Obituary of Antoinette Niedzwiecki

Antoinette Marie (Venetski) "Bear" Niedzwiecki passed away peacefully on May 15, 2013, at the age of 91. Born January 19, 1922 her mother was Anella (Winnicki) Venetski. Antoinette grew up on the Winnicki farm near Lake Silkworth. She attended a nearby one room school house to the 8th grade. Like many farm girls, during the Depression of the 1930's, she moved to the city "Kingston" to work as a live-in maid. At a weekend dance near Lake Silkworth she met her future husband Peter "Bear" Niedzwiecki, who preceded her in death July 2010. Being devout Catholics, they married November 9, 1940, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Lake Silkworth She lived her entire married life within fifteen miles of her birth place, first at Sylvan Lake, and then at Red Rock Mountain. Their marriage produced three children: Leona 1942-1998; Leo 1950-2009; and Edward. Grandchildren and great grandchildren are dispersed from next door to California. Leona's daughter, Loreen (Auchus) McGill, resides in Euclid, Ohio with her husband Tom McGill and their two children, Alexandria and Peter James. Leo's family, wife Barbara (who is Antoinette's primary caregiver), daughter Leanne (who is also a caregiver), and son Peter John reside near Red Rock Mountain. Leo's son Tracy, his wife Bernadine, and their daughters, Braeden and Coveyn also live nearby. Eddie resides in Camarillo, California, and his daughter Rachelle lives in San Francisco and Sacramento, California, with her husband Michael Weed. Antoinette's extended family, were raised in Avoca, include brothers Teddy Daczka (deceased), Edwin Daczka (deceased), and Charlie Daczka (Avoca), and sisters Francie Evans (Scranton), Sandra Wassel (Old Forge), and Sally Grossie (Scranton). In the early years, along with raising her family, she supported her husband Peter in business as an independent timber contractor, with cutting and trucking crews, and then helped grow Bear Excavating and Bear Fuel Service into the successful third generation of family operators it is today. Her nickname in younger years was "Toots" or "Tootsie". Soon after Antoinette and Peter was married, they purchased a lake front summer cottage at Sylvan Lake and rebuilt it into a year around residence. She enjoyed summer flowers, backyard picnics, swimming and ice skating parties at "The Lake" throughout the 1940's, 50's and 60's. In 1970 Antoinette, Peter and Leo moved "back to the Mountain" to property they owned near Red Rock Mountain. One personal forte was cooking. Family members will recall with fond memories home cooked holiday meals. The piled high serving dishes of seasonal and Polish traditional foods all competing for space on the table and sideboards. Another pastime was attending church picnics to dance and listen to Polka Bands. Her favorite television shows were the Lawrence Welk and of course Polka Time. Our family wishes to acknowledge the excellent in-home care provided by Barbara and Leanne, caregivers Beth Kingsbury and Lorraine Austin, Nurse Jen Seymour of Caregivers of America Hospice plus the concerns of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish and the health care community at Geisinger Medical Health Systems. Mrs. Niedzwiecki's funeral will be held Tuesday at 11:00 AM from the Curtis L Swanson Funeral Home, Inc., corner of Routes 29 and 118, Pikes Creek with a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:30 from Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Lake Silkworth with Rev. Richard Fox officiating.. Friends may call from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM prior to the funeral on Tuesday. Interment will be in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cemetery, Lake Silkworth. The family request that memorial contributions be sent to Caregivers of America, 718 South State Street, Clarks Summit, PA 18411.