Edna Golombiecki

Edna Golombiecki, 90 year old resident of Little Falls, MN passed away May 2, 2024 at her home in Little Falls, MN. A funeral service was held Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at Bethel Lutheran Church in Little Falls, MN with Rev. Kari Pancoast officiating. Burial took place in the Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery in Flensburg, MN. Caring for Edna and her family is the Shelley Funeral Chapel in Little Falls, MN.
On May 3, 1933, a tiny 3 lb. baby girl was born to August and Frieda (Koschnick) Axel on a country farm in Culdrum Township, Minnesota. The chances of survival were slim so she was quickly Baptized and Christened with the name Edna Lorraine Bertha Axel. Her baptismal sponsors were Walter and Bertha Pfeiffer. Miraculously, with God and a devoted mother who fed her with an eye dropper, Edna survived and thrived. Her bed was a shoe box placed near the oven door. She was number 11 in a family of 12 children. At age 5, Edna began 1st grade at School District 60, a little country school a quarter mile from her home. She remained there through the 6th grade when District 60 consolidated with the Swanville Public Schools. Edna graduated in 1950. Sadly, when she was 12 years old, her mother passed away, leaving her and her 7 year old brother motherless. Fortunately, her sister, only 5 years older than her (Esther Barber), took her under her wing and raised her and her brother. What a wonderful mother she was! After graduating from high school, Edna worked as a housemaid for a dentist, caring for his children and doing general housework in Swanville. She then enrolled at St. Cloud State University, where she received her provisional elementary school teaching certificate. She then taught 4th grade at Long Prairie Public School for 2 years. On April 27, 1957, Edna was united in marriage to Jerome Golombiecki at Sacred Heart Church in Flensburg, MN. They were blessed with 2 children, Sandra and Scott, 5 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. The first year of their marriage was spent working on Jerome’s parents’ farm. The second year Edna and Jerome along with Jerome’s brother Joseph, purchased the Golombiecki homestead, where they raised dairy and beef cattle, chickens and pigs. Sandra and Scott also worked diligently to support the family farm. Besides doing farm chores and raising chickens, Edna did all the financial bookwork needed to manage the farm operation. She spent many hours in the kitchen making meals for the threshing crews and other farm helpers. Edna also made all the meals for traditional holidays and birthdays for her extended family until she was 80 years old. On April 2, 1995, tragedy struck the family when her son Scott was killed in a car accident. This caused a downsize of the family farm and they semi-retired in October of 1999. This left Edna time to pursue her many hobbies, including reading, doing jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, embroidery (her favorite) writing poetry, playing cards with her lady’s group, playing cribbage with friends, picking raspberries, making her raspberry cordial and the occasional trip to the casino. Edna was a faithful member of Bethel Lutheran Church in Little Falls, where she served as lector and usher for many years until her eyesight began to fail. She loved her church family. Edna lived a very fulfilled life with her family, farm work and other activities.
Edna is survived by daughter, Sandra Golombiecki of Alexandria, MN; sister, Esther “Ma” Barber of Swanville, MN; brother, Rhienhold Axel of Sartell, MN; sisters-in-law, Virginia Axel and Beatrice Golombiecki; grandchildren, Laura (Michael) Handy, Rachel (Jason) Welsh, Preston (Nicole) Waldoch, Gary J. (Jenny) Kostecka and Sophie (Erik) Thompson; great-grandchildren, Lola & Ava Handy, Sarah & Sadie Welsh, Samantha, Shane & Kelsey Waldoch, Lily & Michael Kostecka and Avery, Emmett, & Reed Thompson; and many wonderful nieces, nephews, neighbors and friends.
She was preceded in death by parents, August & Frieda Axel; husband of 62 years, Jerry Golombiecki; son, Scott Golombiecki; great-granddaughter, Audrey Welsh; sisters, Amanda (Herman) Fritz, Hertha (Dick) Barton, Emma (Roy) Hansen, Erna (Walter) Dickmann and Frieda (Joseph) Kedrowski; and brothers, Walter (Doris) Axel, August (Millie) Axel, Lawrence Axel and Donald Axel; brother-in-law Ed Barber, and sister-in-law, Gerada Axel.
Edna will be greatly missed.