Barbara "Boots" Bacholzky

Barbara Boots Bacholzky, age 79, a lifelong Almont area resident, passed away at her home on Monday, October 6, 2008 after a courageous battle with cancer. Boots was born in Almont on January 5, 1929, the daughter of Harry and Belle (Killam) Bowman.  She married Frank John Bacholzky on March 12, 1948.  She was in the Charter Class at Oakland University with her bachelor degree in education and then received her Master's Degree from Michigan State.  Boots was a well respected educator with the Almont Community Schools for 28 years before retiring in 1990.  Her love of teaching reading to first graders was an inspiration to her students and fellow educators.  She was a member of the Teacher's Delta Kappa Gamma Sorority of Lapeer County Elementary Teachers.  Barbara was also a lifelong member of the First Congregational Church of Almont where she served many years as a Deconess.     She is survived by her husband Frank,  children:  John (Marcia Halsey) &  Frank (Tracy Bechtel) both of Almont and her son-in-law Craig Georgeff of Frankenmuth, MI.  Grandchildren include Tim (Courtney) Georgeff, John, Nicholas, Jeffrey (Heidi), Ryan, and Daniel along with on great grandson Matthew.  Also survived by her sister Joan (Robert) Wendt of Alma, MI.  She was preceded in death by her loving daughter Carol Georgeff along with her two brother Robert & Donald Bowman.      Funeral service will take place on Friday at the First Congregational Church of Almont at 11 AM with Rev. David Eapley of the Frankenmuth United Methodist Church officiating.  Those planning an expression of sympathy may wish to consider making donations to the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Society or to the First Congregation Church of Almont.  Arrangements by the Henry M. Malburg Funeral Home, Romeo, Michigan.        Barbara Aileen Bowman Bacholzky, a very special one of God's creations, joined her daughter, her parents, and her brothers in the home of our Lord.  Boots, as she was known by, to her family, friends, and relatives for more than seven decades, was a role model for all to duplicate.  Boots cared for people and others cared for her. She was always a giving and exceedingly generous person.  Boots was one of the kindest human beings anyone might encounter-never critical of anyone but forgiving of everyone.       Boots was an extremely talented individual. Intellectually talented and musically gifted. She was salutatorian of her high school class and a member of Oakland University's Charter Class.  Boots had a bachelor and a master's degree in her life time devotion-teaching.  One of her greatest joys was to listen to the excitement of a child when they discovered they could read. Her next pleasure was to relate to her husband the joys of her class each day.       Boots wasn't only  a classroom teacher-she was an instructor in the needs for a morally sound basis of life.  Boots taught her family compassion and showed others by her mannerisms that life could be a joy without having to be continually entertained.  Boots taught her family the value of loyalty and love for one another. These values were implanted in Boots by her parents, Belle and Harry Bowman, and her older sister and brothers, Joann, Bob, and Donald.  She loved to get them all together and just to exchange recent family activities, and of course Boots great love:  taking family pictures.  Luckily Boots was a much better cook than she was at photography.   Boots musical love came from her mother, brother Bob, daughter Carol, and grandson Tim.  Carol passed away in January only fifty nine years old-Tragically and horribly missed. Carol was gifted in many ways but she was especially talented in both music and art.  She followed in her mother's footsteps playing both the piano and clarinet-and being any outstanding teach.  Her husband, Craig, has given us the staunch support which helped to hold the family together.     Even though our family are primarily educators, we have a wide range experience.  Boots grandsons are piano virtuosos, nuclear submarine officers, computer experts, sports authorities and even a cowboy.  Boots was proud of each and every grandson and loved them with all her strength.     Boots recent support has come primarily from her twin sons, John and Frank, and their wives Marcia and Tracy. Each has been a tower of power in the their support during this ten month tragedy.  Boots would respond better to the voices of her sons, than to anyone else. John and Frank have given up their life for most of a year to be at their mom's side.  This is only one example of the manner Boots was able to develop our family into a close knit. Primary unit.     Boots faith was over-whelming. Her strong belief in her God kept her going long after the doomsday prognosis of mortal physicians.  Boots was assure that she was going to rejoin friends and relatives who had left us some years ago or recently.  One of the first things Boots did each morning was her religious reading.  At day's end, prayer made a peaceful entrance into sleep.  She is a very long time member of the Congregational church and looked forward with anticipation to each Sunday.  Boots rarely missed attending.  The Heavenly father has blessed the  Bacholzky Family to the extreme was Boots sincere belief.       Frank, Boot's husband, Is sincerely trying to maintain his religious beliefs. He has been at Boots bedside twenty-four/seven during her courageous ten month struggle.  Frank's diagnosis:  BROKEN HEARTNot fatal but still life ending.  His love for Boots becomes, unexplainably, even greater with each passing day.        Saying that we will miss Boots is an under-statement of immense proportion.  Our memory of Carol's struggle left us weak and with little to look forward to, now, Boots would disagree and say, WHERE THERE'S LIFE THERE IS HOPE.  Our only hope is the new life, and new happiness Boots will have through the Resurrections of our Lord.      May everyone have peace and serenity here on earth until we can join our loved-ones in a better place.         In Jesus name,  Amen Visitation: Visitation Times .Wed 5-9 and Thurs 2-9 Malburg Funeral Home