Obit: Fijalkiewicz, Emily (1928 – 2020)

Transcriber: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Fijalkiewicz, Rohland, Klabon, Recker, Vargas, Fields, Gilardi, Petke, Rhinehart

Source: Tribune/Record/Gleaner (Abbotsford, WI) 26 Aug 2020

Fijalkiewicz, Emily (4 DEC 1928 – 17 AUG 2020)

Emily Fijalkiewicz, 91, Greenwood, died on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, at Country Terrace Assisted Living in Abbotsford. A graveside service for all to attend will be held at 11 a.m., on Thursday, Aug. 27, at Riverside Cemetery in Withee. A private celebration of life will be held following interment for family and limited invited guests, where masks and the use of hand sanitizer is highly recommended.

Emily Rohland was born on Dec. 4, 1928, in Withee, the twelfth child of John and Caroline (nee Klabon) Rohland, and the last living child in that family. She was raised and received her education in the Withee area, graduating from Withee High School in 1946. Emily was united in marriage to George S. Fijalkiewicz on Feb. 24, 1947. They moved out west to Oregon and California, where her husband worked in the logging industry and as a rural mail carrier in Mt. Shasta, Calif., until transferring to the Greenwood Post Office in 1954. Emily attended Taylor County Teachers College in Medford for two years, driving daily from Greenwood to Medford, graduating in May 1962 with her teaching certificate. She then went on to UW-Stevens Point to earn her bachelor’s degree in education and later her master’s degree in sociology. Emily first taught at Rocky Run School near Greenwood, and other 1-room schools early in her teaching career. She then taught in the Greenwood School District for several decades, touching the lives of hundreds of students who passed through her classroom doors. Late in her career, she served as a guidance counselor and served on curriculum committees for the State of Wisconsin. Emily had resided in Greenwood from 1954 until the family home was sold late last year. She had many interests, but especially loved spending time with her family, writing articles about her rural upbringing (several of which were published in the Marshfield News-Herald), dancing, and Elderhostel trips. Emily had a deep interest in genealogy. She researched her family roots in Germany and Lithuania and was able to reconnect to other branches of the family. Fluent in speaking, reading, and writing German, she was able to help arrange visits from some of these “lost” relatives and maintained an ongoing correspondence with them. In addition, she was very active in her community and helped bring The Highground veterans memorial park and museum to Neillsville.

She is survived by her four children: Carolyn Recker of Elmhurst, Ill., Sienna Vargas of Greenwood, Jerry (Pam) Fields of Elma, Iowa, and John (Diane) Fields of Stoddard; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren; one great-great granddaughter; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

A special thank you to Marge Rohland for all she did to care for Emily. She was Mom’s angel, always providing loving, selfless, care with a smile and warm cheer. It is hard to convey how much this meant to her family.

Emily was preceded in death by her husband, George, on Dec. 27, 2010; one grandson: Tony Fijalkiewicz-Gilardi; one sister: Elsie Petke; eight brothers: Julius, Albert, Fred, Otto, Henry, Emil, Edmond and Rhinehart; and four siblings in infancy: Adolph, Emma, Otilia and Frieda.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.cuddiefh.com.

Cuddie Funeral Home, Greenwood, is assisting the family with arrangements.