Szejna, Teresa M. (Nee Rakowski) passed away peacefully on Monday, April 14, 2025, at the age of 95, from congestive heart failure. She was born in Milwaukee on December 24, 1929, to Michael and Sally Rakowski (nee Malkowski). She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 60 years, Edwin. She is survived by her loving son Glenn (Louanne) and “adopted daughter” Michele Kelly, grandchildren Allison Heil, Stephanie Snow and “adopted granddaughter” Amy Kelly, great grandchildren Nathan, Eric, Jenna and Matthew, siblings Bernice Bondar, Sylvester Rakowski, and Kathleen Kapitanski and other nieces, nephews and friends.
Theresa was born into a family of 12 children. She married Edwin (Eddie) in 1950 and they lived in their home in Milwaukee for their entire life together. After Glenn was born, the three of them enjoyed boating and spending many weekends at their lake cottage. Starting in 1972, she enjoyed being a navigator while Eddie piloted their private plane for many short and long hops. Teresa had been an assembler at Erie Manufacturing for all of her working years. When Eddie passed away, she enjoyed playing cards and Bingo with her sister and friends and buying scratch off cards weekly.
A thank you goes out to the staff of Oak Park Place in Oak Creek. Also, many thanks to Compassus Hospice, especially Jared, Liz and Barb, for their compassionate care of Teresa in her final months as well as keeping us constantly informed.
A special thank-you to Diane and Patricia and several other nieces and nephews for their friendship and care in Teresa’s later years. Lastly, a special thank-you to “adopted daughter” Michele Kelly, for her love and care of both Eddie and Teresa over the last 50-plus years.
Teresa’s funeral will be at Krause Funeral Home, 12401 West National Avenue. New Berlin, Wisconsin. The visitation is on May 6, 2025 from 1 :00 PM to 2:00 PM followed by a memorial service. The memorial service will be streamed live from the Krause Funeral website and also available for later viewing. The urn with Teresa‘s ashes will be placed next to Ed’s urn in the Union Grove cemetery crypt at a later date.
If desired, memorials to the American Heart Association or American Macular Degeneration Foundation would be appreciated.
Cheryl and John Olson
left a message on May 4, 2025:
