Full Obituary

     JOSEPHINE C. SARAFIN, age 90, of Eau Claire, WI, died peacefully in her sleep on April 2, 2023 at Our House Senior Living in Eau Claire, WI.  A memorial service will be held at 10:30am on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at Thorp Funeral Home in Thorp, WI, with Pastor Bill Beaton officiating.  Burial of cremains will follow in East Thorp Cemetery.  Visitation will be held at the funeral home, on Saturday, from 9:30am until time of service.
     Josephine Clara Kotecki was born on November 22, 1932 on the family farm, rural Thorp, the third of four children to Frank and Vernie (Przybylski) Kotecki.  She attended Sunny Lawn Elementary and Thorp High Schools then moved to Milwaukee.  Josephine lived in Milwaukee for a time, working for a sewing factory.  She moved back to Thorp where she met John Sarafin.  They were united in marriage on June 30, 1951 and then relocated to Waukesha, WI.  After the birth of their son, James, they moved back to the Sarafin family farm in Lublin where they resumed farming.  Sometime later their daughter, Cheryl, was born.
     Growing up during the height of the Great Depression instilled in her the values of hard work,  resourcefulness, and independent thinking.  Farm life was hard work.  To make ends meet, John worked as a laborer on area construction projects; Josephine managed two children and ran the farm.  She loved to cook, and family meals were always small feasts.  In addition, she baked cakes for weddings and other special occasions.  Josephine also loved to sew and made many of the family’s clothes.  They raised their own meat and planted a large garden.  Josephine continued to maintain a small garden throughout her life.
     In 1965, after her father died, Josephine and John purchased the Kotecki farm and the family moved back to her original home in Thorp.  There she continued to manage both farm and family, and found time to volunteer in church, and local organizations.  Josephine also selflessly supported extended family and friends during some of their difficult times; many of them remembered her with Christmas and birthday cards throughout her life.  As she became older, those who lived close by repaid her kindness by doing chores, so she could remain living in her childhood home.
     After her husband died in 1985, Josephine continued to live on the family farm.  She was active in the Thorp United Methodist Church and Thorp American Legion Auxiliary.  She also supported the Thorp area blood drive.  She capitalized on her love of cooking with a part-time job as a cook for Club 73.  She enjoyed traveling on bus trips and visited many sites with friends.  When her health declined in 2021, Josephine moved to an assisted living facility in Eau Claire where she lived until her death.
     She will be greatly missed by her family and many friends.
     Josephine is survived by her children: James (Toni) Sarafin, Cheryl (Ron) Lenz; six grandchildren: Jennifer (Erik), James, Ruth, Claire (Eric) Sarafin, John and Emilie Lenz; two great-grandchildren: Oskar and Walter Sarafin-Johnson; one brother: Frank Kotecki; her sister-in-law: Sophie Kurdas; nieces, nephews, and other relatives. 
     She was preceded in death by her husband, John; brothers: Edward (Josephine) Kotecki and Clarence (Gertrude) Kotecki; and brothers and sisters-in-law: Joe (Lorraine) Sarafin, Harold (Evelyn) Sarafin, Frank (Laura)Sarafin, Edward Sarafin, Stephanie Kotecki, and Richard Kurdas.