Sally J. Shewchuk (Jelen), age 82 of Woodbury died July 31, 2021, after one day in hospice. Prayers were answered that she would go quickly, peacefully and without pain. Her four children, Beth, Laurie, Brad and Tracy were blessed to have this special woman as their mom. Sally especially treasured her brood of grands & greats: Ashley, Jess, Ryan, Jeremy, Jack, Brita, Jack, Kade, Cam, Chloe, Brecken, Leo, Kendrick, and Blakely.
Postmistress Arlene and welder Leo built a simple and happy small-town life in Beldenville, WI for Sally and her siblings Mary Ann and Bill. Sally married John (Jack) Jelen, a pharmacist, and worked beside him to own and run several drugstores in the Twin Cities. After Jack passed, she started a new chapter of life with a Canadian golfer friend-of-a-friend, Larry Shewchuk. They retired – and yet found new jobs – in Bella Vista, AR where they welcomed many visiting friends and family over the years. She was known for her sewing, crafting, computing and being the ‘hostess with the mostess.’ When Larry died unexpectedly, she was open to another stage, settling in Indianapolis where she helped care for Brad’s young kids. There she continued practicing her Catholic faith at a new church with the bonus of a new set of friends.
The final segment of her journey was set in motion with an Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis in 2013. During the slow decline that is AD, the strength of Sally’s character still remained, shown in her endlessly positive attitude, and her deep enjoyment of family and friends. She did love to party!
All that loved her knew Sally was beautiful, both inside and out. Her quick wit, contagious laugh, warm smile, and giving heart will stay with us always.
At Sally’s request, there is no service planned.
Please support the work being done on Alzheimer’s Disease in tribute to Sally.