Ball in Indianapolis upon his re-election in recognition of her services.

As a result of the success of the Reading Program, Sophie was asked to develop a “Basic English Class Stressing Reading Improvement”, which she continued until her retirement from Hobart City Schools after 20 years of service at age 65. She regretted her decision to retire, and so she took a teaching position at St. Mary of the Lake in the Miller section of Gary where she taught for 3 years, and then another 3 years teaching at St. Bridget’s Catholic School in Hobart.

Even after she retired from her formal teaching career, Sophie still volunteered her time at the Portage Adult Learning Center and Library teaching adults reading, and teaching English as a second language, which she continued well into her 80s.

During her teaching career, Sophie received numerous awards and accolades. She was named the Indiana State Teacher of the Year, and nominated for the same award twice, and was the Hobart City Schools Teacher of the Year, among her many honors.

Sophie was also on the first elected School Board for the city of Hobart, where she served a 4 year term. She was instrumental in the building of the Joan Martin Elementary School, which at the time was quite controversial. She chose not to run for re-election as she wanted to have more leisure time, at that time being close to 70 years old.

In addition to her regular teaching positions, Sophie was a dedicated Catholic education teacher and developed the CCD program for Assumption B.V.M. Parish in New Chicago, Indiana. She served as both the CCD Coordinator/Director of Religious Education and the 2nd and 3rd Grade Teacher, preparing the children for their first sacraments. She served the Parish in this capacity for nearly 30 years. She also served the parish as a Parish Council member, a Eucharistic Minister, sang in the St. Cecelia Church Choir (Soprano, occasional soloist) from 1940 until her death, helped build the church under Father Valerian Karcz, helped fund and develop the Church Hall under Father John Murzyn, was a member of the Assumption Rosary Sodality, and donated her time and talents to the church whenever needed. A devout Roman Catholic, Sophie participated in a public audience with Pope John Paul II at the Summer Palace in Italy, and celebrated Mass officiated by Pope John Paul II during his trip to Chicago.

Sophie was also a world traveler and amateur archaeologist, spending every summer on an adventure. After touring all of the continental United States by car summer by summer in the 1950s and 60s, with occasional forays across the border to Canada and Mexico, she and her husband ventured across the globe. She spent summers in Europe, two trips to visit relatives in Poland and research family geneology, throughout the Middle East (twice on political science seminars), Russia (USSR), China, throughout Africa (where she participated in seven different archaeologic digs with the Earthwatch group), Mexico, and Southeast Asia, stopping off in Hawaii en route to sites including Bali, the Philippines, New Guinea, and Australia, both for sightseeing and participation in an International Reading Conference in Sydney. Another summer was spent in India observing their school systems and guest teaching.

Among her notable adventures was a trip to Alaska, where she decided to charter a small plane and crossed the Arctic Circle past Point Barrow en route to the North Pole, August 14, 1980. She joked that the pilot on that excursion warned her there would be no actual red and white striped pole, so she had to content herself with watching the compass go crazy over the magnetic areas! On one of her several trips to Africa, she lived in pup tents in the bush where they were warned not to bathe in the Semliki River when the hippos were swimming. As there were no restroom facilities, they had to dig holes for their latrines, resulting in the instruction to check for snakes before relieving oneself. After seeing a great white snake crawl out of the hole, she decided to find a nice secluded bush for the remainder of the dig. She also told tales of a great roaring lion which seemed to be lurking near the encampment at night. The other members warned her to beware as it was very near her tent, only to realize it was Sophie snoring! She also spent a summer on a dig in Montana when she was in her 70s, and received commendations for her work for the Kankakee Valley Historical Society (KVHS), when she was in her late 80s and early 90s. Her archaeological finds have been published in Earthwatch and other magazines.

When she was not teaching, tutoring or traveling, Sophie enjoyed social events as a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Sorority, and her second passion, woodcarving as a member of the Duneland Woodcarvers group. Her woodcarvings have been displayed at various library, church and civic events. She was also a jack-of-all-trades, building room additions, including carpentry, plumbing, electrical, concrete, and bricklaying. She also took delight in practical jokes, was a great story teller, and enjoyed playing harmonica and music of all kinds.

She remained active and driving until the last several weeks of her life. She leaves behind an indelible mark on the many lives she touched in nearly a century of living.

Her final days were spent in the care of the family and staff at Brookdale Living/Sterling House of Portage and Dunes Hospice, for which the family is forever grateful.

Sophie is survived by her son, Jerry Wojihoski, Sr. and his wife Susan, daughters Linda Gayle Seamon and Lisa Wojihoski-Schaler and her husband Chris Schaler, and daughter-in-law Pam Wojciechowski. She is survived by grandchildren Tawnya Wojciechowski and her husband Andreas Reichenbach, Teresa Wojciechowski Durham and her husband David Durham, Keri Marie Seamon and her fiancé Erin Cook, Michael Seamon, Lynette “Toni” Patton and her husband Roy Patton, Jerry Wojihoski, Jr. and his wife Erica Wojihoski, Christopher “J.R.” Schaler II, Aliesch Sutton and Heather Foster. She is also survived by great grandchildren Hunter Allen, Daniel Durham, Jerry Wojihoski III, Zander Seamon, Lola Seamon, Izaak Sutton Parker, Alyza Sutton Kendall, Richard Garza, Greg Garza, Jerry Garza, and Amber Garza. She is also survived by 2 great-great grandchildren, and two more on the way. Sophie is also survived by her sisters, Evelyn Lahaie and Gina (Beladela) Bjorkland, a brother Ed Beladela, a godson Steve Euvino, and many nieces and nephews.

Sophie was predeceased by her husband, Joseph, who died December 26, 1993, her son Joseph Wojciechowski, Jr. who died November 28, 2012, two infant daughters, Rita and Susan Wojciechowski, and her grandson Samuel Doty. She was also predeceased by her brothers Eugene Mikolajczak and Walter (Marge) Mikolajczak, Tom Evans, Bob Evans, and Joseph Nicholas, and son-in-law Mike Seaman.

A Mass of Christian burial will begin Wednesday 11/19/2014 with 9:30 am prayers at Rees Funeral Home 600 W. Old Ridge Road and proceed to Assumption BVM Catholic Church at 3530 Illinois Street, Hobart, IN with Rev. Lourdu Pasala officiating. Interment will follow at Calvary Cemetery in Portage. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 pm Tuesday with a 4 pm prayer service at the funeral home.

You may go online at www.reesfuneralhomes.com to leave condolences.

This information was obtained from: http://www.meaningfulfunerals.net/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=2807015&fh_id=12324.