Laura Gertrude nee Stackowiak Jakubczak

Laura was born October 3, 1911 in Buffalo, NY. She was the youngest of 10 children. At age 15 she was hired as a sewing-machine operator or seamstress at M. Wile Co in Buffalo. There she met Frank Jakubczak. They fell in love and were married in October 1931. Her first child Richie was born in April 1933, and her daughter Delphine was born a year and a half later. She worked at M. Wile Co. for over 20 years. She used her seamstress skills to sew clothes for her children when they were younger, as well as for her grandchildren later on. During the Second World War she worked at Bell Aircraft Company in Niagara Falls. She later went on to work at the warehouse for Loblaw’s Super Market in Buffalo where she worked until her retirement in May, 1975. While there she became a member of the Teamsters’ Union, and told stories about her frequent encounters with tarantulas in the banana boxes. In the summer of 1975 along with her husband, daughter and granddaughter, Michelle, she moved to Orange County, California where since 1967 her son had been living with her six grandchildren, Steve, Debbie, Jamie, Rick, Suzy and Michelle. Laura had six great-grandchildren, Lorrie, Jenny, Elek, Eva and Lili. Although retired, her energetic nature led her to a job at Zody’s department store where she worked until the store closed in the late 1980s. Laura continued to travel back to Buffalo to visit family, including her sister and many cousins. Taking advantage of the temperate climate of Southern California she cultivated a large collection of rose plants. Laura liked playing cards, especially rummy, and enjoyed eating sweets and drinking tea. In spite of moving away from the Polish community in Buffalo, Laura held on to many of the traditional practices she grew up with, including the preparation of the customary Christmas Eve dinner of Wigilia, hand making pierogis and Polish Christmas cookies.

Arrangements under the direction of Funeraria del Angel Pierce Brothers Anaheim Mortuary, Anaheim, CA.