Sophie Theresa Kaspszak, 96, of Kettle River, died Wednesday, August 18, in Mercy Health Care Center, Moose Lake. She was born February 13, 1914 in Gary, IN to Steve and Anna (Womnicki) Jurek. At the age of 2, she and her family moved to Split Rock Township. Two years later, the family survived the fires of 1918, being evacuated by refugee train to Superior to spend the winter with relatives. She grew up on the family farm in Split Rock Township and attended Lincoln School, graduating in 1929 She then moved to Cloquet and worked as a waitress at the Northeastern Hotel on Dunlap Island for 5 years. Sophie then returned home and worked at the Moose Lake Hotel and Bar for several years before marrying John Kaspszak at St. Joseph's Catholic Church on October 26, 1940. She remained a homemaker and farmed on the Kaspszak homestead in Silver Township until her husband's death in February 1976. Sophie continued to live on the family farm until August 2007 when she entered the Mercy Health Care Center in Moose Lake.
She was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church and its Rosary Society and later Holy Angels Catholic Church of Moose Lake. She was also a very active member of the Star Club Ladies Auxiliary and the Kettle River Senior Citizens. She enjoyed life, cooking, gardening, flowers, crocheting afghans and playing bingo.

Sophie is preceded in death by her husband, John; her parents: Steve and Anna Jurek; 3 brothers, John, Stanley and Joseph; 2 sisters, Mary Newton and Victoria Karulak and daughter-in-law, Virginia Kaspszak.

Sophie is survived by 3 sons, Ted, Harry and Daniel (Linda) Kaspszak; 1 brother, Anthony (Marge) Jurek; sisters, Margaret Jurek and Theresa (LeRoy) Starkey; 5 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren.

Visitation was on Sunday, August 22, from 5- 7 PM with a Rosary Service at 6:30 PM in Hamlin-Hansen-Kosloski Funeral Home, Moose Lake and continued on Monday, August 23, from 10 AM until the 11 AM Mass of Christian Burial in St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Split Rock Township. Interment was in St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery. Memorials are preferred to the American Cancer Society. To sign the guestbook online, go to: www.hhkfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are with Hamlin-Hansen-Kosloski Funeral Home, Moose Lake.