Remebering Helen Schifko Piszczor (Boskovich)

This is MY Aunt Helen. A close friend to my mother Josephine and closest person I had as second mother into my teens. I stayed at her home quite often and going back there at any time is like returning home. She made that house a warm and welcoming place to anyone that had the chance to stop by. She was a person who talked straight to me but still allowed me space to be a bit stupid at times, though not enough space to really get myself hurt! My Aunt Helen was a generous person. I fondly recall the times she took me shopping in Uniontown when I was a child. She was enjoyable to be with even when she was laying down the law. She taught me a lot that I didn't even I realized I was learning until later in my life. I could also say she had the patience saint and strong willed, though when you come down to it you could say that about any the women who married a Piszczor.

Helen L. Piszczor Boskovich, 91, of New Salem, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 6, 2007, in the Uniontown Hospital with her loving family by her side.

She was born April 2, 1915, in Lamberton, the daughter of the late Frederick and Julia Kaminski Schifko.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her first husband, Joseph Piszczor, her second husband, Frank Boskovich, son, Donald J. Piszczor, and brothers and sisters, William, Henry, Fred, Jr., Edward, Mike and Elmer Schifko, Martha and Elizabeth Schifko, Mary Kolinsky, Emma Olschesky and Margaret Trumpka.

Helen was a member of Saint Thomas Roman Catholic Church in Footedale, a lifetime member of the Loyal Order of Moose, a member of the former Saint Theresa Guild and Saint Thomas 55+ Club.

She was the last surviving member of her immediate family.

Left to cherish her memory are sons, Bernard F. Piszczor and wife, Martha, of New Salem, and Thomas S. Piszczor of Canonsburg; grandchildren: Donald Pezar, Jr. and wife, Pilar, James Pezar and wife, Rebecca, Steven Piszczor and wife, Toni, Joanne L. Watkins, Kim Croci and husband, Kevin, Bernard Piszczor and wife, Lauri, Jennifer Harvey and husband, Kenneth, Jr., Joseph Piszczor and Michael Piszczor; great-grandchildren: Jakob an Seth Pezar, Stephanie and Monica Piszczor, Bethany and Adam Croci, Sarah Piszczor, Megan Liptak and Kenny Harvey III; and many special nieces and nephews.

Burial: Saint Thomas Roman Catholic
Footedale, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, USA

You can view more photos of Helen by clicking here to see her album.

St. Thomas Cemetery - Footdale, PA Headstones

The one thing we did on our trip to the Uniontown area was to stop at the cemeteries where I knew we had family buried. As we stopped at the grave site of my grandparents, Andrew Piszczor Sr and Anna Szczypta, my wife Sandy began to notice some of the other headstones and was taken by all the unique Polish names that she saw. The next thing I knew we were wandering about the St. Thomas Cemetery in Footdale checking out the markers that caught our interest and taking pictures of them.

Of the family I know of buried there besides my father's parents are my aunt and uncle Joseph Piszczor and Helen Schifko; another uncle (the first Francis Piszczor) who died as an infant and buried in an unmarked grave from the 1918-19 Spanish Influenza; my cousins the brothers Donald Sr and Bernard Piszczor and Helen Schiko's second husband Frank Boskovich.

It was late and we only had two days so we only had about an hour but on the way home I thought about other family researchers that would have an interest in these grave markers. With that in mind I decided to place all the pictures we took in the photo album and plan on my next time back to take more in hope this can be helpful to others. Meanwhile I have begun to contact the church who has taken over care of the cemetery since the closing of St. Thomas and see if I can get the full list of those buried there and publish it here.

To see all the markers we recorded this trip come over to the album and see.