Elaine Marie Borowski

IRONWOOD, Mich. - Elaine Marie Borowski, 76, of 671 E. Ayer Street, Ironwood, died Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015, in Ironwood.

She was born June 24, 1939, in Wakefield, daughter of the late O. Elmer and Kathern (Brompsi) Jokinen. Elaine attended Central Elementary and Wakefield High School. She learned business skills working with her father who was a self-employed CPA and also working briefly at Hanson Brothers Chevrolet in Wakefield.

Elaine was employed 23 years with the J.C. Penney Company in Ironwood. She started with J.C. Penney in June 1978 in the catalog department. In 1981 she was promoted to catalog department supervisor until May 2001 when the Ironwood store closed.

Elaine was a member of Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church and served with the Ladies of the Pall. She also volunteered as a Pink Lady at the hospital. She enjoyed reading, cooking, traveling, watching sports and the Detroit Tigers. She especially enjoyed watching her grandchildren's events.

On May 26, 1956, she was married to Kenneth D. Borowski at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Ironwood by Father Francis X. Ronkowski. Kenneth preceded her in death on July 14, 1997.

She is survived by four daughters, Diane Borowski of Hurley, Laura Johnson (Steve Mandich) of Green Bay, Wis., Donna (Jim) Gering of Ironwood and Anne (Mark) Pertile of Minocqua, Wis .; three sons, Kenneth T.Borowski (Terri Schmitz) of Kolar, Wis., Michael Borowski of Escanaba and Raymond (Roberta) Borowski of Milton, Fla. Also surviving are 20 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren whom she dearly loved.

Besides her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by a son, Dominic in infancy; and a sister and brother-in-law, Dorothy and Bill Lahti of Kenosha, Wis.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015, at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Ironwood. Rev. Robb Jurkovich will be the celebrant. Elaine's family will receive relatives and friends from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass in the St. Joseph's Family Room at Our Lady of Peace. Burial will be in the Riverside Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Elaine's grandsons. A luncheon will follow the graveside service at Manny's Restaurant.

Private online condolences can be sent to [email protected].

Range Funeral Service Inc., the Frick-Zielinski Funeral Home of Bessemer and the Ketola-Burla Funeral Home of Ironwood has been entrusted with funeral arrangements.

"A limb has fallen from the family tree. I keep hearing a voice that says "Grieve not for me. Remember the best times, the laughter, the song. The good life I lived while I was strong. Continue my heritage, I'm counting on you. Keep smiling and surely the sun will shine through. My mind is at ease, my soul is at rest. Remembering all, how I was truly blessed. Continue traditions, no matter how small. Go on with your life, don't worry about falls. I miss you all dearly, so keep up your chin, until the day comes when we're together again."