Helena Cieslak

Helena (Newalonna) Cieslak, born November 2, 1924 in Russia, departed this life after a courageous battle with cancer on Friday, (March 21, 2003) at her home. An amazing woman taken from her home, she survived the Nazi invasion of Russia and the work camps of Germany, where she met and married Marian Cieslak, who predeceased her in 1982. She gave life to four children while imprisoned, one of whom died at the age of ten months of scarlet fever. She immigrated to the United States in 1951 and gave birth to four more children. She was sponsored to America and worked for American Sumatra Tobacco Co. and retired from Combustion Engineering in 1988. She will be forever remembered for her generosity, humor and enduring spirit in the face of adversity. She lives forever in her family, Alexander Cieslak of Brooklyn, NY; Stanley Cieslak and Susan and Jenny Dalgleish, all of Windsor Locks; Petronella Cieslak of Windsor, with whom she lived; Henry Cieslak and his wife Susan, and their children, Jessica and Scott of Simsbury; Walter Cieslak and his wife Christal, and their children, Timothy, Pamela and Stephanie of South Glastonbury, Helena and her husband Michael Frank, and their children, Brittany and Bryant of East Hartland, Jennifer and her husband John Krasinkiewicz, and their children, Brandon and Nicholas of Enfield; and her dear friend, Chester Skonieczka of East Hartland. A funeral service will be held on Monday, March 24, 8:15 a.m., at the Carmon Windsor Funeral Home, 807 Bloomfield Ave., Windsor, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial, 9 a.m., at St. Joseph's Church, Poquonock. Burial will be in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Suffield. Her family will receive friends TODAY, 2-5 p.m., at the Carmon Windsor Funeral Home. Memorial Donations may be made to VNA Health Care, Inc., Hospice Program, 103 Woodland St., Hartford, CT 06105-1240.