January 23, 1919 –  March 20, 2015  COLLINSVILLE – Laura Mae Dolezalek, 96, passed peacefully from this life on Friday, March 20, 2015 at the Countryside Nursing Home in Pilot Point, Texas, after struggling with health problems for the last 15 months. A celebration of life is planned for Monday, March 23, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. at the Collinsville Church of Christ with Scott Sides, church Minister, and Ricky Patterson officiating. Burial will follow at the Collinsville Cemetery. Family visitation will be held on Sunday, March 22, 2015 from 6 to 8:00 p.m. at Meador Funeral Home in Whitesboro, Texas.Laura was the youngest child born to Stanley and Josephine (Podraza) Wizorek in Granger, Texas on January 23, 1919. Laura’s family moved to the Pilot Point area when she was in high school. She graduated from Pilot Point High School and soon afterward, on November 21, 1937, married Bill Dolezalek from the Dorchester area. In 1941, the young couple were able to buy 150 acres of land in the Ethel area, where they farmed for the next 40 years. Laura was the consummate farmer’s wife; she helped with every aspect of farming, from plowing and harvesting to milking cows, raising chickens, turkeys, and pigs. Laura always had a huge vegetable garden, that led to canning and preserving her bounty. During those years, Laura was very involved in all of her two children’s school activities, serving as a room mother every year, as well as, being a PTA officer for several years. At the same time, she was also busy with other community activities, especially the Ethel Home Demonstration Club, where she served as President. In 1970, the Dolezalek’s moved into Collinsville while Bill continued to farm for a few more years. It was at this time that Laura began her career outside the home when she went to work at Russell-Newman Lingerie factory in Pilot Point. Here, she made many new friends and was able to use her lifelong skill of sewing. After 16 years Laura retired, and began a new chapter of her life. She and Bill were charter members of the Collinsville Senior Center, where they spent countless hours playing dominoes, quilting, having special meals, and involved in other activities. It was at this time that quilting became Laura’s passion. She was the quilting coordinator for the Senior Center for many years, where they made an incredible number of quilts both for the members and the community; the money earned from the quilting actually paid for the building and its activities. Along with the quilts, the Senior Center had fund-raising sales and Laura was known to make as many as 500 fried pies to be sold at these events.
Her passion for quilting spilled over to her personal life, where she spent the last 30 years of her life making quilts for every member of her family, as well as, countless baby quilts for both friends and family. The other passion in Laura’s life was working in her yard. Everyone in the neighborhood was aware of her love of flowers and the hours she spent tending her yard. She was recognized more than once for having “The Yard of the Month” in Collinsville, the latest was when she was 94 years old. Laura was also well known for her pies and cobblers; practically everyone in her neighborhood was a lucky recipient of one of her specialties at one time or another. She was a long-time member of the Ethel Church of Christ until its closing when she began faithfully attending the Collinsville Church of Christ until her recent illness.
Laura was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Jim Wizorek and Louis Wizorek, a sister, Louise Tschoerner, and her husband of 65 years, Bill Dolezalek.
She is survived by son, Donald Dolezalek and wife, Melba, of Texarkana; daughter, Betty Graham, and husband, Don, of Collinsville; six grandchildren, Don Dolezalek, Jr. and wife, Kim, of Corinth, Shelly Rubey and husband, Bill, of Flower Mound, Darin Graham of Irving, Todd Graham and wife, Vanessa, of Houston, Dianna Chambers and husband, Curtis, of Texarkana, and Danetta Butler and husband, Ken, of Sulfur Springs; eight great-grand children, Braden Rubey, Kelsey Dolezalek Weeden, Nicholas Graham, Bailey Dolezalek, Paige Chambers, C.J. Butler, Reily Dolezalek, Grayson Butler, and Danielle Chambers; and one great-great-grandchild on the way.
The family would like to express our thanks to the staff at Countryside for being such wonderful caregivers for the last year. A very special “Thank You” to Laura’s hospice caregiver, Laura Pollard, who cared for her as if she were her own mother. Memorials may be given to the Collinsville Cemetery Association or to the Collinsville Church of Christ Building Fund. http://videos.lifetributes.com/580024