Joseph Bisztriczky

NAME Joseph "Joe" F. Bisztriczky, age 75, of Elburn, passed away at Central DuPage Hospital, Winfield, on January 12, 2010 following complications from a stroke he suffered on December 24, 2009. BORN: He was born on November 26, 1934, in Gyomro, Hungary, the son of Joseph and Julia (Hutwagner) Bisztriczky.EARLY YEARS:Joe grew up in Gyomro and attended local schools. At that time, children were only required to attend school for eight years, but Joe continued his secondary education into the twelfth year in what we would now call "Pre-Med". Due to family hardships he was unable to finish his studies which frustrated him greatly. Instead of giving up, he completed an apprenticeship as a loom fixer in the textiles industry. MARRIAGE: It was this change in vocation that gave Joe the opportunity to meet the love of his life, Elizabeth Ivan, who also worked in the textile industry in her hometown of Szentgotthard. They were united in marriage on September 18, 1954. RESIDENTIAL HISTORY: Two years later, Joe and Elizabeth escaped under gunfire during a revolution against the suffocating Communist rule in November of 1956 and lived in a refugee camp in Austria until their immigration to Canada on April 22, 1957. It was in Lindsay, Ontario that they were blessed with a son Joseph, named in honor of his father and grandfather. In December 1965, the now growing family settled in Reedsburg, WI where they welcomed a daughter, Julie. Because of the limited job opportunities in the textile industry, the family moved where Joe could find work. Over the years they made their home in Baraboo, WI where their second daughter Jeanne made their family complete in September 1968. OCCUPATION / WORK HISTORY:Eventually the family moved to Millington, IL, for a time and then to Plano, IL to be closer to Joe’s mother who also escaped Hungary in 1956. In 1992, after the children were grown, Joe and Elizabeth moved to Oswego. Seven years later they made their final home in Elburn where they continued to make memories which now included many grandchildren. MEMBERSHIPS: Joe was a faithful member of St. Gall Catholic Church in Elburn for many years. LIFE NOTES: Joe was happiest outdoors fishing, hunting, tending to his fruit trees, or just taking long hikes and taking in all Mother Nature had had to offer. His dedication to his craft of looming in the textile industry helped him construct his own loom where rugs, placemats, table runners and more were born from his imagination. Joe also had a passion for history and life in the Wild Wild West. His musical tastes rarely strayed from Pavarotti and in his spare time you couldn’t find a better opponent across the chessboard. Nothing made Joe happier than being with his family, reading to his grandchildren and telling stories of his childhood. His memory will live on in the hearts of his family, in the stories of his youth and in the pieces of wisdom given over the years including the saying, "What you learn is something that no one can ever take away from you." SURVIVORS: He now leaves his loving wife Elizabeth, Three children, Joseph Bisztriczky of Elburn, IL;Julie (Tony) Crabb of Maple Park, IL and Jeanne Bisztriczky and her husband Robert Steller of Lake In The Hills, IL;Five grandchildren:Megan Crabb, Jonathan Crabb, Madelyn Crabb, Zachary Steller and Matthew Crabb;Two step-grandchildren:Rachael Steller and Alexander Steller;One sister, Ilona Bukovits of Mende, Hungary;Many nieces, nephews, and extended family in Hungary. PRECEDED:He now joins his parents and two grandsons, Daniel and Benjamin Crabb who both died in infancy. VISITATION / FUNERAL Visitation will be from 10-11 a.m., with a memorial mass to celebrate his life to follow at 11 a.m. at St. Gall Catholic Church, Elburn, on Monday, January 18, 2010. Interment will follow at St. Gall Cemetery, Elburn. For those unable to attend the service, a video webcast is available at www.conleycare.com beginning five minutes prior to mass. The video will also be made available 24-48 hours after the service in an on-demand format for viewing at anytime. MEMORIAL In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in his name to benefit his favorite charities including the Arbor Day Foundation. Checks may be made to the "Joseph F. Bisztriczky Memorial" and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, 60119. Tributes may also be forwarded to the same address or on the web at www.conleycare.com.

Visitation will be from 10-11 a.m., with a memorial mass to celebrate his life to follow at 11 a.m. at St. Gall Catholic Church, Elburn, on Monday, January 18, 2010.

Interment will follow at St. Gall Cemetery,