Elaine Olszewski

As records manager in personnel, she and her eight-person staff handle the records for all nonacademic employees.

“We deal with all the records for payroll and workers comp, and we adjust benefits; we advise people on family leave, disability leave and retirement.”

“I try to be personal with everybody. It may be routine to us, but it’s important to that individual, so I try to make everyone feel they’re getting the attention they need.”

She was a member of the committee that planned the first annual Service Recognition Week last week. In 1989, she won the Janice Watkins Award.

In 1979, the Archdiocese of Chicago planned to demolish St. Adelbert’s church, her parish.

“But we saved the church. Cardinal Cody wanted to close it because the church was in need of repairs that would cost $150,000, and he felt there were too many churches within the area.

“The people in the parish just decided the was too valuable to destroy, so we formed a committee, we picketed, we went on television. We wrote to people all over the U.S. who got their start at St. Adelbert’s and said, ‘If you can at least donate $1!’ And we collected the money we needed, put it in a special account and saved the church.

“It’s flourishing now. They have three masses, in Polish, English, and Spanish, and the pastor speaks three languages.

“When we started this, they said it will never happen, nobody will listen to you, they won’t save the church. But we got st. Adelbert’s on Chicago’s landmark preservation list. It’s worth millions today.

“Ever since I was a child, my parents told me, never give up; if you want something, strive for it. My parents are both dead, but I think in the back of my mind I heard them saying, ‘You can do it, you can do it, don’t give up.'”

Although she moved away from the neighborhood, she’s still active in the st. Adelbert’s Mothers Club and runs the biannual Superbingo games.

“I was a den mother for 13 years, way after my kids got out of it. My three sons made me quit just before I went back to school, to get my BA in human resources.

“I went to DePaul and got my four-year degree in three. I wanted to get it before I turned 50 and I did! ”

“I really want to learn to play the piano and return to school to study American history.”

“My husband, Ronald, is great- he works in Physical Plant. He’s never stood in the way of anything I wanted to do. He’s a gourmet cook- anything the Frugal Gourmet can make, so can he! He makes the best jambalaya and chicken wings.”

“My husband and I are in a bowling league. I just started to bowl about two years ago. His best game was 230, and that was scratch, without the handicap. I have the highest handicap in the league, so I’m still learning, and I’m not going to quit ’til I get it right.”

“Also, I love to shop the Super Sundays at Carson’s downtown. I can’t leave that out, because anybody working in this office would say, ‘Oh, it’s not Elaine if that’s missing.’ I love to tell everybody about my bargains.”

“I had my fifth annual Halloween party for the kids in the family this year- great nieces and nephews, my two grandchildren and friends, too. We had 16 in all. We tell spooky stories and play pin-the-nose-on-the-pumpkin and musical graves. ”

“Last year they made their own pumpkins. My husband grew them in the backyard. They were too small to carve, so we has eyes and noses to stick on.”

“Every year the kids want to have a parade around the neighborhood- they get the biggest charge out of it. And I get the biggest charge out of it, because I plan this party all year long.”

She’s looking forward to Christmas, when more than 30 relatives will gather for Wigilya, the Polish tradition of breaking bread on Christmas Eve.