Bessie LAZANSKY

LAZANSKY, Bessie, 96, passed away Monday, September 28, 2009 at Lehigh Valley Hospital. Born in Chicago, Ill., she was the daughter of Josef and Marie (Majercik) Polak. Her family moved back to their home country, Czechoslovakia, when she was a young teenager. She was tested with learning a new language and culture. In her new country, she met her husband of 58 years, Van Lazansky, who passed away in November 2002. She lived in Czechoslovakia throughout the German occupation and general ordeal of World War II. After the war when the political climate of the country changed, she and her husband made the hard choice to leave (escape) with their young daughter, never to see their parents again. They fled into Canada and eventually settled down in Atlanta, Ga., where she started all over again. Her husband's work took them north to New York where she lived until spending her final days in Allentown. She was strong-willed and hard-working regarding every endeavor and challenge faced. Bessie was a great cook, loved to travel and spend time in her garden. She was dedicated to her family and will be missed. Survivors include son, Robert and his wife, Wendie, of Macungie; daughter, Eve Tschantz and her husband, James, of Midlothian, Va.; grandchildren, Jennifer Tschantz of Washington, D.C, Amy Troxell of Chesterfield, Va., Joseph Lazansky of Macungie, Timothy Lazansky of West Chester, and Tori Tschantz of Midlothian, Va.; also four great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Services will be private for the family. The Lazansky family is being served by the Nicos C. Elias Funeral Home, Allentown, Pa.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.