IN MEMORIAM
EXPANDED EULOGIES
Joe Nowak
Visitation will be 6 to 7 p.m. Sunday with Rosary at St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church, Pilsen, and Mass of Christian burial will be 10 a.m. Monday for Joseph Augustive Nowak, 88, who peacefully passed away Friday at his home of the past four years in Surprise, Nebraska. Burial will follow with military honors.
He was born at the family dairy in Castle Rock Township, Wisconsin, on April 3, 1933, to Gustave and Emma (Prochaska) Nowak. He was the sixth of 10 children.
After graduating from Monfort High School, he joined the Air Force. While stationed at Smoky Hill Air Force Base in Salina, he attended a polka dance at the Star Lite Ballroom in Pilsen. It was during this dance that he met the love of his life, JoAnn Svoboda.
Following an honorable discharge from the Air Force, Joe and JoAnn married Aug. 20, 1957, at St John Nepomucene Catholic Church. Pilsen is where they made their home until moving to Nebraska in 2017.
Seven children were born from this 64-year union. He and his three sons formed Joe Nowak and Sons, Inc., now known as Nowak Construction Inc., based in Goddard. He also owned and operated Nowak Radiator Service in Pilsen.
He loved all sports including fishing, hunting, and watching football, baseball, and golf. He also enjoyed competitive card games, woodworking, reading, and traveling.
Joe is survived by his wife, JoAnn of the home; sons Joseph B (and wife Yolanda) Nowak, Goddard, John (and wife Judy) Nowak, Garden Plain, and Jerry (and wife Mary Mercado) Nowak, Vernon, Texas; daughters Judy Steinborn (and husband Thane Schwartz), Marion, Jackie (and husband Paul) Gengler, Salina, Jan (and husband Jayson) Hanschu, Hillsboro, and Jennifer (and husband Tim) Frasher, Surprise, Nebraska; 34 grandchildren, six step-grandchildren and many great grandchildren; sister Evelyn “Pat” Nowak, Grafton, Wisconsin; and many nieces and nephews and friends.
His parents Gustave and Emma Nowak; sisters Bernadette (and husband Len) Cummings, Alberta (and husband Jim) Sullivan, Mary (and husband Jim) Margis, and Rita (and husband Ike) Edge; brothers Jim (and wife Doris) Nowak, George, Tony and Tom Nowak; brothers- and sisters-in-law Geraldine Svoboda, Gerald (and wife Barbara) Svoboda, Ted (and wife JoAnn) Svoboda, Lawrence Svoboda, John (and wife Mary) Svoboda, and Jimmy Svoboda, preceded him in death.
Yazel-Megli Funeral Home is serving the family. Memorials can be made to the Chaplain Kapaun Legacy Fund.
Please sign his online guestbook and read his life sketch at www.yazelmeglifh.com.