Celestyn ‘Cel’ Maciejewski

Celestyn “Cel” M. Maciejewski died Wednesday, Jan. 23, at the Harbor Club in Port Washington. He was 93.

Mr. Maciejewski was born on Oct. 11, 1925, in Lessor to Stanley and Helen Jach Maciejewski.

As a young man, he moved to Milwaukee to learn to be a mason and was working as a baker in 1943 when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served until 1946 as a ship’s cook second class.

After the war, Mr. Maciejewski resumed his training as a mason. On Sept. 6, 1947, he married Irene Kumrai of Milwaukee.

In the mid-1950s, they moved to the Town of Saukville to operate a family farm while Mr. Maciejewski continued working as a mason, including 20 years with Moldenhauer Construction in Grafton.

In the late 1960s, Mr. Maciejewski ran Cel’s Bar & Grill on North Mill Street in Saukville, with the family residing upstairs.  

Mr. Maciejewski was a member of the Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen Union Local 8 of Milwaukee. Afterward, he continued to do mason work on his own, creating fire brick furnaces.

In 1977, the family moved to Port Washington and lived on Holden Street.  

Mrs. Maciejewski died on Nov. 21, 2010. In 2011, Mr. Maciejewski moved to Harbor Village in Port Washington.

Mr. Maciejewski enjoyed sports and was involved in many bowling leagues and played softball for Bink’s Bar and other sponsors for many years.  He also played in the Grafton Senior League.

He and Mrs. Maciejewski enjoyed listening to and dancing to polka music, attending polka festivals in Merrill every year.

Mr. Maciejewski was active at the Port Washington Senior Center in its Green Felt Club, horseshoes and enjoyed playing cards.

He was a member of the Landt-Thiel American Legion Post 470 in Saukville, the Waubeka Flag Day Post 7037 Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Port Washington Leathernecks, volunteering at the Leathernecks’ Fish Day tent every summer.  He also journeyed to Washington, D.C., as a participant in a Stars and Stripes Honor Flight in May 2010.  

Mr. Maciejewski was a member of St. John XXIII Parish, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Saukville and was a cofounder of the Saukville Sports Day for local youths held in the parish gym.  He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus Ozaukee Council 2035 for more than 60 years.

 Mr. Maciejewski is survived by his children Sharon (Milt) Rennicke of West Bend, Dwight (Joanne) of Port Washington, Kevin of Phoenix, Lynn (David) DeBroux of Menomonee Falls, Lois Ebert of Port Washington, Neal (Heidi) of the Town of Grafton and Sandy (Dennis) Carroll of Port Washington; 13 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and sister-in-law Shirley (Morgan) Robinson of Cudahy.

He was preceded in death by his wife, daughter Mary, son Keith, granddaughter Ana Rose Maciejewski and sisters Adeline Maciejewski, Caroline Reinke and Jeanette Fierst.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1, at St. John XXIII Parish, St. Peter of Alcantara Catholic Church in Port Washington. Military honors will follow the Mass.

Father Patrick Wendt will preside.

Visitation will be from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Friday at the church.

A Knights of Columbus vigil and veterans walk-through will precede the Mass at 3:30 p.m.

Burial will be on Saturday at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Port Washington.

Memorials to the Port Washington Senior Center or the Landt-Thiel American Legion Post 470 are requested.

Poole Funeral Home and Crematory is assisting the family.