Maude Karwois

Maude Karwois , 104, Girardville passed away peacefully Thursday, July 14 ^th at Luther Ridge Assisted Living, Pottsville.

Maude Conway Karwois was born Aug. 2, 1917, in Lost Creek, Pa., and grew up in the Heaton's Patch section of nearby Raven Run. She was the fourth child of Patrick, a blacksmith, and Maude, a seamstress, and had four brothers (Vincent, Charlie, Jim and Francis) and a sister (Marie). A sister (Anna) and brother (Leo) died in infancy. This was coal mining country, and the children grew up from humble beginnings.

Maude went to elementary school in Raven Run and high school in Shenandoah. When she was 20 years old, she met her future husband, Cyril John Karwois, at a local dance. They got married on Oct. 20, 1937.Cyril was a butcher and owned a grocery store in Girardville. It was attached to a row house where he and Maude lived and raised their two children. LaRue was born on Dec. 31, 1938, and Jim on July 31, 1942
Besides raising her family, Maude also worked in the store and took care of the home. The
house, which had six bedrooms, hardwood floors, crown moldings and built-in bookcases, was
always in ship shape thanks to Maude's meticulous nature. She once discovered that the
furnace wasn't working when she went down to the basement to dust it.
Maude's mother also lived with the family until she passed away at age 96. Other residents
were a series of pets, including a cat named Twilight and a dalmatian mix named Ginger.
Maude was an excellent baker. Her apple pie was a family favorite, and she always made lots of
cookies at Christmas and butter cream eggs at Easter. When her oldest granddaughter, Loni,
was born, she even baked a cake for the doctor—but got so excited she dropped the cake.
Maude also liked to make jellies and jams, with strawberry jelly being her specialty.
After Cyril had a heart attack at age 60 and fell ill, Maude went to work as a medical secretary
for Dr. Bai in Ashland, Pa. She kept that job for more than 20 years and was in her mid-70's
when she retired.
Cyril died in 1975, and Maude has spent nearly 50 years as a widow. After he passed, she did a
lot of traveling, often with her sister Marie. They went all over the world, visiting Alaska, Hawaii,
France, Italy, England, Ireland, Switzerland and Barbados.
Even as she got older, Maude stayed in the house on Ogden Street. Always neat and
methodical, she took care of the home, managed her own finances and generally liked to stay
busy. She and her best friend Myrtie, who lived two doors down, would have dinner at each
other's house on alternating nights. Maude was also a member of the Catholic Daughters and
the Red Hat Society.

Maude has 8 grandchildren (Loni Hand, Nicholas Freeman, Benjamin
Freeman, Danielle Randall, Lisa Fiumara, Karen Marshall, Cheryl Crivelli, and Patricia Karwois)
and 12 great grandchildren (Alexandra and Nathalie Freeman, Bronte Freeman, Harrison and
Juliette Randall, Gianni Fiumara, Lily, Gresson, Cannon, and Talon Marshall, Ava and Marcus
Crivelli).
Over the years, Maude became something of an institution in Girardville. On her 100th birthday,
her family threw her a big party at the country club, and the town held a parade in her honor. A
family friend drove her around in a fancy car, and people stood outside their houses waving to her. It was a huge thrill for Maude, and a sign of how beloved she is among her family, friends,
and neighbors.
She will always be remembered as a strong, faithful, and independent woman who loved her
children and grandchildren and was loved by them in return.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 23 ^rd at St. Charles Borromeo Church, Ashland with Msgr. William Glosser as the celebrant. Friends are invited to her viewing at the church on Saturday morning from 10 a.m. until the time of mass. Interment will follow at Annunciation BVM Cemetery, Shenandoah Heights.

Thomas M. Sullivan Funeral Home Inc., Girardville is in charge of the arrangements.