Obit: Sladek, Anna Tichy (1911 - 2004)
Poster: Kipp Kippenhan
 

Wednesday, June 9, 2004 edition of the Clark County Press

Anna Sladek

Anna Tichy Sladek, age 92, died Saturday, June 5, at the Memorial Nursing Home in Neillsville.

Anna Sladek was born in Chicago, Illinois to Alois and Frances Tichy on Dec. 27, 1911. The family came to farm in'the Town of Levis when she was 3 years old. Anna had three brothers, Steve, Louis and Charles Tichy and three sisters, Frances, Helen and Emily. She graduated 8th grade at the Meadow View School in Levis and often talked about the children joining in together as they walked to school. She then went to work in Chicago where she met Frank Sladek. They married in 1931 in the town of York and farmed there most of her life. Frank and Anna had a son, Donald, born in 1932 and a daughter, Mildred, born in 1937, now wife of Frederick Grap. Because of Frank's health they had to leave the farm in 1957 and the son took over the farm. They then moved to Marshfield and both worked at Weyerhauser. Anna's husband died in 1963. After a couple of years she moved back to Neillsville and worked at the bakery and did social service work taking care of elderly ladies. Anna lived alone until the day after Mother's Day when she was taken by ambulance to the Memorial Hospital with congestive heart failure and pneumonia. A week later she was transferred to Memorial Nursing Home where she passed away. Anna enjoyed dancing all her life in to her 80's. She had a beautiful flower garden, knitted until her fingers couldn't and relaxed many hours on her patio. She recently received a fortune cookie and it said these words "Your sparkle never fades, the party begins when you arrive." That explains Anna in a few words.

Anna will be sadly missed by her daughter and son-in-law, all of the grandchildren, great and great-great-grandchildren.

Surviving Anna are her children, Mildred (Frederick) Grap, of Neillsville and Donald Sladek of Neillsville. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, Donald Sladek, Jr., of Neillsville; Sherri (John) Donahue, of Baraboo; Daniel (Kathy) Sladek, of McFarland; Terri (Steven) Lewandowski, of Rhinelander; Dawn Sladek, of Rainsville, Alabama; Kerri (Mike) Nelson, of Dalton, and Perry (Kim) Grap, of Shell Lake. Anna also has 15 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

Predeceasing family members include her husband, one sister, three brothers, two sister-in-laws, two brother-in-laws, two nephews and one niece.

Funeral services for Anna were Tuesday, June 8, at the Gesche Funeral Home in Neilisyille. Pastor Douglas Bjerke officiated. Providing music was Eileen Zank, organist and Kim Schwark, soloist. Interment was in the Neillsville City Cemetery.

Serving as pall bearers were Perry Grap, Don Sladek, Jr., Dan Sladek, Keith Sladek, Jesse Lindgren, Jeremy Lindgren, Michael Donahue, and Robert Tichy.

Gesche Funeral Home of Neillsville assisted Anna's family with the arrangements.