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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЖОТВЕНЬ 2009 29 Alberta (Baitinger) Cieply UNWLA Branch 53 , the Detroit Regional Council , and the community of Metropolitan Detroit mourn the passing of dedicated and popula r activist Alberta Baitinger Cieply. Alberta was born in Adrian, Michigan, on October 29, 1928. Immediately after high school graduation in 1946, Alberta married Paul Baitinger, a member of the Army Air Corps and a World War II veteran who served in New G uinea. The couple had two children, Paul and Maria. Husband Paul encouraged Alberta to go to college, and she completed her BA degree in 1969, taking additional classes to become a teacher and eventually earning an MA degree from the University of Detroit. After Paul died, Alberta became a substitute teacher in the Detroit public school system and then worked for the State of Michigan as an Assistance Payment Worker/Eligibility Specialist, a job she held for 27 years. During these years, she also completed an advanced Labor Studies Curriculum at Wayne State University and married again. Her second husband, George, passed away nine years later. Alberta met Oleh R. Cieply in the 1980s in a Big Boy restaurant in Warren, Michigan. They were married on August 9, 1997, and were deeply devoted to one another for twelve happy years. It was during this time that Alberta became a well - known activist in the Ukrainian – American com - munity in Detroit . She was a vital force in every organization she joined and volunteered to help with fund - raising efforts and membership drives, often offering useful suggestions to the groups she worked with. She was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of Non - Commissioned Officer Associa - tion (NCOA), the AKA (International Communica - tion Traini ng), and the Warren Garden Club, and her dynamic energy was also an important presence in Ukrainian organizations, including the UNWLA and the Ukrainian American Veterans . A member of the Ladies Auxiliary Ukrainian - American Post 101, she also served as the National Welfare Officer for the National UAV. A lberta was a member of the St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church Sodality and visited the sick in hospitals and the elderly in nursing homes. Many remember her as the tireless worker in the funny hat , sell ing 50 - 50 tickets at the Sunflower festivals. Alberta was also a member of the Board for Detroit’s Ukrainian Graduates, which honored her in 2008 with a Distinguished Service Award. Alberta was a close friend of the late Mary Beck and was a caring companio n to the elderly Ms, Beck when she was no longer able to travel alone. The two traveled to Pittsburgh in 2001 to attend the 35 th anniversary banquet of UNWLA Branch 27, which was founded by Mary Beck. In 2002, she accompanied Mary to the 26 th UNWLA Convent ion in Florida; later that year the two attended the WFUWO Congress in Toronto, Ontario. But the most arduous and heroic journey occurred in 2003 when this dynamic duo traveled to the Ukrainian World Congress in Kyiv, Ukraine, so that Mary Beck could recei ve the St. Volodymyr Medal bestowed on her by Ukraine’s government i n person. It was with Alberta’s loving help that Mary Beck was appropriately honored for her lifelong work for the Ukrainian cause. Alberta passed away on June 25, 2009 in Warren, Michigan . She left behind in sorrow her husband Oleh, her children Paul Baitinger and Maria (Robert) Lohrmann, and her stepchildren Stefan (Mary) Cieply and Christine (James) Pope. Her funeral was held on June 30, 2009, at St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Church in Warren, Michigan , and was attended by many people who had been touched by Alberta’s spirit , including United States Representative Sander Levin and Michigan Representative Lisa (Lesia) Liss. Alberta’s own words express her philosophy of life: “For every d oor that closes, God has a new door to open. My faith is that God does not give us more than we can bear. My problems are mini. I have had a purpose in my life.” We remember Alberta’s enthusiasm, her tokens of friendship given to everyone she met, her smil e, her positive o utlook, and her love for life. Ola Movchan Novak, UNWLA Branch 53 member.
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