Helen Joan (Miller) Keultjes

Helen Joan (Miller) Keultjes passed away peacefully in her home on the morning of November 6, surrounded by her family. She was born on January 4, 1933 to the late Oren L. and Irene V. (Bajdek) Miller, in South Bend, Indiana. On September 6, 1952, Joannie married her one true love, Henry John Keultjes, and together they created a truly remarkable family – that has been an inspirational story of love, dedication, and happiness for over 60 years. Joan leaves behind children Joseph (Beth) Keultjes, Jeffrey (Julie) Keultjes, James (Kimberly) Keultjes, Julie (David) Hudnall, Jennifer (Nick) Adonakis, Jerome (Jill) Keultjes and Joy (Andrew) Kostielney; grandchildren Carisse (Joe), Tara, Bethany (Chester), Joshua, Shane, Emile (Michael), Ana (Charlie), Oliver, Austin, Isabel, Rosalyn (Aaron), John, Jacqueline (Travis), Charlton (Kemmery), Justin (Tiffany), Lucas (Ashley), Kalina, Roula, Adonis, Jacob, Jarrett, Jordynn, Jack, Thomas, Abigail and Madelyn; great-grandchildren Caterina, Savannah, Shawn, Elijah, Jakayla, Amani, Amirah, Kylan, Shane Angeline, Sheehan, Michael, Isaiah, Julian, Zachary, Eli, Caroline, James, Panagiotis, Penelope, Demetrios, Atley, Faye, Maive, Blake, Brody, Jackson, Annabelle, Emma; sister Barbara Cichocki; niece Kim (Randy) Bates; sister-in-law Bernadine VandeZande. Joan was preceded in death by husband Henry; son John Shane; grandsons Sheehan and Tim; great-grand daughter Serifina; nephew Brian Cichocki; brothers-in-law Robert Cichocki and Edward Vande Zande; aunt and uncle Jean and Floyd Herek. Joannie, Mom, Grandma, G.G. was full of life and love, and truly lived each day to its fullest. Here are some things she loved and we'll never forget: Listening to Josh Groban – First cup of frothy coffee in the morning – Playing poker with the guys – Having the family over for Sunday dinner – Looking for her Jerome on the sidelines of ND football games – That she despised talking on the phone – Playing Dr. Mario, Tetris, & Columns – Telling everyone to "fight nice kids" – Spending time at Busia and Dzia Dzia's – Watching "Her Boy" Tiger play golf – Keeping a full candy drawer/bowl – Cooking for 50 people, even though she knew only 35 were coming – Reading her gossip mags and watching her soaps – Hosting Christmas Eve, complete with a fortress of presents for each person – Saying her daily prayers so many times that the prayer cards were falling apart and barely legible – Hanging out with Virg, Unk, Fram & Pops at the Hole – Constantly referring to her grandsons by names that didn't even belong to any family members, Frank, Sam, etc. – Fishing with the Kanzos – NEVER missing an athletic event – Her unbelievable cheeseburgers – Doing the USA Today crossword puzzle – Boasting that she and Henry had "Christened" every room in their house – Watching "Her Boy" LaPhonso play basketball – Attending mass at Christ the King – Talking about her "boyfriends" – Worrying about her family to the point she couldn't sleep at night – Listening to her boys playing all night in the basement – Telling people what to do, and then telling them they didn't love her if they refused to do it – Spoiling her grand kids and great grandkids – Hated being called Helen – Wishing we could stay an extra week at the Cabin – Holding any baby she could get her hands on – Watching the Irish play – Her nightgowns – Saying the rosary. What made these things better, was when they could be done with Henry by her side, because he truly completed her. For close to 50 years, Hank & Joannie were the ultimate love story. They simply adored each other. While Hank was out making the world a better place, Joannie was there, behind the scenes, where she was most comfortable, holding everything together. They were an unstoppable team that showed everyone the importance of Faith, Family, and Friends, and their legacy that will live on forever through the lives of everyone they touched. Joannie was the kind of person you fell in love with instantly. She had a smile that filled a room, and the first time she grabbed your cheeks and planted you with a smooch, you were hooked. While Joannie gave birth to eight children, hundreds of others thought of her as Mom - and the people who called her Grandma number in the thousands. Joannie had that rare gift of making you feel that she loved you the most, because she actually did. The viewing will take place on Friday, November 8, 2013 from 4:00 to 8:00 pm, at Kaniewski Funeral Home, 3545 N. Bendix Dr., in South Bend. A rosary will be said at 7:00 p.m, with a sharing of memories to follow. There will be a mass of Christian burial at Christ the King Catholic Church on Saturday, November 9, 2013 at 11:00 am. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park in Granger, IN. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to either Christ the King Catholic Church or Hospice of St. Joseph County. Joannie was VERY SERIOUS about not wanting any flowers, so PLEASE put the money to better use. The family would also like to share a heartfelt thanks to everyone at Hospice, especially her nurse Sharon, for taking such special care of Joannie. Joannie lived every day as an example of selfless love and devotion to God and her family, and even her last days were spent bringing everyone together. It is a testament to the love that she and Henry shared, that after her girls got her fixed up (with her cardinal nightgown on - which always reminded her of him), and then a song started playing that brought Hank to mind. Joannie opened her eyes - took a deep, clear breath, - got a smile on her face for the first time in days - and then leapt into Henry's arms for eternity. Oh. Happy. Day. God is Love. Trust in Him. Joannie always did. To send condolences, please visit, www.kaniewski.com.