Obituary for Geraldine M. Chmielewski
Geraldine Marie Chmielewski (nee Mckernan), age 89, of Cambridge, MA passed away on Thanksgiving Day with her eldest Daughter, Deborah at her side. She went home for the holidays to join the rest of her late family, Husband Walter Chmielewski, Daughter Colleen Chmielewski, and Sons Walter Chmielewski and Mark Chmielewski so she could serve everyone before sitting down herself.
Geraldine was born on January 14, 1933 in Philadelphia, PA to Dora and Frank Mckernan. In August 1941, the family moved to “the farm” in Lindenwold, NJ.
She loved to go up to the attic and collect the old buttons in the eaves.
There she met her life long friend, Fran, and they would become Varsity Cheerleaders at Overbrook High School and sing in the choir at St. Lawrence Church along with her late Sisters, Patricia and Barbara. She leaves her Brothers, Charles and Frank and Daughter in Law, Tamie as well as many nieces, nephews, six grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
Geraldine quit high school and began her life as a loving caregiver to her Dad, niece, in-laws, Mother and her Husband, Walter, who she met at Pine Lake, she in her bikini and he in a brown derby with yellow hatband. There he told his friend, George, “I’m going to marry that girl”! So they did and lovingly raised four children on five acres on a dead end street in a one-horse town, (Mom said, “the horse ran away”) Kirkwood, NJ surrounded by farmland on which to wander, daydream and discover. Mom loved to write, sing and garden while our cats and we helped.
Geraldine’s mother, Dora did our family genealogy the old fashioned way. We would accompany her to cemeteries to look for ancestors. The family tree revealed we are descendants of Stephen Hopkins on the Mayflower. Mom loved to write poems and stories about family members, which were published in the Kinfolk and the Record Breeze.
Geraldine and Walter held real estate licenses in NJ and FL but they loved their freedom when the children moved away. They traveled to AZ and CA and everywhere in between. But they would always return to NJ, FL and Cape Cod.
In the Spring, Our Matriarch, Geraldine’s favorite time of year, her family will bring her ashes to Cape Cod where she said she always felt at home for a celebration of her life. In Lieu of flowers, please go out in nature wherever you are on 11/30/22 (her dad’s Birthday) at Noon and then write a beloved memory on the Tribute Wall.
Geraldine was born on January 14, 1933 in Philadelphia, PA to Dora and Frank Mckernan. In August 1941, the family moved to “the farm” in Lindenwold, NJ.
She loved to go up to the attic and collect the old buttons in the eaves.
There she met her life long friend, Fran, and they would become Varsity Cheerleaders at Overbrook High School and sing in the choir at St. Lawrence Church along with her late Sisters, Patricia and Barbara. She leaves her Brothers, Charles and Frank and Daughter in Law, Tamie as well as many nieces, nephews, six grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
Geraldine quit high school and began her life as a loving caregiver to her Dad, niece, in-laws, Mother and her Husband, Walter, who she met at Pine Lake, she in her bikini and he in a brown derby with yellow hatband. There he told his friend, George, “I’m going to marry that girl”! So they did and lovingly raised four children on five acres on a dead end street in a one-horse town, (Mom said, “the horse ran away”) Kirkwood, NJ surrounded by farmland on which to wander, daydream and discover. Mom loved to write, sing and garden while our cats and we helped.
Geraldine’s mother, Dora did our family genealogy the old fashioned way. We would accompany her to cemeteries to look for ancestors. The family tree revealed we are descendants of Stephen Hopkins on the Mayflower. Mom loved to write poems and stories about family members, which were published in the Kinfolk and the Record Breeze.
Geraldine and Walter held real estate licenses in NJ and FL but they loved their freedom when the children moved away. They traveled to AZ and CA and everywhere in between. But they would always return to NJ, FL and Cape Cod.
In the Spring, Our Matriarch, Geraldine’s favorite time of year, her family will bring her ashes to Cape Cod where she said she always felt at home for a celebration of her life. In Lieu of flowers, please go out in nature wherever you are on 11/30/22 (her dad’s Birthday) at Noon and then write a beloved memory on the Tribute Wall.