ORLANDO, FL – Mrs. Josephine Maringa, 88, passed away at Orlando Regional Medical Center on Sunday morning, February 22, 2015.

Josephine was born in Rudno Lehota, Czechoslovakia (n/k/a Slovakia) on April 1, 1926, the daughter of the late Joseph and Vinca (nee: Harag) Krepelan.  She moved to the United States in 1947 by boarding the Queen Elizabeth with her mother.  From 1947 through February, 2012, she lived in Racine until she moved to Orlando, FL to be cared for by her daughter, Julie after the passing of her oldest daughter, Irene.

Rudno Lehota was a small farming community of 200 residents in Czechoslovakia where life was hard and heavily dependent on staple foods to sustain them through the hot summers and cold winters. These included wheat, potatoes, milk and milk products, pork meat, sauerkraut and onions, etc. along with her mother Vinca's homemade bread. Josephine also helped to care for the cows, goats, chickens and pigs on the farm.

Josephine was a loving daughter, mother, grandmother and aunt.  She was a Catholic woman of faith, a member of the Holy Trinity Catholic Church and St. Joseph Catholic Church while in Racine and enjoyed attending the Blessed Trinity Catholic Church in Orlando.  She also enjoyed spending time as President, Secretary and a long standing member of First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association (Prva Katolicka Slovenska Zenska Jednota) for many years.

Josephine studied English upon her arrival to the United States. Her first job was a nanny for a local Racine family. She shared later that this helped her considerably to learn English.

Thomas Belanec and Josephine Krepelan were married on March 29, 1951 in the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Racine, WI.  Josephine became a U.S. Citizen on November 25, 1952.  Thomas Belanec, her first husband, passed away at the age of 45 on July 27, 1968.  Josephine Belanec married Jan Maringa, her second husband, on February 9, 1970 in the Holy Trinity Catholic Church.  Jan Maringa passed away at the age of 81 on March 23, 1999.

Josephine worked as a factory worker for many years in Racine at such places as Moxness Products, Custom Packaging, Sunbeam, and others.  Finally, she worked as a wire wrapper at Getty's manufacturing for 10 years before her retirement in February, 1991.

Josephine enjoyed Sunday Church services followed by Sunday dinners she prepared to share with family.  Her forte was truly in baking which included Slovak Kolacky (or kolaches), Slovak Šišky Donuts, Cherry & Rhubarb Kuchen, and Apple Strudel, etc. She made these treats for her family and shared with others generously.  She liked baking butter cookies with butter frosting, then decorated them with colored sugar for Christmas – she later prepared these with her granddaughter, Darcy, to share with family and friends in Racine as well as her daughters, Julie in Orlando and Kathleen in Los Angeles.  She enjoyed knitting, crocheting (afghans, quilts & pillow covers) along with embroidery (beautiful table cloths with beautiful flowers which she drew herself and Slovak shirts for her and Jan to wear to the Slovak celebrations), sharing many of her creations with family and friends. She loved gardening in Racine and Orlando. She proudly showed off her vegetables and flowers.

Her survivors include:  her daughters, Julie (Mark) Thrasher (nee: Belanec) of Winter Park, FL, and Kathleen Belanec of Los Angeles, CA; her grandchildren, Darcy (Steve) Schwartz (nee: Bugni) of Waukesha, WI, Zach Thrasher of Orlando, FL, and Rhea Thrasher of Shanghai, China; her nephew Charles (Monica) Krepelan of Racine, WI; her nieces, Susan (Keith) Paplaczyk of Phoenix, AZ, and Karen Krepelan of Racine, WI; and her first cousin, Silvia (John) Hipsley of Dunkirk, MD.  She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Vinca Krepelan, her husbands, Thomas Belanec and Jan Maringa, her brother, Frank (Frances) Krepelan, and most recently her daughter, Irene (nee: Belanec) Bugni, along with many other relatives.

Family and friends are invited to meet at the Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home on Friday, March 6, 2015,   to visit with Josephine's family from 10-11 a.m.  The service celebrating and remembering her life will follow at 11:00 a.m. with Father Mark R. Jones officiating. Her internment will follow the service at Holy Cross Cemetery in Caledonia.