Dolores M Banaszak

Dolores, daughter, sister, wife, aunt, mother, mother in law, grandmother, great grandmother, and friend died peacefully in her home on Friday, June 15, 2108, surrounded and supported by family, and friends, including her loyal “Prince” of a cat Trix.  Dolores was born to John and Marie Stroinski in the Polish Southside of Milwaukee. Her grandparents had immigrated there. She lived through the depression, learning with her brother and sister to be self-sufficient as their mother worked to support the family.  Dolores graduated from St. Mary’s of the Lake Girl’s Academy in 1939. During her high school years Dolores enjoyed the freedoms of being a school girl, making lifelong friends, and honing her joy of having fun, dancing and completing her education too. She had been privileged to have and work study “scholarship” arranged by the Sisters of St. Francis. Dolores’ sister Florence, had been a very successful graduate from St. Mary’s hence the Sisters remembered her “little sister” Dolores when it came time for her to be enrolled at school. The Sisters had hoped she would become a nun but music, adventures, and fun were her joys. Dolores enjoyed going to school dances, and whenever she could going to the Riverside Theatre where 10 cents would allow you to see a movie and enjoy the music of one of the Big Bands. She met her husband to be only after Stephen L. Banaszak found a mutual friend to introduce them. Dolores held firm to the lesson of her father that you did not talk to strangers on the bus. Stephen was persistent and they formally met. Theirs was a swift and sure love. They were married nine month later, November 23, 1941.They began their marriage together.  Dec 7th 1941 history called them to become part of the greatest generation, placing personal plans aside for the fate of a world at war. Steve enlisted in the Navy. Dolores become the wife of a Naval officer.  Dolores, a wife, eventually became a mother raising children alone, working nights at a factory to help the war effort, bringing in income, and living above her inlaws in a two flat. She wore out the wheels of her “buggy” stroller taking her son wherever she went, raising him alone, for furloughs for her husband were few and the distance between them was a long journey with Stephen standing up all the way from the east coast to surprise her with a visit. Soon she had a daughter Susan.to raise while her husband was in service.  She watched and grieved as many households put Gold Stars in their windows for husbands, fathers and sons on Milwaukee’s south side. Dolores,as many had hope. The jubiulation of the end of World War II brought her husband home. The optimism and hope of the returning veterans began building the potential of these United States with the vision of healing the world at large. There was work to be done. They began to create a new life, their growing family moved first to Greendale and then to Madison, Wis.  In Madison in the 1950’s there was a building boom and Dolores supported her husbands’ endeavor to begin Top Reality and then start his own building business StroBan Construction. Dolores become receptionist, secretary, accountant, and business partner with a baby bottle in one hand and a telephone and pencil in the other. Yet she never neglected the needs of her growing family. Dolores was a true homemaker, gardening, baking, sewing, knitting, caring for her children, teaching them and yes, she and Steve gave them the love of music and dance. She was teacher of faith, hostess of parties, creator of celebration, making the magic of Christmas and birthdays, and a planner of adventures as simple as Sunday drives in the country, the day at the Zoo or vacation involving camping up north. She wanted to do things with her children, provide them with experiences. Stephen and the family were richer for her sense of adventure and learning.  Steve and Dolores had one son and eight daughters over 20 years. She often and honestly said, “I loved ALL my children”. To Dolores and Stephen their faith was the teaching they most importantly wanted to impart to their children. It turned out that the most powerful teaching of their faith was the lives they lived. Dolores and Stephen were members of Our Lady Queen of Peace since 1949 and in their later years of their life they celebrated Mass at St. Joseph Good Shepherd Parish, both here in Madison. Her love of children did not stop at her own. Dolores and Steve had foster children and babysat children with personal care and love. Working with Catholic Social Services, Dolores and her husband also provided a home for young woman expecting children. The women stayed in their home to learn about caring for babies and doing house chores.   Then came the grandchildren, 32 of them in all, many of whom she babysat for while their parents worked. Dolores said that she had strong relationships with her grandchildren because she had spent time with them, in the parks, walking the neighborhood, going to play grounds, miniature golfing, enjoying Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers for their sake, playing basketball, overseeing the playroom, occasionally feeding them their favorite meal of “hot dogs and mac-n-cheese” that only grandma could make special. She retired from babysitting at 75 year of age. She began enjoying her great grandchildrens visits. She had not stopped living during all those years. She bicycled on family trips, took walking trips. The last one was when she was 80 and Stephen was 82 years old. They walked 6 miles in the Baraboo Hills area with the support of a sag wagon. Dolores learned to Tap Dance and Line dance at the age of 70. Her grandsons would secretly spy on grandma as she practiced with her tap group in the church basement.She leaned to cross country ski at 70 years of age and got her temporary driver’s license at the age of 80, just in case she’d be called on to drive. She travelled with her husband for her children and grandchildren, taking part in their life events. She went to Northern Wisconsin to camp,Door County, Wisconsin,  a trip to the South West to visit her brother Edward, which including visit to South Dakota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Utah, all points in between. Visiting the monument of these areas, the Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, Carlsbad Caverns, Moab, Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, and the Black Hills.  Other trips they travelled to San Diego,Nevada, the east coast states of Maine,Maryland and New York State,and Florida.  Dolores and Steve’s international travel was a Pilgrimage to Mexico City to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Dolores was the one who grasped the opportunity and took her busy husbands hand and pocket book and led the way and he and we had fun.  Her last trip was a train trip in October of 2017 to Colorado for her youngest daughter Dolores’ wedding.  Dolores was 96 and ½ years old when she made that AmTrak train trip with the company daughters Susan and Nancy and grandchildren Madeline and Samuel.Love inspires you do challenging things.  Dolores enjoyed learning, keeping up with the newspaper, politics and even recently calling the superintendent of schools about a ruling she felt would injure a child’s future. I believe that call made a difference. The words of a woman of the age 96, carry much weight and wisdom…” the wisdom of the grandmothers.” Dolores listened to last presidential debates and after listening to one progressive candidate and hearing about the corruptive effect of money in politics she said, “why don’t people know this” and “what could she at 96 do about it.” Her determination was to defend goodness as she saw it, and care for the lives of others never flagged even while instilling self reliance. Dolores was patriotic, believing in the principles of right behavior, living out your faith in honesty, respect, care for people of all ages and care for the earth, and its’ multitude of creatures. The earth’s resources to her were a precious gift. She loved the outdoors and even was so excited at snow falls so that she would be able to shovel.  She provided food and water and trees for the birds. In her retired life she was able to sit and enjoy her cat Trix and the creatures in her yard from her front porch something she had not been able to do in her very busy life of raising children. She never failed to support her husband Steve and family as they journeyed through life together. Dolores provided direction, faith, supporting work of her hands in times of illness, loss and death. Dolores and Stephen were able to celebrate their 70th years of marriage in 2011. Stephen preceded her in death ion April 28th, 2012. She carried on, accepting every loss as part of life and to be lived beyond. She helped others do that by her own attitude and faith. She journeyed through the part of her life called “aging ‘‘ and being an elder, with the hope of living to 100 years old. Dolores learned to the end of her very long life and she loved life. She remained determined to be a part of life as much as she was invited and her limitations allowed. At the end of each day in her prayers she would say “thank you God for another good day.” Dolores, from the place of supreme independence learned over time, to accept the assistance care partners.  We give a special thank you to Ruth and all the care partners whom she grew to love. She learned to be retired, more reliant on the assistance of others as she progressed through her 90’s. She easily said “thank you” and “ Ilove you” and “I love you very much.” Dolores was grateful and thankful for the assistance of others. Yet she continued to contribute by being so many peoples sure and loyal, unconditional love.  Life teaches you that. Her grandchildren enjoyed her company as did her children, and great grandchildren. She enjoyed them. Dolores wished happiness for all, loving and believing in her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and had hope for all children. It was felt and counted on and will continue in them.               “The greatest use of Life is to spend it for something that will outlast it.”   William James  Thank you for finding us worthy to pour your life into and have it spill over into the world.Yours was a great life lived in love. “Love is the active involvement in the wellbeing of another”.You always said, “you were average,” if that is so, our world has hope and we all hope to grow to be average….just like you. It is said that, “When someone dies a library closes” and the moments written above could be called, “The Book of Dolores”, we carry you in our hearts.Dolores is survived by her children, Stephen M. Banaszak, Mary (Doug)Schaller, Susan (Dick Priebe) Banaszak Priebe, Lynn (Richard) Crabtree, Karen (Jeff Reinke) Banaszak, Nancy Banaszak-Lambert, Geradette (Brian) Barkey and Dolores (Mark) Holmes. She is also survived by son-in-Law John Shively, many grandchildren and great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, John and Marie Stroinski; husband, Steven L. Banaszak; daughter Anita Banaszak-Shively,daughter in law Patricia Gale Banaszak, grandaughter Theresa Banaszak and grandsons Patrick (P.J.) Snell, Daniel and Patrick Banaszak and many relatives and friends..   A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the GOOD SHEPHERD CATHOLIC PARISH AT THE ST.JOSEPH CHURCH, 1905 W. Beltline Highway, Madison, at 11:00 am on Saturday, June 30, 2018. Visitation will be held at GUNDERSON WEST FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 7435 University Avenue, Middleton from 4:00 pm until 7:00 pm on Friday, June 29, 2018 and also Saturday from 10:00 am until the time of the service at the church. In lieu of flowers donations could be made to: 1/ The Beacon House, 615 E. Washington Ave, Madison, Wi 53703   (ph) 608- 826-8040 2/ Catholic MultiCultural Center, 1862 Beld Street, Madison, Wi 53713  (ph) 608-661-3512 3/ Pro Labore Dei (For the labor of God), 4337 Keating Terrace, Madison, Wi 53711  4/ Dane Co. Humane Society, 5132 Voges Rd.,Madison, Wi 53718  5/ Family Intention.