Mrs. Janina Armatez of Elk Grove Village

Janina Armatez, 100, of Elk Grove Village, Illinois. Known by her loving family as “Mamo,” “ Babcia,” and “Janusia,” passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Friday, October 14th, 2022. Born on November 27, 1921 in Pokuta, an eastern town of Poland now part of Ukraine, Janina developed perseverance starting at age 3 after the death of her own mother. Her resilience carried her through many challenges for the next 40 years, including the tragic deaths of many family members, and relocation from her war-torn hometown during World War II. Despite these tragedies, she only increased in fearlessness and ambition. Janina and her husband Franciszek enjoyed preparing their home for hosting celebrations in their small town of Dochowa. She especially loved dancing with Franciszek, who captivated her with his ability to lead and keep rhythm. She always took great care in preparing her four children to celebrate Catholic holidays with her, right down to their coordinated outfits, as Janina's faith was always a core part of her identity. In January of 1974, Janina made the difficult decision to leave her children and husband to immigrate to the United States with only a small suitcase and no knowledge of the English language. Her ultimate goal was to bring her entire family to America for a better life. After settling in Chicago, Janina learned her older brother, Stanislaw, survived a German war camp during World War II and immigrated to the United States in the 1950s. They were reunited and thanks to his sponsorship, she obtained a green card and worked tirelessly, sending any money she earned to her hometown to support her family. It is because of her bravery and determination her family will be forever grateful for the roots she established in the United States. Janina displayed her unconditional love and support in many ways. Her favorite, in true Polish form, was through sharing copious amounts of delicious food. She treated anyone she met as if they were family, and greeted them with a table full of the most heartfelt meals; second and third helpings always on hand. Janina consistently found small ways to help lighten the workload of her children or grandchildren instead of relaxing. Even in the final years of her life, she needed regular reminders to sit down, slow down, and take it easy! As loving and warm as she was, Janina never lost her tenacious qualities. She was a true matriarch for her family, wanting to protect, provide, and advocate for them in every way. Despite her petite 4’9’’ stature, every word and piece of advice she shared was met by the ultimate respect of whoever was listening. She was revered. We find comfort in knowing that our dear Janina is welcomed into eternal life by those that loved her - specifically her husband, parents, son, siblings, and the many people she developed loving relationships with throughout her full 100 years of life. We will remember Janina as the loving wife of the late Franciszek Armatez; devoted mother of Wieslawa (Zbigniew) Zbrzezny, Teresa (Bronislaw) Florek, Barbara (Zbigniew) Seweryniak, and the late Jan (Wanda) Armatez; cherished Babcia (grandmother) of Anna (Alfred) Pawlasek, Jolanta (Robert) Barela, Robert (Katarzyna) Zbrzezny, Gregory (Jamie) Zbrzezny, Eva Gibson, Monica (Kevin) Ladell, Alicja (Michael) Fitzgerald, and Magdalena (Ross) Oberschlake; and beloved Prababcia (great-grandmother) of Sebastian, Alexander, Karol, Victoria, Adam, Maya, Oliver, Layla, Tyson, Angelina, Nicholas, Lucas, Julian, Gabriel, Nora, William, Matthew, Emma, and the late Maximilian. Visitation will take place on Friday, October 21st from 8:00 A.M. to 10:00 A.M. at Morizzo Funeral Home, 2550 West Hassell Rd., (Northeast corner of Barrington Rd.), Hoffman Estates, IL. 60169. Family and friends will then meet at St. Hyacinth Basilica, 3636 W. Wolfram St, Chicago, IL 60618 on Friday, October 21st for a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 A.M. Interment will follow at St. Michael the Archangel Cemetery in Palatine, IL. The family has created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories, photos, and videos. For further information please contact the Morizzo Funeral Directors at 847.752.6444. For those of you that would have attended services and would like to express your condolences to the family, please click on the link above and you can leave the family a message, with the share a memory link. If you wish to send a Sympathy Card to the Family, please feel free to send it to Morizzo Funeral Home, 2550 Hassell Road, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, 60169 c/o The Family. We will gladly forward it on.

Mrs. Janina Armatez of Elk Grove Village

November 27, 1921 - October 14, 2022