Aniceta Gedmintas

Aniceta (Vaitiekute) Gedmintas died October 6, 2016 after a brief illness. She was born to Justina (Balseryte) Vaitiekus in Kretinga, Lithuania on January 1, 1921. She was orphaned and raised by foster parents until she married her life-long partner Vladas Gedmintas. They were married in 1941 and remained so until his death in 2009. Aniceta leaves three sons, Vladas Jr. in England, Kestutis in South Carolina, and Aleksandras in upstate New York. She also leaves 11 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren and her faithful companion Nika. Aniceta’s life was an example of perseverance and optimism. Fleeing the approaching Russian front in Lithuania in 1944, she traveled alone with her two children southward into Europe, ultimately reaching what was then Yugoslavia, where her husband caught up with her. After a brief stay there, the family was forced to move north to war-torn Germany. After some weeks residing in a barn on a German family’s homestead, they eventually settled in the Augsburg-Hochfeld Camp For Displaced Baltic Peoples where her third son was born. In 1949 the family received permission to enter the United States under the Displaced Persons Act. They were settled initially on Aniceta’s brother’s farm in Massachusetts, and eventually found permanent residence in Worcester, Massachusetts. There she was active in the Lithuanian-American community, participating in the Lithuanian Scouting Association and Lithuanian Siauliai among other organizations. She was tireless in support of her family, working a multitude of jobs, insuring that her children got the education she thought they deserved. In the early 1980s, she and Vladas retired to St. Pete Beach. Aniceta was witty, perceptive, a beacon of hope to many throughout her life. Although she had many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, she was also a “grandma” to many who just knew her as a friend, neighbor, and confidant. There is no greater tribute. She will be missed. The family would like to offer special thanks to neighbors Melonie and Scott Vigue and Tim and Betty Quinn, Aniceta’s “guardian angels,” for their enduring support over the years. Without their help, she would not have been able to finish her life in the house and garden that she dearly loved.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be sent to :

St. Petersburg Lithuanian-American Club

4880 46th Ave. N

St. Petersburg, FL 33714