Elizabeth’s Obituary Elizabeth T. Pienkowski, “Betty,” 93, of Rhinelander, passed away unexpectedly on January 25, 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota with her family at her side. Betty’s story began on October 31, 1925 in Hegewisch, Illinois, the youngest daughter of the late Jon and Bernice Supergan. At age 16, she began working at Ritchie’s Box Factory in Chicago, the city where she would later meet the love of her life, George Pienkowski of Orr, Minnesota.
George described how he fell in love with Betty after she winked at him from the back of a car, and after a whirlwind romance they were soon betrothed. Loyal to her fiancé for three years while he served in WWII, she married George at St. Florian’s Catholic Church in Hegewisch, Illinois on February 17, 1946 and they lived together almost inseparable for over 71 years. George and Betty spent many hardworking years raising their family of six boys and two girls.
For twenty years, the family vacationed in Orr, Minnesota at Pelican Lake until they bought their own lake property near Rhinelander, Wisconsin. In 1973, Betty and George moved their family from Lansing, Illinois to Rhinelander where she lived the remainder of her life. In her younger days, Betty enjoyed socializing and bowling, but dancing with her soul mate brought the biggest thrill.
Betty and George took every opportunity to polka, jitterbug or waltz. The two of them never tired on the dance floor. On Saturday nights, visitors to their home could find the two of them singing and sometimes dancing to the Lawrence Welk Show.
Throughout her life, Betty was an avid outdoorswoman. She loved to fish, garden, outsmart bears and feed many critters, with birds at the top of the list. She had an uncanny knack for growing trees and plants from clippings.
From her own gardens and trees, she made jellies, canned vegetables and tapped maple sap for syrup. When indoors, some favorite pastimes included: doing crossword puzzles, looking for new recipes, crocheting, and caring for her indoor plants. Betty was renowned for her cooking and baking skills and was passionate for continuing Polish traditions, such as making kapusta, kielbasa, pierogi and galumpki.
Betty was a devoted member of the Nativity of Our Lord Church in Rhinelander and spent countless hours supporting the church in many ways including making over 100 dozen cookies for the annual cookie walk during the Christmas Bazaar for several years. She developed her love of the Lord as a young child attending mass spoken in both Polish and Latin. Betty was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great and great great-grandmother.
She was a strong, determined and a fiercely independent woman. Her strength, resiliency and love of God were evidenced by the life she led. Betty will be deeply missed by her family.
She was preceded in death by her husband and five of her seven siblings. Survivors include her sister, Sophie Brauer, brother, Frank Supergan, two daughters, Mary (Lawrence) Day of Elderon, Patricia (Timothy) Loritz of Woodbury, Minnesota, and six sons, George of Rhinelander, Robert (Gloria) of Ramrod Key, Florida, James (Doreen) of Buchanan, Michigan, Thomas (Evelyn) of DeForest, Paul (Deb) of Black Earth and Daniel (Janice) of Rhinelander, 19 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and two great great-grandchildren. The visitation for Betty will be held at the Hildebrand Funeral Home, 24 E. Davenport Street, Rhinelander on Friday, February 1 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. There will be a Parish Prayer Service at 8:00 p.m. A second visitation and the Mass of Christian Burial will take place at Nativity of Our Lord Parish, located at the corner of Conro and King Street, Rhinelander, on Saturday, February 2 from 10:30 a.m. with the mass beginning at 11:30 a.m. Interment will immediately follow at Northland Memorial Park.
The family would like to express heartfelt appreciation to the healthcare providers and staff at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota for their professionalism, technical excellence and the sincere, compassionate care for Betty in her final days.
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