Lake Forest Obituary: Victoria Mlynarczyk, 89

Victoria Mlynarczyk passed away on May 28, 2014 after three years of challenging and surviving the impacts of a stroke in May 2011.

Victoria is survived by Michael, her son, and his wife, Susan, and their two children, Beth and Carie, and, Christopher, her son, and his wife Laura.

On April 25, 1925 Wiktoria Daraz was born to the proud parents Jakub Daraz and Maria Z. D. Twerzydle in a very small town in Dobiecko, Przedmiesieie, Poland. At the onset of WWII, and in her early teens she was taken by the German military from her home to work in a labor camp to aid in the production of military uniforms. Victoria was never to see her parents again.

At the end of the war and pending her release, she chose not to return to her native Poland, but to venture to the United States where she was reunited with her older brother Bruno Daraz.

While in Connecticut, she met Robert Marion Mlynarczyk and they both moved and wed in Chicago, Illinois. Soon after, Victoria and Robert gave birth to Richard (deceased shortly after birth) Michael and Christopher.

Robert, her husband passed away on June 15, 1980, and shortly after Victoria moved and semi-retired to Seminole, Florida. She returned back to the Chicago area 25 years later to be closer to her sons Michael in St. Louis and Christopher in Chicago.

Victoria led a courageous life, tackling many obstacles with the highest level of dignity, pride, and tenacity while dedicating her life and love to her children. She is a naturalist, her love of nature, the earth, and all that is living and not living was remarkable. She will be truly missed by all that have grown to know her. ... Our love and memories of her will never end.