Mildred Muczynski

Mildred Muczynski was a beloved wife, mother and grandmother and a cherished friend. She had her way of doing things, including the way she wanted others to do things. She was very sociable and seemed to know everyone, because she made friends easily and kept up with them at reunions. Mildred was outgoing and engaging toward friends and strangers alike.

Mildred was born February 11, 1928 in Grand Rapids, Michigan during a decade of industrial gains following World War I. The nation’s can-do spirit was reflected in Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight across the ocean, Henry Ford’s mass production of the automobile and the Suffrage Movement that won women the right to vote. Yet the economic depression that closed out the decade also shaped the character of its citizens, and farmers such as Joseph and Louise (Brechting) Schweitzer always had enough of the basics of life, including family togetherness.

Mildred was the seventh of eight children and had the distinction of receiving her name from one of the nurses in attendance at her birth. Along with brothers Vint, John and George and sisters Geraldine, JoAnne, MaryLou and Barbara, Millie became familiar with rural life in Alpine Township. She attended Ballard school, a one-room school house, before going on to Holy Trinity School. For grades 11 and 12, she went to Catholic Central High School and graduated in 1945 with hopes of going on to college. However, money was tight and WWII was dominating American life. With her brothers off to battle, Millie helped on the farm and worked in their place. Gratefully, farming was a life she enjoyed and she rose to the challenge of hard work and long hours. She liked driving tractor in particular and never lost the gardening skills she learned as a young farmer.

Once her brothers returned from military service, Millie went to work with Michigan Bell in downtown Grand Rapids and stayed sometimes with her sister Geraldine who was already living in the city. Being the sociable person that she was, Millie readily made friends, none more significant than with Albert Muczynski. As it happened, a co-worker invited Millie to a dance at a Polish Hall, where she met Albert and began a relationship that eventually led to marriage. It had been Millie’s determination to remain single until age 25, but instead it was Albert or “Chink” who was 25 when she married at age 22 in 1950.

The newlyweds first settled into an apartment on Lafayette Avenue and welcomed their first child into their lives. In 1955, they moved to a house on Richmond Street that would remain Millie’s home for most of her life. She continued to work at the telephone company for a few years and later took part time jobs that included working at Wurzburgs and K-Mart and working in the cafeteria at Grand Rapids Junior College and then for the Meijer Pharmacy on Plainfield Avenue for 10 years. All the while, she devoted herself to a family of four children and managed a household that was filled with wholesome traditions. She baked wonderful cinnamon rolls and pies, made homemade noodles for her soup and egg pancakes which were the grandkids favorite. She liked rhubarb and was known to sneak it in to just about everything when it was in season, and her German potato salad was a requested dish at picnics and family gatherings.

When the children were young, the family rented a cottage during their summer vacations, but Millie also took the kids to a beach for day outings. Eventually, she and Albert bought a cottage on Reyerson-Long Lake near Fremont, and over the decades, they spent nearly every weekend there and created many lasting memories. In later years, it was the traditional gathering place for the extended family on Memorial Day , 4th of July and Labor day. Whether entertaining larger groups or enjoying time on her own, Millie was content to simply relax, float on a raft and socialize with her neighbors. At Christmas time, the Muczynskis often headed to the Schweitzer farm to celebrate the holiday with Millie’s siblings and revel in the closeness of family ties. The farm always drew her back to her roots and the values she learned as a child.

A major carry-over from Millie’s farming days was her passion for gardening. She took real pleasure in all aspects of growing vegetables—from the planting, watering and weeding to picking, canning and freezing. She was in her element during the growing season and missed gardening during winter. She couldn’t wait to get back to the regiment in springtime. In the meanwhile, she benefitted from the knowledge she gained from her activities with Michigan State Extension at the Fillmore Complex in Ottawa County.

For recreation, Millie and Bert liked to go dancing or play cards (Setback or Pinochle)., Millie and Albert liked to travel especially on Polka cruise and enjoyed bus trips to casinos. They also took a trip to Hawaii where Bert had spent some time during WWII. She liked seeing new places and had the privilege of going to Europe to visit her youngest daughter Alyce stationed there. Often times, Millie traveled in groups with others she knew, satisfying her sociability traits as well as her curiosity after Bert could not longer accompany her.

For a number of years, Millie commented to her daughters that she was too young to be a grandma, but once grandchildren came along, that all changed. She embraced her role as grandmother and eventually quit her job to spend more time with grandchildren.

In recent years, Mildred began to show signs of dementia, but they became noticeable after Albert passed away in 2008. In 2012, she suffered a stroke and moved to Lincoln Square, where she again made friends and participated in such activities as card playing. She moved once more to St. Ann’s Home after her most recent stroke, having lived a full life of love toward her family and friends.

Mildred (Schweitzer) Muczynski, age 87 of Grand Rapids, passed away April 20, 2015. She was preceded in death by her husband, Albert "Chink" in 2008. Millie is survived by her children Kolleen & Dan Dodgen, Lori & Merle Langeland, Brenda & Steve Kampfschulte, Alyce & John Buursma; 8 grandchildren: Dan J. and Katie Dodgen, Rachel (Matt) Alberda, Aaron Johnson, Caroline, Andrew and Nicholas Kampfschulte, Jacob Buursma, Tracy (Marc) Muller, Becky (Rich) Smith, Jessica (Mike) Murphey, Dan (Christie) Langeland; 2 great granddaughters, Danielle and Eloise; sister, Mary Lou Ozolins; sister-in-law, Bette (Jack) Stewart; and several nieces and nephews. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, April 27 at 11 AM at St. Anthony of Padua Church, 2510 Richmond NW. Friends are invited to visit with her family on Sunday from 6-9 PM at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, 2120 Lake Michigan Drive NW where a Vigil service will be held beginning at 8:30 PM. Friends may visit again at church on Monday from 10 AM until the service. For those who wish, memorial contributions to either the American Red Cross or Van Andel Institute (for cancer research) are appreciated. To read more about Millie's life, to share a memory or to sign her guestbook, visit www.lifestorynet.com