Valerie Poe

Valerie Poe, 96, of Hot Springs, passed away peacefully while napping on Tuesday, April 4, 2017, at a private rest home on Lake Hamilton. Valerie Sophia Jedreyczk was born to Albert (Vojtek) and Pauline (Appolonia) Jedreyczk on the South Side of Chicago in the spring of 1920. She would be the middle child of eight brothers and sisters; deceased Walter, John, Ann, Stanley and Chester, and survived by Lorraine and Helen. After graduating from Englewood High School she went to work as a secretary for Edward Don & Company in Chicago. Soon after that, she met Marvin Poe, a Hot Springs native, fell in love, and was married. They had two children, Carol Jean and +Marvin Jr (Bill). Carol Jean died in 1975 at the age of 29. Valerie and Marvin retired to Hot Springs in 1977. Valerie's roots in Hot Springs go back to 1940 when she visited for the first time with her soon-to-be husband. After that, her attachment to Hot Springs was permanent. Her sister-in-law, Lois June and her extensive family were indispensable in Val and Marv's permanently transitioning to Hot Springs in 1977. Val was a baseball player in high school (very rare for girls at that time). An excellent golfer and championship bowler, with a tournament game of 252 at the age of 76. She is survived by her son, Marvin Jr.; two sisters, Lorraine and Helen; one sister-in-law Lois June in Hot Springs, and one sister-in-law Veronica in Chicago. She is the loving aunt to many nieces and nephews in both Hot Springs and Chicago. A life-long practicing Catholic, Val never missed Sunday mass until into her 90s when poor health made it impossible. She was a parishioner of St. John's, where many of her closest friends were from. The names of Val's family and close friends that are now deceased are too numerous to mention. It is sufficient to imagine that they are welcoming her at this very moment. A visitation will be held at Gross Funeral Home Tuesday, April 11 from 5-7 pm. A Christian Mass will be held Wednesday, April 12, 2017 at 2 pm at St. John’s Catholic Church.