Theodore Joseph "Mike" Mikolajczyk

Theodore Joseph "Mike" Mikolajczyk passed away on December 17, 2019 in Mtn. Home at the age of 95. The son of Galician immigrants Pawel Mikolajczyk & Antonina Klimczyk, he was born in Olean, NY, on Sept. 27, 1924. Mike attended school in Olean and was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Forces in April 1943. After basic training at Greensboro, NC, he completed radio school at Scott Field, IL, and gunnery school at Harlingen AFB, TX. He arrived in England in 1944 and served as a tailgunner in a B-24 Liberator bomber with the 8th Air Force. Mike traveled to France, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Germany and Austria during WWII returning home in December 1945. Although he seldom spoke of his war experiences a favorite story was how he captured a German Colonel and his driver in Austria. After turning the men over to the proper authorities, Mike was given the Colonel's staff car for his own personal use. In April 1951 Mike enlisted in the newly formed U.S. Air Force. While stationed at Mtn. Home Air Force Base, (he actually cried when he first saw the area!) he met and married Lola Glineski of Bruneau, ID in 1957. Daughter Toni and sons Scott and Todd later joined the family. Mike's military service took them on many adventures including Okinawa, Japan, Grand Forks, ND, and Goose Bay, Labrador, before returning to Mtn. Home. Mike was a WWII, Korea and Vietnam veteran when he retired from the Air Force in 1970 after 22 yrs of honorable service. He went on to work for the Mtn. Home Police Dept., Sawtooth Lumber Co., Van's Insulation and DRMO at MHAFB, retiring for good in 1995 at the ripe age of 71. Mike was an avid hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman, passing these passions to his sons. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Sophie, brothers Stephen, Stanley, Ignatius, John, grandsons Adam Hill and Zane Mikolajczyk. He is survived by his wife Lola, daughter Toni (Rick) Hill of Mtn. Home, sons Scott (Kim) of Moscow ID, Todd (Melanie) of San Rafael CA, grandchildren Angie Bruce of Meridian ID, Grace and Benn Mikolajczyk of Moscow ID. According to his request a private burial ceremony was held at the Bruneau Cemetery on December 20, 2019. Arrangements were under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel.

In addition to being a good provider for his family, Mike loved his wife, children and had a very special love for all of his grandchildren. He was a man who grandkids loved to come play with and a father whose children loved to talk with. Although age robbed him of his memory at times, his legacy will live on through the ones he loved, the people he knew and his family.