Advertisement. Advertise with us

IN MEMORIAM: Johanna Golia, 89;

She, Husband Farmed For 62 Years

Johanna Golja

WORCESTER – Johanna Alex Golja, 89, who with her husband, Frederick, farmed for 62 of their 67 years of marriage, passed away at home Jan. 6, 2018, in the loving company of her family.  She also worked in the Worcester Central School main office for many years.

Born April 18, 1928, in New York City, she was the daughter of William and Anna (Senica) Alex.  She grew up in Brooklyn and graduated from Grover Cleveland High School, then found employment with Harriman Brown Brothers on Wall Street.

City girl Jennie became a farmer’s wife when she married Frederick Golja in 1950 at St. Brigid’s Church in Brooklyn, and they spent more than six decade operating their farm on Brighton Road in Worcester.

Jennie was an avid gardener, and her table was perennially graced by the food and flowers that she cultivated so skillfully. She was similarly talented as a seamstress. Her work enhanced many school plays and Halloween parades.  Jennie was proud of her Slovenian heritage – especially the music –  and she and Fred were well known for their graceful turns on the dance floor. Her taste for travel and adventure led her back to her beloved Slovenia three times.

Mrs. Golja, as she was known to the students there, worked in the Worcester Central School main office for 25 years – always impeccably dressed and a master of detail.

Jennie is survived by her husband, Frederick Golja of Worcester; children, Karen Hermanowski of Cape Cod, Mass., Frederick and Mary Beth Golja of Madison, Conn., Gary and Barbara Golja of Worcester, and JoAnn and William Fredette of Worcester; grandchildren, Colleen Golja, William, Michael and Sebastian Fredette; Rachel Golja Elliott and her husband, Michael and her first great grandchild, due in June. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Sophie LaPorte of Florida,  several nieces, nephews and cousins. She was predeceased by her son-in-law, Robert Hermanowski, and her sister, Mary Pavlick.

Calling hours will be from 4 to 6 p.m., Friday, Jan. 12, at the Heller & Skinner Funeral Home, 155 Main St., Worcester.

The funeral will be at 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 13, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 201 Main St., Worcester, where Jenny was a communicant. The Rev. Paul Mijas will celebrate the mass.

Interment will be at St. Joseph’s Cemetery at a later date.

Jennie’s family is grateful to to Catskill Area Hospice and especially to her devoted caregivers, Terri White, Dorene Hosier, Donna Lange, Kathi Suydam, and Peggy Suydam.

Donations in Jennie’s memory may be made to the Eye Tumor Research Foundation, www.etrf.org; or to mySmileTrain, my.smiletrain.org.

To send online condolences, visit, www.hellerskinnerfh.com

 

Posted

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Related Articles

SCOLINOS: It’s All We Need To Know: Home Plate 17 Inches Wide

COLUMN VIEW FROM THE GAME It’s All We Need To Know: Home Plate 17 Inches Wide Editor’s Note:  Tim Mead, incoming Baseball Hall of Fame president, cited John Scolinos, baseball coach at his alma mater, Cal Poly Pomona, as a lifelong inspiration, particularly Scolinos’ famous speech “17 Inches.” Chris Sperry, who published sperrybaseballlife.com, heard Scolinos deliver a version in 1996 at the American Baseball Coaches Association in Nashville, and wrote this reminiscence in 1916 in his “Baseball Thoughts” column. By CHRIS SPERRY • from www.sperrybaseballlife.com In 1996, Coach Scolinos was 78 years old and five years retired from a college coaching…

Sports Can Resume, Superintendents Told

CLICK HERE FOR MEMO TO SCHOOLS Sports Can Resume, Superintendents Told COOPERSTOWN – In a memo released Friday evening, county Public Health Director Heidi Bond advised local school superintendents that sports can resume as early as Monday. “Effective Feb. 1, participants in higher-risk sports may participate in individual or distanced group training and organized no/low-contact group training,” Bond wrote, “…including competitions and tournaments, if permitted by local health authorities.”…

Piper Seamon Scores 1,000th point

1,000 THANKS! Piper Seamon 5th CCS Girl To Hit High Mark The Cooperstown Central student section erupts as Piper Seamon scores her 1,000th career point in the Hawkeyes’ 57-39 win over Waterville at home last evening. Seamon becomes the fifth girl and only the 14th player in school history overall to score 1,000 points.  Inset at right, Pipershares a hug with teammate Meagan Schuermann after the game was stopped to acknowledge her achievement. Seamon will play basketball next year at Hamilton College. (Cheryl Clough/AllOTSEGO.com)  …

Putting the Community Back Into the Newspaper

Now through March 30, new annual subscribers to “The Freeman’s Journal” and AllOtsego.com (or subscribers who have lapsed for two or more years) have an opportunity to help their choice of one of four Otsego County charitable organizations.

$5.00 of your subscription will be donated to the nonprofit of your choice:

Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, Cooperstown Food Pantry, Greater Oneonta Historical Society or Super Heroes Humane Society.