Riley 1944 Anne M (Prikosovich) Kumic

Aug. 8, 1926 - June 26, 2017

Condolences

MISHAWAKA - Anne M. Kuzmic, 90, passed away on June 26, 2017, surrounded by her family. Anne was born on August 8, 1926, in South Bend, Indiana, to Martin and Anna Prikosovich. She married Victor G. Kuzmic on April 26, 1952, who preceded her in death after 64 years of marriage.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 am Thursday, June 29, 2017, in Our Lady of Hungary Church. Burial will follow at Highland Cemetery. Family and friends may gather from 4-7 Wednesday in the Zahoran Funeral Home, 1826 Kemble Avenue. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Heart to Heart Hospice. To leave an online condolence, visit our website www.zahoran.com or our facebook page Zahoran Funeral Home.

Anne attended Our Lady of Hungary Grade School and was a 1944 graduate of Riley High School. During her early years in the job market, she worked at the Torrington Company as a key punch operator, as an assistant in a dental office, and served for one very long and memorable day as a waitress at the Ewing Cafe that was owned by the Kuzmic family. She also spent over 15 years working at the Dodge division of Reliance Electric in Mishawaka where she won an award for a suggestion that saved the company money.

Anne was a loving wife (to Vic) and mother, and made sure there were nightly sit-down family dinners, even when she worked full-time. She helped organize the family camping vacations, refereed snowball fights, attended the band, orchestra, choir and sporting events of her children, and made sure everyone had a homemade birthday cake. Her seamstress skills were showcased by her daughters' 8th grade graduation dresses. She is also famous for locking Tom in the basement to practice the piano! Anne enjoyed exploring her cultural heritage and visited Austria and Hungary several times to visit cousins and the birthplace of her parents. She loved organizing family photos, telling stories about life during the Depression, and chuckled that her life aligned with the humorous tales of Erma Brombeck who was one of her favorite authors. Anne was fluent in Croatian and served as a volunteer translator for the hospital and many friends. She was a good cook and made a delicious Hungarian chicken paprikash! Anne was famous in some circles for her ability to fix a stalled 1956 Chevy, by lifting the hood to bang on the manual transmission to persuade it to shift into gear.

Anne was a loving daughter and cared tirelessly for her father (Martin) who died in 1954 and her mother (Anna) who died in 1989. She and her brother Matt were both featured dancers at the St. Anthony's Club festivals. Matt and Anne were devoted siblings throughout their long lives. She was a member of the Rosary Society through Our Lady of Hungary Church. Anne will live on in the hearts of the friends and family she leaves behind, especially her children, Tom (Amy) Kuzmic, Linda (Larry) Hilligoss, Cindy (Marc) Lieberman, and her three grandchildren, Martin Hilligoss, Madison Kuzmic, and Katherine Kuzmic. Anne also had many nieces and nephews who played a special role in her life.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Hearth at Juday Creek, the caregivers from the Heart to Heart Hospice and staff at St. Joseph Hospital in Mishawaka for their loving and tender care.

Published in South Bend Tribune on June 27, 2017

jmc 28 June 2017