Grace Elizabeth Cherniawski

Grace Elizabeth Cherniawski passed peacefully from this world to the next on Jan. 19, 2019. Her parents, Ralph and Martha Beaver welcomed her into their lives on February 19, 1919. She was one of four children and grew up in the Detroit area. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 51 years-Mike Cherniawski (deceased 2008), son-Carroll Wood Jr. (deceased 1962), daughter-Marilyn McKay (deceased 1971), one sister-Mary Sisk, and two brothers-Robert and Norman Beaver. She is survived by her children Carole Mair, of Metamora, MI; Robin (Dan) Mayer, of Alliance, OH; Michael (Patti) Cherniawski, of Afton, VA; and Hans (Diana) Cherniawski, of Shelby Township, MI. She has 13 grandchildren: William, Brenda, Natalie, Jeanie, Linda, Timmy, Sherri, Hayden, Benjamin, Kevin, Ashley, Jillian, and Gina; 13 great-grandchildren, and 3 great-great-grandchildren. Grace often reminisced about happy childhood memories such as spending time in Illinois visiting her grandmother and attending the Michigan School for the Deaf in Flint, Michigan. She graduated from MSD in 1937. Her first marriage was brief, and Grace endured the challenges of providing for her first 3 children alone for many years. She often recounted how she would walk from work to the electric company to pay the bill and save the money on the 1 cent stamp. Grace eventually met Mike and they married in 1956, had three more children and eventually settled in Warren, Michigan. Grace was always busy with projects and hobbies. In the kitchen, she could be seen canning vegetables, baking delicious desserts and frying chicken that was considered the best by everyone who had the pleasure of eating it. She spent many hours making beautiful and complex quilts. These are now precious heirlooms that have been passed on to future generations. She was an avid player of the card game called 500 and was pretty good playing Scrabble too. In her earlier days she loved to spend time outdoors gardening, canoeing, muzzle loading, and working on a farm that the family had purchased in Yale, Michigan. Grace also traveled extensively with Mike through most of the United States including Hawaii and Alaska. Following the death of her husband in 2008, Grace moved to Pine Ridge Villas of Shelby Senior Living apartment in a community more of her age. After about five years of living here, she moved to a higher care facility (Vista Springs) due to her declining health. Everyone that came into contact with Grace always had nice things to say about her, and she was a favorite among her caretakers in her final years. She was fiercely independent and did not want to be taken care of by her children as she aged. She was a wife who loved her husband and mom who loved her kids. We will always carry her in our hearts. Our lives will not be the same without her and we will miss her. Visitation and service will be at Sullivan and Son Funeral Home at 8459 Hall Rd., in Utica, MI on April 13th. Visitation will be at 10am and service will begin at 11am. In lieu of flowers donations can be made out to Michigan School for the Deaf Alumni Association and sent to Carole Mair at 1110 West Sutton Rd, Metamora, MI 48455.

Grace Elizabeth Cherniawski

February 19, 1919 - January 19, 2019