Katherine Piwoni

1927-2022

Katherine Piwoni, age 95 years, passed away peacefully in her sleep on November 29, 2022 at Orchard Hills Assisted Living Center in Eau Claire. A funeral service was held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at Holy Assumption Orthodox Church-Lublin with Father John Schroedel officiating. Burial followed in the Church Cemetery. Visitation was from 4 until 7 p.m. on Friday at the Gilman Funeral Home and one hour prior to services Saturday at the church in Lublin.

She was born Feb. 12, 1927 in Lublin, to Ambrose and Julia Peleschak; the youngest of 12 children. Katherine graduated from Withee High School in 1945. On July 3, 1941 she met Marvin Piwoni, the love of her life. They dated for 5 years and were married on June 9, 1946; a marriage that lasted nearly 71 years.

In the Spring of 1952 Marvin and Katherine purchased a farm near Gilman, where they raised registered Holstein dairy cattle and five children. The farm was sold in 1976 and they began driving school busses for the School District of Gilman. For many years Katherine drove the “short bus” shuttle for athletes, disabled students and co-op classes at Gilman, Cornell, and Holcombe.

Summer evenings were spent in her large gardens raising vegetables and an amazing array of beautiful flowers. The garden bounty was shared with friends and neighbors or later preserved for delicious meals during the off season.

Katherine had a beautiful soprano voice and sang in her church choir, and the Gilman Community Choir. Neighbors would compliment her on the sweet sounds emanating from the fields as she happily sang while cutting or raking hay.

She was an accomplished seamstress making clothes for herself and her daughters, celebration dresses for folks in the area and dressing dolls for local competitions. With Marvin, she loved attending auctions and collecting antiques. Though she never mastered preparing venison, we will all miss her cheese pie, holiday turkey stuffing, canned dill pickles, and those incredibly tasty pierogies.

For over 60 years Marvin and Katherine made many new friends while attending and dancing to Old Time music at many Polka Fests and dances throughout Wisconsin. We will always remember Mom for her undying love for Dad, her profound love for her family, her great sense of humor (she always had a joke to tell), her generosity, kindness, and her deep faith in God. She lived her life to the fullest— may we all live our lives in her example.

Katherine is survived by one sister, Ella, of Elgin, Ill.; five children, Marvin (Kelly) Piwoni of Champaign, Ill.; James (Kathy Olson) Piwoni of Whitefish Bay; Richard Piwoni of Antigo; Marilyn (Tom) Day of Eau Claire; and Karilyn (Brian) Lippa of Webster, N.Y.; nine grandchildren, Michael (Kari) Piwoni, James (Abby) Day, Richard (Megan) Day, Brian Day (best friend, Danielle), Betsy (Tyson) Ester, Sarah (Samir Lakhani) Piwoni, Alexandra, Seraphina, and Maribella Lippa; 11 great-grandchildren, Keason, Will, Brady, Ellie, Arya, Evelyn, Thomas, Juliet, Austen, Elena, and Ainsley; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by husband, Marvin; brothers, Matt, Nick, Mike; sisters, Helen, Ann, Irene, Mary; and three siblings that died at childbirth.

Paid Obituary 129732