Alvina Josephine Marchel, 97, died peacefully on January 28, 2015 at Stevens Point Care Center with her family gathered near her.

Alvina was born in the Town of Sharon to Joseph and Katherine (Wisniewski) Wojtalewicz on October 13, 1917. She attended Pulaski School, and as a young lady, went to work at Saint Michael's Hospital as a cleaning girl. She also worked for many priests and doctors in the Stevens Point area cleaning their homes and making their meals.

Alvina married Chester Sobish in 1939 and he died in 1948. They had two daughters, Adeline and Lori. She married Frank B. Marchel in 1949 and they had one daughter, Dorothy. He died in 1968. In 1978, her baby brother, Emerick, came to live with her until he passed away in January, 2011.

Alvina and Chester opened their tavern on February 14, 1946, and she ran Marchel's Bar until she was 86 years old, closing it in January, 2003.

Alvina loved running the small country tavern and visiting with neighbors and friends. While it was how she made a living, it was also her passion. She had a good listening ear and could hand out some very good advice to her customers. The small tavern would often ring with laughter playing "Elvira" on the jukebox while a "Schmier" card game was going on at each end of the small bar.

Alvina, in her later years, loved spending time with her family. She loved family gatherings, and would look forward to small casual suppers with a few members of her family as well as the big holiday get-togethers which she would look forward to weeks in advance.

Alvina will be missed greatly by all of those who knew and loved her, but we know that she is in a better place resting in the arms of Jesus, who she loved so dearly.

A.J.". is survived by her three daughters Adeline (Leonard) Hintz, Lori (Jerry) Shroda and Dorothy (Jim) Czysen), and her eight grandchildren, Deborah (Mike) Pionek, Cynthia (Duane) Groshek, Tammy (Mike) Resop, Shelley (Tom) Strojny, Holly Gorell, Jay (Hillary) Shroda, Mary Czysen and Rebecca Czysen. She is also survived by sixteen great grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter.

She is further survived by her Sister Theresa (Edward) Losinski, and two Brothers Chester (Florence) Wojtalewicz and Emil (Angeline) Wojtalewicz.

Alvina was preceded in death by her parents Joseph & Katherine Wojtalewicz, her brothers Roman, Ben, Edwin, Joseph and Emerick and her sisters Teckla, Emma, Jean, Stella, and Marian.

Mass of Christian Burial for Alvina will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Polonia on Saturday, January 31st.at 11:00 A.M. with Rev. Gregory A. Michaud officiating. Burial will take place in the Sacred Heart Parish cemetery. Visitation will be held Saturday morning at Sacred Heart Catholic Church from 9:30 A.M. until the time for mass. The Pisarski/Dzikoski Funeral Home is honored to be serving the family. Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.pisarskifuneralhome.com

Our special thanks to Laurie Kostka, APNP, Dr. Raina and all the 5th Floor Staff and physicians at St. Michael's Hospital as well as Jerry and the rest of the staff at the Stevens Point Care Center.

Published in Stevens Point Journal on Jan. 30, 2015