Stanislawa “Stella” Bojarski
April 15, 1929 - April 18, 2023
Three days after her 94th birthday, Stanislawa (Stella) Bojarski, our Mom, Babcia, Ciocia, Pra Babcia, passed away peacefully at Luther Home after a short illness on Tuesday, April 18th, 2023.
She was predeceased by her father and mother, John and Mary Piwowar, her husband, Franciszek (Frank) , friend, Jerry Desmarais, sisters, Janina and Pella (and spouses); nephews, Janusz “Rysiek” and Andrzej Bartczak; furry canine companions, Drago, and Max.
Stella is lovingly remembered by her two boys, Edward (Doris) along with her granddaughter, Tanya and great grandchildren, Nate and Sam and Frank (Jill) along with their fur baby, Daisy.
She also leaves behind her recent furry canine companion, Cookie (now placed in his forever home); nephews and families, Tadeusz (Halina) Bartczak, Jerzy (Halina) Bartczak, Heniek Bartczak and nieces and families, Barbara Bartczak and Alicja Bartczak, and cousins, Miecryslawa Korus and Janina Szewczyk as well as special friend, Maria Sluzarczyk, who has tended her Mother’s grave for decades. She will be remembered fondly by many friends and acquaintances in Red Lake, Ontario and at the East Concordia Manor in Winnipeg.
Stella was a Monday’s child, born April 15th, 1929, in Lukowa, Poland. After the passing of her father and mother at a young age, she was raised by her grandparents until the start of WWII. She was collected by her older sister, Janina, and moved to Germany. She stayed and worked for a kind farmer and his family until her late teens until she left Europe with friends to emigrate to Canada via the Marine Marline ship. As she was “fair of face”, she caught the attention and heart of a young man, Frank Bojarski, also from Poland, on their trip across the Atlantic. When they landed in Halifax on May 6th, 1948, Stella travelled to work in Montreal, Quebec and Frank travelled to Kirkland Lake, Ontario. After 6 months apart, Frank sent money to Stella to travel to see him in Kirkland Lake and she never went back to Montreal. They married on November 17th, 1948, and had their first son, Edward, on December 13th, 1949.
They built a life in Kirkland Lake and had a second son, Frank Stanly, on August 10th, 1962. Life circumstances then brought Stella to Red Lake, Ontario in 1978 with her son, Frank, in tow and her friend, Jerry Desmarais. They were able to purchase a house at 292 Howey Street and lived there until the end of July 2015. She then moved to an apartment at the East Concordia Manor in Winnipeg and lived independently up until March 1st, 2023. If you had a bit of time to visit and listen, Stella was able recount many events in her life to you from her early years in Europe to present day. This was done with such clarity about details and especially dates, she was a spellbinding storyteller.
Stella’s lifelong passions were her family, her flowers, her bingo and cooking for people (plus a new passion of watching the Winnipeg Jets play hockey). Her homes were filled with all the pictures she received from her family and amazing aromatic smells of whatever she was cooking. She repeated to anyone who was visiting and enjoying a tasty morsel about how proud she was of her sons, their wives, and children. She loved to tend to her garden, plants, and flowers, especially at her apartment where her patio of blooming flowers was the first to be admired coming into the parking lot. Bingo was a big part of her social networking as well as scratching off those numbers on Lottery Bingo cards. She was very lucky at Bingo at the Manor and took home at least 1 to 3 wins each Wednesday night. Since she usually brought snacks, they let her come back. Lastly, she took immense pride in her cooking career at numerous places, with the Lakeview Restaurant, Red Lake being the last before she retired. After that, she made and sold perogies and cabbage rolls, and even cooked them upon request. In her recent years in Winnipeg, she passed along all her special recipes to her son and daughter-in-law and friends at the Momma B Sweat Shoppee Academy.
She will be dearly missed by her friends and acquaintances at the East Concordia Manor as she always had the habit of cooking way more that she could eat, and many were recipients of soups, muffins, cakes, donuts, etc., etc., etc. She always had a nip of something available too and was sure to offer a shot to all that visited. She was sure to watch as many Winnipeg Jets Hockey games as possible…even the late ones and did not even miss one while in the hospital. She passed within the hour before their first playoff game on April 18th, and we are positive she had something to do with their 5-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.
We would like to thank the Home Care Staff from the Transcona Access Centre for the years of wonderful care that allowed Mom to remain in her apartment until March of this year. We would also like to thank the Cardiology Department at the St. Boniface Hospital for keeping her safe and comfortable during her time there. Thanks also to the amazing staff at Luther Home for your compassion to help her in her final few days and for helping Mom see all her immediate family on her birthday.
As per her wishes, there will be no service and a private cremation has taken place. She asks that you remember your favourite times with her and always give more than you receive!!!
Mom, we miss you already…you will always be a part of us!!!
You never asked for favours,
Yet you did them every day.
You never asked for help,
Yet you gave so much away.
You never asked for gratitude,
And yet our whole life through,
We will always be so grateful,
To have had your love and you.
You are safe
When God doth reign.
You will always be a part of us.
Branch & Pyre Cremation Care