Windsor Obituary: Zofia Swierzb, 96

Zofia Swierzb, 96, of Windsor, passed away after short illness on June 4, 2018 at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford.

She was born on November 12, 1921 in Bolesław, county Dąbrowa Tarnowska, Małopolskie, Poland, daughter of the late Szczepan and Julia (Robak) Misiaszek. She was predeceased by her beloved husband of 60 years Stanisław Swierzb, two sons Wiesław and Janusz Swierzb , her sister Janina Francuz and her niece Anna Marchetti.

She was a hard working, independent, and very innovative woman. During WWII she was in the resistance. After the war and during communistic times in Poland her husband was being removed from all work he found due to his political past, she kept her family afloat working from very early morning hours to very late at night.

She opened small self-run businesses and changed them when they became less profitable. She had a chicken farm, a rabbit farm, a mink farm, raised pigs for sale etc. When she first opened the chicken farm she bought a few lamps and high voltage bulbs, self-creating a hatching place for chicks. She also learned how to make stockings on a special machine and sold them to government stores.

When her husband finally got a steady job, she was working on a premium basis for a government run business buying eggs from local farmers and sending them to the distribution center in city Tarnow. Still, she had time to cook and bake like no one else around even though she had only a coal stove to use.

Women who baked for weddings came to her for recipes and advice. She had a large, about one acre garden where she, with the help of her husband, raised everything that was needed for food and was able to put some aside in glass jars for winter. Every year she made usually 400 or more of these jars.

All the sweaters that her children wore were made by her from the wool that she spun herself. She painted rooms in the house herself, making her own designs. She loved flowers, especially roses, and had large garden of them. On top of all this, she was an avid book reader.

fter coming to the USA in 1974, at the age of 57, she worked at the Okay Factory and later as a housekeeper. She then simultaneously held down two full time jobs: one at Memorial Hospital (Today Hospital for Special Care) and a second at Grove Hill Health Clinic, both of New Britain. She worked 16 hours a day, 6 days a week until retirement at the age of 72.

Together with her husband, they bought a 2 family house and paid it off within a few years. She significantly helped her grandchildren and her daughter. Her flower garden was the talk of the neighborhood.

She never learned English but she was able to make a new life for herself in the USA using her head, hands and high work ethic. Her life motto was "Everything for her child, grandchildren and how to live your life.” She was a member of Holy Cross Church in New Britain.

Zofia leaves behind her daughter Alicja Morawiec with her husband Gustaw Morawiec of Windsor, granddaughters Anita with her husband Scott Rasmussen of Phoenix, MD, Rita and her husband Kenneth Nydam of Hampton Falls, NH and four great grandchildren Kyle Rasmussen, Lauren Rasmussen, Taylor Nydam and Brooke Nydam. She was loved by her family and will be greatly missed.

Her funeral procession will leave New Britain Memorial-Donald D. Sagarino Funeral Home, 444 Farmington Avenue, Saturday morning June 9th at 9:30am. Family and friends may visit from 9:00-9:30 am. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated in Holy Cross Church, New Britain at 10:00am. Interment will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery, New Britain. Visiting hours will be this Friday from 4-7 PM.

For more information, directions or to leave an online condolence, please visit www.newbritainsagarino.com.