Obituary of Lorraine Juanita Viczko

VICZKO, LORRAINE JUANITA (nee  Lafreniere)
March 3, 1927 – February 7, 2019

It is with great sadness that our family announces the peaceful passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother at the age of 91. Lorraine was the eldest of nine children born to Eddie and Rose Lafreniere. As a toddler, she spent a couple of years in Cuba until her parents returned to Canada to resume farming south of Prud'homme where she grew up. She attended Knapton School and completed Grades 9 and 10 by correspondence. An entrepreneur at a young age, she kept bees and sold honey for “pin” money. On August 16, 1949 she married Frank Viczko and together, they farmed in the St. Laszlo district and raised 12 children.

   
Lorraine was a devoted wife, mother, homemaker, as well as an active partner in the family farm operation. She was a private, hardworking person - strong, beautiful, fiercely independent and resilient - a prairie woman. Gardening, berry picking, preserving, processing meat, making sausage, raising chickens and turkeys, beekeeping, extracting honey, sewing, knitting and quilting were just some of the many activities she was involved in and excelled at.  As the children left home, Mom and Dad were able to devote more time to camping and fishing trips, going to the lake and travelling abroad. She also was able to further develop the creative side of her personality. She loved music, could play piano and organ by ear, enjoyed music concerts and sang in a church choir.  She also enjoyed various arts and crafts and developed a special interest in painting farm scenes and still life.

Lorraine is lovingly remembered and will be dearly missed by her 10 children, 22 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, Donna (Brian) Kraus – Rhonda (Don) McPhee [Katelyn, Alec, Ian], Darla, Bryna; Dan (Shauna) – Rachelle (Kyle Lanzer) [Aaron Trenten], Stacey, Travis; Lynne; Jeannine;  Gerald (Flo) – Brittney (Shawn Crowe) [Emilia]; Reg (Audrey) – Jarrett, Jeremy, Chris;  Betty (Leroy) Kohle – Michelle Kohle (Olan Turgeron)  [Piper, Ruby, Cole],  Andrea (Glenn) MacKay,  Adam (Laurenne) [Chase, Brody, Sawyer];   Noella (Alan) Warriner – Nicole, Bradley;  Loren – Mackenzie, Dominic; Vince (Sue) – Megan, Matthew, Kyle, Cassandra; and grandson, Wesley (Tim).  She is also survived by her sisters, Denise Lepage and Sylvia Prefontaine;  brothers, Lionel (Muriel), Jerome (Aline) and Ron (Lynn);  sisters-in law, Irene Lafreniere and Mildred Viczko, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her husband, Frank (2010); sons, Timothy (2000) and Lionel (1987); parents, Edward and Marie Rose (Michel) Lafreniere; brothers, Guy,  Leo (Denise), and Louis; brothers-in- law, Andre Lepage and Armand Prefontaine; parents-in-law, George and Regina Viczko; brothers/sisters-in-law, Annie and Steve Pongracz, Mary and Martin Schriml, Irene and Frank Berthold, Michael Viczko, George and Tillie Viczko, Agnes and John Kochan, Herman and Doris Visco, Monica and Maurice Prefontaine, Larry and Joan Viczko.

The Vigil of Prayer will be held on Thursday, February 21, at 7:00 p.m. from Saskatoon Funeral Home. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Rev. Fr. Bernard deMargerie on Friday, February 22 at 10:30 a.m. from Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church (114 Kingsmere Blvd). Burial will take place at St. Laszlo Cemetery at a later date. A very special thank-you to all those who provided excellent care, concern and support while Mom lived at St Ann's Place, as well as during her stay at St Paul's Hospital, Transitional Care Unit (City Hospital) and  Extendicare Preston. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Lorraine, may be made to Saskatchewan Abilities Council (2310 Louise Ave, Saskatoon, SK, S7J 2C7);  St. Laszlo Church Fund, (c/o Post Office,  Prud'homme, SK,  S0K 3K0);  or a charity of your choice.