Obituary of Josephine M Bronikowski

          Josephine Maryann Bronikowski was born December 29, 1921 in Buyck, Minnesota, and passed away peacefully on July 11, 2020.  She was the daughter of Rose and Albin Michaloski, who were homesteading immigrants from Poland.  Her childhood was spent in Buyck and she graduated from Orr High School in Orr, Minnesota.  She has two surviving sisters, Joan of Sumner, WA and Nancy, of Duluth, MN. She attended the University of Minnesota at Duluth, and pursued a teaching career in Two Harbors, then Tower, Minnesota.  In 1948 she married Leonard Bronikowski and they resided in Tower until 1962, when they moved to St. Petersburg, joined St Paul’s Parish, and lived nearby raising their family. 

            Josephine and Leonard (previously deceased) had four children: Ann, of Jacksonville, FL, Jerome, of Toccoa, GA, David, of Charleston, WV. and Barbara of Tampa, FL,  8 grandchildren:  Lauren, Taylor, Christine, Mark, Diane, Thomas, Kimberly, and Allison, and six great-grandchildren.

            She faithfully attended St. Paul’s Catholic Church.  In 1965 she was asked to step in as a substitute teacher for the 4th Grade at St.Paul’s School,  This began her 22 year career and passion as St Paul’s 4th Grade teacher until her 1987 retirement.  Her attendance record through her career was nearly perfect. She especially enjoyed the second generation students in her classes. For many years after retirement, she continued her interaction with the school community and former students.  She served the St. Paul’s community as a school volunteer, a lector at Sunday Mass, as well as a Eucharistic Minister, carrying Communion and comfort to shut-in and hospitalized parishioners.

            She led a long remarkable life, growing up on a farm in a home without plumbing, through the Great Depression, World War II, then seeing the spread of communications and technology, watching the moon landing, and seeing all her children graduate from college.

            Throughout her adult life she was an enthusiastic blood donor, earning multiple “gallon pins” to display and furnishing her children with blood bank t-shirts. Her zeal for teaching and interacting with young people seemed endless and her cookie jar was bottomless. Her cooking, baking, and meal preparation talents will be missed.  Her beautiful hand stitched quilts adorn many households.  She was also a prolific letter writer, and never sent a Christmas card without a personal, hand written note.  Completion of the daily crossword puzzle was a goal, and it was done in ink.

            Her favorite thoughts included “Anything worth doing is worth doing well” and “If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything at all.”  Another frequent saying was “All play and no work will make you a dull boy.”  All of her children were blessed with her strong work ethic.  While she did not follow sports, she liked Casey Stengel.  Just know better than to ask her which team he managed.

            She will be remembered for her kind words, her faithful service to her family and community, and her diligence in all tasks. 

            Visitation will be at St. Paul’s Catholic Church at 9 AM on Friday, July 17, followed by a funeral Mass at 10 AM.  The church is located at 1800 12th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL  33704.  In lieu of flowers or remembrances, the family requests a donation be made in her memory to:  St. Paul’s Catholic School, Attn: Sister Joan, 1900 12th Street North, St. Petersburg, FL  33704.