Edward J. Olejniczak

Edward Jack Olejniczak was born July 17, 1935 on the Cattaraugus Indian Reservation in Gowanda, New York. The son of Edith Miller, Ed was the eldest of a large family. He joined the United States Air Force and served as a Firefighter at Schilling Air Force Base in Salina, Kansas. During his service, Ed studied and took the GED exam to earn a Kansas High School Diploma. He also met the love of his life, Berniece Steinle, who was a student at Brown Mackie College in Salina. Ed and Berniece were married by the Justice of the Peace on May 2, 1959 - a simple and unrehearsed ceremony. The bride and the groom were scared, and in fact, Ed stopped for a beer on the way, and the bride had a difficult time getting the ring on his finger. After Ed was discharged from the military, he worked at Augustine Auction and later at American Fire Extinguishing Company in Salina. In 1965, Ed and Berniece moved to Wilson to operate a Texaco station until the construction of Lake Wilson called Ed to try the bait & grocery business. The couple purchased a piece of ground from the Kuck Estate and they built and managed Ed's Bait & Grocery from 1972-1975. Business ownership really wasn’t the Olejniczak's cup of tea, so Ed shifted careers and began working for the City of Wilson on the Street Department, and later as the City Electrician. The City sold the Power Plant in 1981, leaving Ed without a job. The high school custodian was retiring and lucky for the couple, Ed got the job. He retired as Wilson High School's head custodian in 1998. Ed had a lot of careers in his life but his favorite was the custodian job because of the opportunity to meet and spend time with the students. Ed and Berniece shared a happy and loving life together – celebrating 60 years this year! One of their greatest joys was the birth of their daughter, Elaine Ruth, on May 1, 1962. One of the greatest sorrows of their lives was the death of their first born, Annette Sherrill, who was stillborn on June 15, 1960. The couple lost another child due to miscarriage in November 1963. Ed and Berniece gained a son on October 6, 1984 when Elaine married Doug Simmons. Another great joy occurred early in the morning October 13, 1989 when Ed and Berniece learned their first and only grandchild was born. Elizabeth Ann captured Grandpa and Grandma "O's" hearts from the beginning. Ed valued hard work, enjoyed a good joke, loved to fish, wasn't afraid to cry, and loved unconditionally. He lived his life for others and dedicated himself to making things better for all he knew and loved. Family was everything to Ed and he taught us the importance of being together. He lived in the moment and reminded us to "stop and smell the roses." And, of course, Ed never missed an opportunity to share nuggets of wisdom or as some called - life instructions, and he did so because he wanted all those he cared for to be safe and happy. In a world searching for heroes, you didn't have to look any further than Ed. How he lived his life and how he loved his best friend, Berniece, are a testimony of the importance and value of commitment, selflessness, devotion, and love. If you were a recipient of Ed's kindness, care, and love, you understand the impact he had on this world and your life. Left to cherish Ed’s memory is his wife, Berniece of the home in Wilson; daughter, Elaine Simmons and husband Doug of Great Bend, KS; five brothers; two sisters; and one granddaughter, Elizabeth (Caleb) Alexander. Ed is preceded in death by his parents, Ed and Edith Miller; daughter, Annette Sherrill; and one sister. A funeral service will be held on Thursday, October 17, 2019, at 2:00 pm at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Wilson. Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Wednesday from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm with family receiving friends 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm and a prayer service at 7:00 pm. Burial will follow at the Wilson City Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to Immanuel Lutheran Church or Trinity Lutheran Radio Fund and may be sent in care of Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 610 24th Street, Wilson, KS 67490.