Agnes Violet Machesky

Agnes Violet Piirtola Machesky was born in Defur Wisconsin, a small town in northern Wisconsin. She was the youngest of three children born to Andrew and Anna Piirtola, two fiercely proud Finns. She attended school in Ironwood Michigan, and graduated from the Ironwood high school. After high school she worked at Hanson's Glove factory making gloves for the military. While working at the glove factory she lived in a small apartment with her sister Ann. Aggie as she was affectionately known to her friends and family, had a very advanced sense of fashion, always out on the town with matching gloves, shoes and purse. A trait she passed on to her daughters, and granddaughters. During this carefree point in her life she met a brash former Air Force Sergeant, who was now working in the local iron mine. Her first impression of this brash, outgoing guy was not favorable, so much so when asked for her name she gave a fake name so he wouldn't bother her anymore. Unbeknownst to her this young handsome man knew her sister and found out her real name. Needles to say a short time later since she couldn't get the guy to leave her alone she married him. This started the saga of Ed and Agnes Machesky and family. While living in Montreal Wisconsin Aggie endured many adventures and tribulations. Such as the time Dad was trapped in a cave in at the mine and she didn't know if he was alive or not, but she never let on to us kids. Or the several times he came home hurt with various broken bones. Not to mention the hazardous duty of hanging clothes on the clothes line and being followed by bears while walking to the house. Not to mention a son that would wander away at the drop of a hat! Mom had to deal with numerous childhood aliments as well, by 1962 she had given birth to 6 children five girls and one poor picked on boy, no wonder he kept wandering away! All of us kids had names that started with J, Joni, Jim, Jan, Joy, Jeri, and Jill. We would all get a kick watching Mom when she got mad she would yell, jon,jim,jer, jan ,OH you COME HERE! At one point the mine Dad was working at went on strike, so to support the family Mom went back to work at the glove factory for about six months. When the mine shut down for good Dad came to Leadville Colorado to look for work at the Climax mine. During his absence Mom was left to care for six kids, with no car. Poor Mom! We all survived and to this day I don't know how Mom Kept her sanity, lord knows I tried my best to drive her crazy, by wandering away and leading her on a merry late night hunt for me that involved wild bears, and my older sister Joni having to look for me. When Dad returned from Colorado we packed up the family station wagon and like a modern version of the grapes of wrath we went west. When we got to Leadville we settled into a small apartment, and lived there for about a year. Dad found us a house to rent (next to the ELKS club). In 1968 Mom added one more to the child count, and along came Brother Joe, the seventh child and another J. When Joe was born Mom had a tough time with the birth, and we thought we might lose her, but she pulled through. This was one of the first times I realized how tough Mom was! After a number of years in Leadville, the family packed up again and moved to Denver when Dad went to work at the Henderson mine. During this period the family started to break up, Joni got married and I the problem child joined the Marine Corps. Dad had his fill of mining so he went to work for the government as a mining inspector and moved the family to Mason Michigan. Where the family got smaller, Jan and Joy moved out leaving Jeri, Jill and Joe. After a another move back to Colorado the family got smaller again all of the sisters at this point got married, and I joined the State Patrol and got married myself. Then the grand children were starting to pile up, Timmy and Barbie, Kyle and Chrissy, Justin and Jared, Garret and Grant. Well another move to North Carolina and another granddaughter Nikki. After a few years it was back to Colorado, and Joe joined the Navy. Shortly after that came two more grand children Megan and Ryan. Dad eventually retired and Mom and Dad were on their own again. They moved quite often during this time back to North Carolina, Colorado, California, and back to Colorado. During these years Mom showed her inner strength again several times, nursing her beloved husband who had suffered a stroke, and a colon cancer scare. Then without warning Mom suffered her own tragedy she had an infection in her foot that at first seemed mild but after several years and surgeries took her leg below the knee. To add to the pain her husband of fifty plus years succumbed to cancer and was taken from her while she lay recovering in a hospital from her own near death experience. This would have killed a normal person, but Mom was not a normal person. She had incredible strength, and told all of us kids that she would come home and walk again, which she did. The last few years were hard on Mom she had to rely on her Daughters to help her, and if you know her you know this was hard for her to swallow. Mom has always been self reliant, and independent. Many times we thought the end was near for Mom, but time and again she pulled back from the brink and surprised us all with her recoveries. Mom was a stubborn hard headed Finn, and I mean that in the most sincere way. I can proudly say our Mom was without a doubt was the strongest person I have ever known! We love you and we will miss you, your race is run and now you can be back with your beloved ED, waiting to start gathering the family back together.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Agnes' name to The Homestead At Lakewood, 2121 Wadsworth Blvd, Lakewood, CO 80214