WESTFORD - Julia Niedzialkowski, passed away Tuesday October 20th, 2009 surrounded by her loving family at Albany Medical Center.

Daughter of Joe and Anna Yankovich, Julia was born in North Tarrytown on June 3rd, 1927 the seventh of eight children. Her childhood was split between Tarrytown and the family farm in Elk Creek. Julia attended a one room school house in Elk Creek and later graduated from North Tarrytown High school in 1946. After graduating from high school, Julia worked as a waitress at a country club and in a local bank in West Chester county.


Julia met John F Niedzialkowski II on a blind date arranged by her best friend Irene. They were married on October 2nd, 1948 at St. Theresa's Church where her four sisters were bridesmaids. Julia and John raised three children and fostered in them a strong sense of family. While John was stationed in Yuma, AZ. they owned and operated a restaurant called Giovannis and later a diner called 'The Diner' on Beekman Ave. in North Tarrytown. Due to their love of the area, Julia and John purchased a farm in Westford where they spent many weekends and summers together with their family. They were happily married until John's passing in September of 1976. Julia later transformed the house into a bed and breakfast, known as Julia's B&B. She enjoyed spending time outside feeding her birds, horses and dogs as well as gardening and maintaining her lawn.

Julia's greatest love in life was her family. She acted as the hub for her immediate and extended family and was unconditionally proud of them. In addition, Julia had a love of travel. She was able to travel to many parts of the world including, but not limited to Morocco, the Panama Canal, Ireland, Poland, Europe and many parts of the United States. Some of these travels she was accompanied by family friend Andy Simcox.

Julia's family will always remember her for the strong values she instilled in all of us. Grandma encouraged each one of us to have the freedom to pursue our dreams but to always know where we came from and who our family was. There are so many memories that had been brought up over the last few days that it would be impossible to list all of them. All of us will remember the countless holidays and parties spent together at "the farm". We will remember Grandma's presence at every sporting event, horse show, school concert, motocross, and graduation. We will all remember the great family cruise of 2006 when Grandma took all of her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and spouses on a seven day cruise to Bermuda and the Bahamas. We will remember the weekends at Grandma's with seven or eight of us piled in one bed jockeying to sleep next to Grandma; the trips to the Chief Schenevus in that old station wagon; the rope swing in the barn, the rowboat in the pond, and hikes to the waterfall. We will remember the packs of gum, the five or ten dollars here and there and the times she topped off our gas tanks. We will remember to always have a camera. We will remember usquaki, keschiki and huspaninia. We will remember Grandma's stories from her life, her quick sense of humor and her brutal honesty. We will remember that you should never miss a party or an opportunity to have a good time and good conversation. We will remember that a hot bath will make anything better and that money spent on memories is the best money spent. We will remember to put family first and to keep in touch with even distant family. We will remember that a hug and a kiss and an "I love you" is how you greet someone and how you say 'goodbye'.

Julia will be missed by her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

She is survived by her three children, Maryann and husband, Jim Hurtubise of Oneonta, Juliann and husband, Richard Feirstein of Slingerlands and John and wife, Carol (Phillips) Niedzialkowski of Hartwick; grandchildren, James Hurtubise of Oneonta, Patricia (Hurtubise) and husband, Bret Leonard of Otego, Jacqueline (Hurtubise) and husband, Kevin Hitt of Otego, Denise, Audrey and Jeff Feirstein, all of Slingerlands, Caitlin, Jay, Lucas and Tanner Niedzialkowski, all of Hartwick; two great-grandsons, Colin and Wyatt Leonard of Otego. Julia has three remaining siblings, Joe Yankovich and wife, Evelyn of Schenectady, Betty Davis and husband, Wilber Davis of Riverdale, and Teresa Troegner of Flemington, NJ.


Julia is predeceased by her sister, Mary Petcoff, her sister, Anna Bartoluzzi, her brothers, Mike and John Yankovich.


Calling hours will be on Friday, October 23, 2009 from 6 to 8 p.m. and on Saturday, October 24, 2009 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the E.J. Skinner Funeral Chapel in Worcester.

Mass of Christian Burial will be Noon on Saturday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, Main Street in Worcester, with the Rev. Ronald Green, MM, as celebrant.

Online condolences may be made at www.skinnerfuneralchapel.com.

The E.J. Skinner Co., 155 Main St., Worcester, is serving the family.