November 25, 1930 – December 13, 2020
information provided by Schroeder-Lauer Funeral Home
Mary Jachim, neé Iwaniec, age 90, of Lansing, IL, formerly of South Chicago, passed away on December 13, 2020. She is survived by her daughters, Kathy (Mark) Krason and Julie (Mike) Husted; 7 grandchildren: Pete Jachim, Tracy (Dave) Missal, Rachel (Joe) Kelley, John and Mike Krason, Riley and Nick Husted; 5 great-grandchildren: Gabe and Becca Missal; Jackson, Reid and Quentin Kelley. Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Eleonora and Jan Iwaniec; brothers, William Radowski, Alex Radowski, Edward Radowski, Stanley Radowski, Harry Iwaniec, sister and best friend, Fran Nowakowski, and dear son, Bill Jachim.
Mary was raised in South Chicago where she was a parishioner at Immaculate Conception Parish. It was in South Chicago that she met the love of her life, Stan Jachim. Mary had stars in her eyes when she met Stan; when a friend commented to Mary that she liked “that guy with all those freckles,” Mary replied “He has freckles?” Mary and Stan married in 1949 and raised their three children in St. Michael Parish until they moved to Lansing in 1971 and joined St. Ann Parish. She was a member of the Columbian Ladies and Daughters of Isabella. The past few years, Mary would attend early morning weekday mass at St. Ann’s, where she formed a special bond with the other churchgoers.
Mary and her sister Fran (affectionately known as the Rosary Twins) took driving lessons together and earned their driver’s licenses while in their 50’s. When Stan became too ill to work, Mary looked for a job outside the home. Armed with only her cooking skills, she bravely walked into Burger’s (now SVT) and found employment in the deli kitchen, where she worked for over 25 years. When Mary retired at age 83, the kitchen ladies framed her favorite mixing spoon and presented it to her with a list of all the recipes she had mixed with that spoon. Mary took particular pride in the fact that she worked and paid off her mortgage on her own after Stan’s passing in 1986.
Mary was a wonderful cook and baker and lovingly shared her goodies with her family and friends. Her specialties included Polish sausage, pierogis, crullers, her famous coffee cake, apple slices, and a multitude of delicious Christmas cookies. Her Christmas Eve dinner was enjoyed by many. She was always there for her extended family, her kids, and especially her grandkids. To Mary, family was everything and she would call often to check up on how everyone was doing. She was modern in her thinking and was certainly no shrinking violet.
Mary was a smart, supportive, and loving woman. She will be missed; her knowledge of family history, her wisdom, sense of humor, independence, love of life, love of God, and her courage and strength up until the very end. The family hopes that she’s up there dancing a polka with Dad.
Friends may visit with the family on Friday, December 18, 2020 at the Schroeder-Lauer Funeral Home, 3227 Ridge Road, Lansing, IL from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. Funeral services for Mary will be held on Saturday, December 19, 2020 beginning with 9:30 a.m. closing prayers, then proceeding to St. Ann Catholic Church, 3010 Ridge Road, Lansing, IL for a 10:00 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial. Mary will be laid to rest at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, Calumet City, Illinois.
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