Obituary of Cora May Laverne Swanson Polachek

 

CORA MAY LAVERNE SWANSON POLACHEK

 

Cora May Polachek passed away peacefully on September 8, 2021 after a short illness surrounded by family at United Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Cora May was born on July7, 1923, to Charles and Hilda Teresia Swanson.  Cora May was very proud of being the first generation born in America from Swedish parents.

 

Cora was the youngest of three children, Ralph was twenty years older, and her sister, Irma was twelve years older.  As a young child, Cora May was introduced to the world of horses through her dad who used draft horses in his ice and coal business in Chicago.  Cora was to have many horses through those years.  Cora May's mom came to this country with special training in cooking and baking from Sweden and had the special honor of working in President Franklin Roosevelt's family and remembers Franklin as a young man.  Cora's mom later opened her own catering business in Maywood which took the family through the depression until 1946 when at the age of 66 suffered a heart attack after serving 300 people single-handedly at a large dinner.

 

Cora later met her husband to be, Wilbur Polachek, as they went to Proviso High School, Maplewood, Illinois.  After graduation in 1941, Will joined the United States Navy to serve on the USS Storm King in the Pacific Theater.  Cora went to school at the Goodman Theater in Chicago where ;she went to school to become an actress.  Cora enjoyed her time there and loved telling the stories about having lunch with her classmates such as Shelly Berman and Lois Nettleton.  Cora later used this training to direct and star in local community productions.  Cora then decided to move out to the west coast where she went to college at the University of Oregon in Eugene, OR where she went to school to become a doctor.  During these years, Cora learned to fly and became a licensed pilot.  After over a year of hard work, she decided to leave school and  stay with her brother in California and took care of her young nieces.  While she was there, Cora joined the USO, helping the troops in the war effort.  Ironically, during a USO event, Cora ran into her old classmate, Wilbur Polachek, and they rekindled their old high school friendship.

 

In December of 1946, Cora May and Wilbur were married in Maywood, Illinois.  They both decided to move to Winona, Minnesota, where Will's parents had just moved due to a job transfer.  This is where Will and Cora raised seven children.  Wilbur started his own electrical business in 1962 after losing his infant son and his boss refused to give him time off for the funeral.  This business was to be called Polachek Electric and still exists through this day through their son, David.  Wilbur and Cora had a wonderful life, travelled the world over, seeing Cora's cousins in Sweden, and also enjoying trips with the whole family throughout all fifty states.  Cora May lost her husband in 2003 and Cora continued to be the owner of Polachek Electric.

 

Cora May lived in Winona for over 70 years until she moved up to the St. Paul area to live with her children.  She started attending Fort Snelling Memorial Chapel with her daughter Ann and a couple of years later became a member in 2019.  Cora thrived on the positive and even though she was in her 90's she was not a person to sit and say nothing.  She was a very cheerful angel of of God.

 

Cora May is preceded in death by her husband, WiIbur, her sons; James and Steven, her parents, Charles and Hilda Teresa Swanson, brother, Ralph Swanson and sister, Irma Timmons.  She is survived by daughters, Ann Polachek, St. Paul, MN and Mary Polachek-King, Mounds View, MN; sons, Robert Polachek, Los Angeles, CA, David Polachek, Winona, MN and Thomas Polachek, St. Paul MN. Cora May had seven grandchildren, Theresa Polachek, Elizabeth Polachek, Olivia Polachek, Indigo Polachek, Charles Polachek, Thomas King and Abby King.  Cora May had over fourteen nieces and nephews along with over seventeen great nieces and nephews from California to Chicago.  Mom also had many cousins that still live in Sweden and the Chicago area.

 

The greatest gift that Cora gave her children was her faith in God and hoping they would all have a church home. .....And now Cora May is finally home.  Cora dreamed when she passed a special painting would be drawn of the GREAT COMMUNION.  All those in heaven would be sitting around a table with God giving communion to all that entered his gates.  We are praying for finding this special artist and making Cora May's dream to come true!

 

By Ann Polachek

September 15, 2021