Josephine Angeline Curzenski

Josephine Angeline Curzenski gained her angel wings on February 3, 2019, at the age of 92. She is preceded in death by her husband, John Curzenski, her parents, Michael and Mary Dotski, and 9 brothers and sisters. Josephine is survived by her three children, Gary (Betty), Christine, and Michael (Julie), and 4 grandchildren, Gary Jr. (Laura), Craig, Matthew (Laurie), and Amy, and brother Edward. Josephine, or to those who knew her best, simply “Jo” was born on a dairy farm in Cheboygan, Michigan on September 19, 1926. She learned hard work from a young age and was a trait she carried throughout her life. She enjoyed telling stories about the olden days on the farm, the theme was always the same: although it was a lot of work, they also had a lot of fun times. A favorite story she enjoyed telling, especially around the holidays, is when the farm got electricity on Christmas Eve in 1932, when Josephine was six. She walked her to one-room school, where she completed all of her schooling, up until the eighth grade. Although she never went to high school, she was one of the sharpest and smartest people you could meet. She was a daily newspaper reader and could converse with anyone, on any subject. At the age of fifteen, Josephine moved to Detroit to start a new life in the city. Although she would always be a farm girl at heart, she didn’t want to live on the farm all her life. At this time, Josephine worked as a waitress, at several different places, including the Book Cadillac Hotel in Detroit. Josephine never wrote the orders down and could remember what everyone had ordered perfectly. She eventually worked at the GM Tech Center in the executive dining room, where she was a favorite waitress among the diners. On June 14, 1947, Josephine married the love of her life, John Curzenski, a World War II veteran, from Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. The wedding took place at the Sacred Heart Church in Cheboygan, Michigan, with the reception held at the farm. John and Josephine made their home together in Detroit where they raised their three children, Gary, Christine, and Michael. In 1964, they moved to Warren and this is where Josephine would spend her days until her passing. Josephine loved to cook and bake and was especially famous for her homemade apple pies. She loved gardening, picking strawberries, dancing the polka at family weddings and Polish festivals, and simply always wanted to be busy. One of her favorite hobbies was cleaning, strange I know. When she did have a spare moment, she enjoyed watching the evening news and her beloved Detroit Tigers, especially her “boyfriend” Miguel Cabrera. Josephine was known for her strong faith and enjoyed going to church and for many years attended daily mass at St. Sylvester’s in Warren. Many knew of Josephine’s strong faith and she was asked many times to pray for many different people. However, what Josephine loved most in the world was her beloved family. There was nothing that could make her happier than to spend time with her family, especially her grandchildren. In true grandma fashion, she would brag about all the accomplishments of her grandchildren to anyone who would listen. There wasn’t a person Josephine met that wasn’t touched by her beautiful smile and kind soul. She made an impact on everyone she met and the greatest compliment that could be given would be, “you remind me of Josephine”. They say it’s not the numbers chiseled in concrete, but how someone lives their lives in the dash between and there isn’t a person who didn’t live a better life in the dash between their numbers. Visitation will take place at Wasik Funeral Home, 49150 Schoenherr Rd, Shelby, MI 48315 on Friday, February 8 from 3:00 – 8:00 pm, with a rosary service at 7:00 pm. Josephine will lie in state at St. Martin de Porres, 31515 Hoover Rd, Warren, MI 48093 on Saturday, February 9 at 10:30 am until the time of service at 11:00 am. Josephine will be laid to rest at Resurrection Cemetery following the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph.

Josephine Angeline Curzenski

September 19, 1926 - February 3, 2019