Margaret H. Atkociunas Atko

FUNERAL HOME

Central Chapel Funeral & Cremation Southwest

6158 South Central Avenue

Chicago, Illinois

Margaret Atko Obituary

Margaret H. Atkociunas Atko nee Kuranty beloved wife of the late Joseph C. Atkociunas. Loving mother of Robert [Linda] Atko. Cherished grandmother of Robert, David [Veronica], James and Lawrence Atko. Great-grandmother of Danielle and Nicole Atko. Rested at the Central Funeral Chapel 6158 S. Central Av., Chicago. Funeral was Friday June 11, 2004 at 9:45 A.M. to St. Symphorosa Church. Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30A.M. Interment Resurrection Cemetery. Visitation was Thursday 2 to 9 P.M. 773-581-9000 CIFD

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Published by SouthtownStar on Jun. 13, 2004.

Memories and Condolences
for Margaret Atko

6 Entries

MARGE ATKO 1918-2004

June 14, 2004

ROBERT J. ATKO, SR.

June 14, 2004

PLEASE ALLOW ME TO GIVE EVERYONE A BRIEF LIFE HISTORY OF MY MOM. HER PARENTS CAME FROM POLAND, MY GRANDFATHER COMING OVER FIRST, MY GRANDMOTHER FOLLOWING SHORTLY AFTER. HIS FIRST JOB DIDN'T PAY MUCH, ONLY 50 CENTS A WEEK. (REMEMBER THIS WAS 1905.) MOM WAS FROM A FAMILY OF 12. WHEN SHE STARTED GRAMMAR SCHOOL, SHE SPOKE NO ENGLISH, ONLY POLISH. LEARNING ENGLISH FROM HER TEACHERS IN SCHOOL. SHE WENT TO LINDBLOM HIGH SCHOOL, GRADUATING IN 1936. SHE WAS A VERY INTELLIGENT PERSON, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO MONEY TO GO TO COLLEGE, SO SHE DECIDED TO GO TO BEAUTY SCHOOL AND BECAME A BEAUTICIAN. SHE MET MY DAD IN 1942 AND THEY WERE MARRIED IN 1944. I WAS BORN IN SEPT OF 1945, AND UNFORTUNATELY MY MOM AND DAD COULD NOT HAVE ANY MORE CHILDREN. GROWING UP AS AN ONLY CHILD WAS DIFFICULT, BUT I HAD MY MOM AND DADS LOVE THAT WAS SHARED WITH NO ONE ELSE. THEY STRUGGLED AS ANY COUPLE DID, SAVING PENNIES, NICKELS AND DIMES TO PURCHASE THEIR FIRST HOME,GIVING THEIR SON WHAT THEY COULD WHEN THEY COULD. I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE A CATHOLIC GRAMMAR SCHOOL EDUCATION (MY DAD WORKING TWO JOBS TO DO THIS) MOM’S BACK THEN DID NOT WORK, THEY WERE HOUSEWIVES. WHEN HIGH SCHOOL CAME ABOUT, MOM SAID TO MY DAD, "HE IS GOING TO GO TO A CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL, EVEN IF I HAVE TO GO TO WORK JOE." AND SHE DID, WORKING IN SEVERAL BEAUTY SHOPS, UNTIL FINALLY OPENING HER OWN IN 1963, THE YEAR I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL FROM ST. RITA.

THE YEARS WENT ON AND IN 1972 I MEET MY WIFE LINDA WHO I WORKED WITH BEFORE ASKING HER OUT ONE FRIDAY NIGHT. WE WERE MARRIED IN APRIL OF 1974, OUR FIRST SON ROB WAS BORN IN OCT. 1975, DAVID IN MAY OF 1977, JIM IN JAN OF 1979 AND FINALLY LARRY IN FEB. 1983. MOM AND DAD HAD MANY, MANY MEMORIES OF HOLIDAYS, BIRTHDAYS, ETC TO KEEP THEM GOING FOR MANY YEARS. THEN TRAGEDY STRUCK IN 1984 WHEN MY DAD PASSED AWAY SUDDENLY, 4 DAYS BEFORE LARRYS FIRST BIRTHDAY. IT DEVASTATED EVERYONE, MY MOM WAS LOST—WHAT WAS SHE GOING TO DO WITH HER JOEY. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR OUR FOUR SONS, I'M SURE THAT WE WOULD HAVE LOST HER VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER. BUT WE KEPT HER GOING AND GOING AND GOING, NOT GIVING HER A CHANCE TO THINK OF HER SORROW. THE YEARS PASSED AND OUR FAMILY GOT OLDER, EACH ONE OF OUR SONS GOING TO GRANDMAS HOUSE FOR A WEEKEND UNTIL THEY GOT TO THE AGE THAT THEY WANTED TO BE WITH THEIR FRIENDS, BUT GRANDMA WASN'T SAD, BECAUSE THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE RIGHT BEHIND THE FIRST ONE TO TAKE THEIR PLACE. THEN CAME GRAMMAR AND HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATIONS AND BEFORE YOU KNEW IT, HER FIRST GREAT GRANDCHILD DANIELLE WAS BORN IN NOVEMBER 1996 AND HER SECOND NICOLE IN NOVEMBER OF 2001.

MOM WAS ALWAYS PROUD OF HER FAMILY, ALWAYS ASKING ME EVERY TIME I TALKED TO HER HOW THEY WERE, WORRYING WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE SAFE. WE ALMOST LOST MOM IN FEBRUARY OF 2003; SHE SUFFERED 2 HEART ATTACKS, STAYING IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A MONTH BEFORE FINALLY COMING TO OUR HOUSE. MOM LOVED TO SIT AT THE KITCHEN TABLE, TALKING AND TALKING AND TALKING FOR HOURS WITH LINDA, THE DAUGHTER SHE NEVER HAD BUT NOW DID.AFTER 3 MONTHS, MOM SAID SHE WANTED TO TRY GOING HOME AND BEING ON HER OWN, I WASN'T TOO HAPPY ABOUT IT, BUT SHE WAS A STURBORN WOMAN AND I FINALLY GAVE IN. EVERY TIME I WOULD TAKE HER HOME FROM OUR HOUSE, SHE TOLD ME WHAT A GOOD WIFE I HAD. I TOLD HER "I KNOW MOM, SHES THE BEST." MOM’S HEALTH THE PAST FEW MONTHS WAS SLOWLY GETTING THE BEST OF HER, SLOWING HER DOWN EVEN WHEN SHE WOULD WALK FROM HER HOUSE TO THE CAR WHEN I WOULD TAKE HER SHOPPING ON FRIDAYS. MOM NEVER COMPLAINED, I WOULD ALWAYS ASK HER "WHAT WRONG MOM ARE YOU OK?" HER ANSWER WAS ALWAYS, "I'M OK BOB". I REMEMBER SITTING AT HER KITCHEN TABLE ONE FRIDAY RECENTLY AND SHE ASKED ME “DO YOU THINK YOUR DAD WILL REMEMBER WHAT I LOOK LIKE?" I REPLIED, "SURE MOM, YOUR ONLY 20 YEARS OLDER, BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER." MOM LEFT US ON TUESDAY,CREATING A FAMILY BOND THAT NO ONE CAN EVER BREAK. AM I SAD, NO BECAUSE SHE WITH MY DAD HAVING THE TIME OF HER ETERNITY FILLING HIM IN ON THE LAST 20 YEARS ABOUT ROB, DAVE, JIM, LARRY, DANIELLE AND NICOLE. AND HOW PROUD SHE IS OF ALL OF THEM. JUST BEFORE SHE LEFT US I TOLD HER, "DON’T WORRY MOM, I'LL BE FINE, YOU AND DAD MADE ME A STRONG PERSON AND I WILL CARRY ON THAT STRENGTH".

THE FUTURE, YOU BET IT WILL BE DIFFICULT BUT WE ARE A STRONG FAMILY AND WE'LL DO OKAY. ON BEHALF OF MYSELF, LINDA, ROB, DAVE, VERONICA, JIM, LARRY, DANIELLE AND NICOLE I THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING A PART OF MY MOMS LIFE.

ALL MY LOVE MOM

YOUR SON BOBBY

LINDA ATKO

June 13, 2004

DEAR MOM, WORDS CAN'T BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU. YOU HAVE KNOWN ME FOR 32 YEARS. (MORE THAN HALF MY LIFE) YOU WERE ALWAYS THERE FOR ME WHEN I NEEDED A HELPING HAND A SHOULDER TO CRY ON OR JUST FOR YOU TO LISTEN TO ME. YOU WERE A MOM TO ME. I COULD TELL YOU ANYTHING AND YOU NEVER JUDGED ME. YOU ALWAYS TRIED TO HELP. YOU ALWAYS TOLD ME I WAS THE DAUGHTER YOU NEVER HAD, YOU WERE THE MOM I NEVER HAD. I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART AND AT THE MOMENT IT IS BROKEN. I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU AND I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU. SOMEDAY WE WILL BE TOGETHER AGAIN. PLEASE WATCH OVER BOB, OUR BOYS, VERONICA, DANIELLE AND NICOLE AND THE BOYS GIRLFRIENDS. I WILL FOREVER MISS OUR LONG TALKS AT THE KITCHEN TABLE, OUR GOING TO RESTAURANTS, AND WATCHING OLD MOVIES TOGETHER. YOU ARE THE MOST WONDERFUL LADY IN MY LIFE. LOVE, LINDA

JAMES ATKO

June 10, 2004

Dear Grandma,

Just wanted to say thank you so much for everything you have done for me. You have treated your grandsons like no one ever did. You were there for us numerous times when no one else was. You showed what the true meaning of "grandma" was. From the gaining 5lbs every weekend sleeping over at your house, to the long talks in your kitchen, telling me all about the history of our family, and as well as showing me the unconditional love. Words alone cannot express how hard this is for me, and how much I am going to miss you. You had the heart of gold, and you showed me that family means everything in life. Every year I am going to buy myself a bond to keep your tradition going. I am also going to keep the swear jar going, because i know how much you loved to say "gimmie a quarter" for everytime someone would slip and say a bad word. Grandma, you dont have anything to worry about. You know how strong this family is, and you know we will always keep you in our hearts. I will miss you so very much. You will always be on my mind, as well as in my heart. I LOVE YOU GRAMMY. Love Jim

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