Full Obituary

     LOTTIE L. SZEMRAJ, age 91, of Thorp, WI, passed away at Marshfield Medical Center, in Marshfield, WI, on Friday, February 22, 2019.  Funeral services will be held at 11am on Monday, March 4, 2019 at St. Mary's Polish National Catholic Church in Lublin, WI.  Rev. Marion Talaga will officiate, and burial will follow in the St. Mary's PNCC Cemetery.  Pallbearers include family friend Joe Pletka and her nephews Ray Luzinski, Jim Luzinski, Larry Luzinski, Chuck Szemraj, and Lawrence Walteraitis.  Visitation will be held at Thorp Funeral Home on Sunday, March 3, 2019 from 5 pm to 8 pm, and again on Monday morning, from 9 am until 10:30 am.
     Lottie Lorraine Luzinski was born on June 28, 1927 in the Town of Roosevelt, rural Lublin, WI, to Frank and Theresa (Grajek) Luzinski.  She was raised on the family farm and received her education at Riverview Grade School.  Lottie was united in marriage to John Szemraj on September 1, 1947 St. Mary's Polish National Catholic Church in Lublin.  She farmed with her husband until their retirement.
     Lottie was the consummate homemaker.  She loved to cook and bake.  Holiday meals at her house were a thing to behold, especially the pies!  She cooked for many generations of weddings, anniversaries, reunions, funerals and fund raisers at the Thorp Legion Hall and Moose Lodge.  Lottie was also involved in many activities at St. Mary’s Church, where she was a life-long member.
     Lottie was a perfectionist, working hard to make every meal and holiday “special.”  She loved the old Polish traditions and decorated her home and yard in keeping with the seasons and holidays.  She made it all seem so effortless.  She taught herself many crafts, resulting in afghans, ceramics, sweaters, decorating cakes for weddings and birthdays, and dresses for her family.  She gardened, kept up her house, and cut her own lawn into her 90th year.
     Her many interests included getting to see her beloved Cubs win the World Series.  Lottie will always be appreciated and missed by many.  She was fiercely independent and was able to achieve her goal of staying in her own home until the end of her life.  Thank you to her relatives, friends, and neighbors, who checked on her daily, drove her to appointments, and stopped in to share coffee and a “treat.”  Your help and many kindnesses will never be forgotten.
     Lottie is survived by her 2 children: Darlene (Rich "Soup") Campbell of Green Bay;  Randy Szemraj (Gail Bundy) of Las Vegas, NV;  her daughter-in-law: Sherrie Szemraj of Janesville, WI;  2 grandchildren: Paul Szemraj (Suzie Matthews) of Germantown, WI,  Sara (Nick) Dongarra of Verona, WI;  2 great-grandchildren: Cecelia and Jacob Dongarra of Verona, WI; several nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many friends.
     She was preceded in death by her parents;  her husband, John, on November 1, 2000;  one son, Roger, on December 18, 2008;  4 sisters: Marie Sado, Victoria Walteraitis, Frances Wojciechowski and Sophie Lew; and 3 brothers: Anton, Alex and John Luzinski.
     In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be given in Lottie's name to the Thorp American Legion or St. Mary's Polish National Catholic Church.