Clara B. Kowalewski

08/11/1925 - 02/28/2007

Clara B. (Szalankiewicz) Kowalewski, 81, of Porter Avenue, Scottdale, passed away Wednesday morning, Feb. 28, 2007, in Edgewood Manor, Westerville, Ohio. Clara was born Aug. 11, 1925, in Everson, a daughter of the late John and Magdalena Komanska Szalankiewicz. She was married to Louis C. "Blues" Kowalewski, who passed away on May 13, 1998. Clara was a loving mother, grandmother and sister. Clara retired from Modulus Corp., Mt. Pleasant, where she worked as a scaler and inspector. She was a lifelong and faithful member of St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Everson, and the St. Joseph Guild and Rosary Society. She also was a member of the Polish Falcons Nest 804, Pittsburgh and the Polish Heritage Club, Uniontown. In 1987, she embarked on her "labor of love" involving a 12-year restoration project of the Mother of Perpetual Help in Pielnia, Poland. In honor of her truly extraordinary accomplishment of compassion, courage, determination and generosity, she was named "Polonian of the Year" in 1999. Clara was very active in securing grants for the Scottdale Community Pool, bowled with the Thursday Night Ladies League and was a member of the Red Hat Society. She enjoyed dancing and traveling. She also had the distinction of meeting the Pope, Mother Theresa, and dining with Lech Walesa. Clara will be sadly missed by her devoted family; her two children, Louise Pillifant, of Columbus, Ohio, and Jan Kowalewski and wife Annette, of Somerset; four grandchildren, Thomas G. Pillifant IV and wife Megan, of Columbus, Ohio, Jason Pillifant and wife Sandra, of Miami, Fla., Tim Pillifant, of Columbus, Ohio, and Allison Kowalewski, of Somerset; two great-grandchildren, Jameson Clara and Mia Isabella Pillifant; two sisters, Genevieve Fatla, of Mt. Pleasant, and Loretta Brisette, of Hoboken, N.J.; a brother, Chester "Pete" Szalankiewicz, of Lyndhurst, N.J.; and numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by her son-in-law, Thomas Pillifant III, in 1998; three sisters, Jessie Bozik, Agnes Napiorski and Mary Muszynski; and four brothers, Walter, Casmir, Victor and Edward Szalankiewicz. Family and friends will be received from 2 to 9 p.m. Friday at the ROBERT B. FERGUSON FUNERAL HOME, 105 Spring St., Scottdale, 724-887-5300/email: fergfh@verizon.net / GPS: N40 degrees 06.136, W79 degrees 35.278), where a prayer service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, Everson, with the Rev. Father Robert M. Washko, the Rev. Father Dennis Bogusz and the Rev. Father John Salko con-celebrating. Graveside committal service and interment will follow in the church cemetery next to her late husband. Love Lasts Forever!