Lillian Marie Weleski Liss and More

Birth:	Mar. 22, 1929 Gloucester City Camden County New Jersey, USA
Death:	Mar. 8, 2000 Gloucester City Camden County New Jersey, USA
"Lillian is my grandmother, i called her "nanny". Lillian is the Sister of Ronald Weleski and John Weleski. She is the mother of Leonard Liss(Luann) Martin Liss(Leah) John Weleski(Maria). She is a proud Mother, Grandmother, Aunt, Sister, Friend. She would have been a GREAT Great-Grandmom. She worked at Yellow Cab as a dispatcher. She was Married to the late Dominic Pologruto. When her mother passed after giving birth, Lillian took on the role of mother to her brother John and raised him with her two sons. Her Grand children in order of birth are Sean, Matt, Derek, Regan, Leah, Nichole, Megan, Anne Marie, Melissa, Gabrielle, Zachary,and Alexis. " (Leah) I discovered this linked to my grandparents' Find a Grave Post, I uploaded some years ago. Lillian was my paternal aunt. I last saw her alive when I was a child. I mention "alive" because I did attend her viewing after she died. It is my understanding she died from a stroke. Lillian was my father's older sister. I do not know her granddaughter "Leah" who linked her grandmother's grave post to my grandparents' grave post but I wonder how much truth is in the above post. Lillian Marie Weleski Liss was born in the Manayunk section of Philadelphia. As an infant, Lillian resided with her parents at 166 Roxborough Ave Philadelphia Pa 19127. The Roxborough Ave address was the home of my great grandmother Eva Wisloski. As I mentioned in my family history, the name "Weleski" was not the original spelling of my ancestors name. The spelling was Wislosky changed to Wislocki changed to Wisloski then to Weleski. Lillian would spend most of her "growing up" years on Commissioner Street in the East Falls Section of Philadelphia. She lived around the corner from her Schroeder relatives. When my grandmother, her mother died in February 1945, Lillian was one month short of her 16th birthday. My father, her brother, Ronald was 11 years old and would not be 12 until October of 1945. My grandmother, Marie Schroeder Weleski died two days after giving birth to my Uncle John. The next nine years, the children would be raised by my grandfather, their father, John. When John died in 1956, my father was in the military and John Jr. went to live with Lillian and her husband in the Strawberry Mansion Section of Philadelphia. A few facts, I was told about their life after Marie Died. My grandfather's drinking problem became worse and his anger was more explosive. My great grandfather Charles Schroeder took my father under his wing until my great grandfather died November of 1945. The Weleski children were neglected and my father told me there were many nights the children did not eat. Lillian took over a lot of the responsibility. Lillian was often times envious of her Schroeder cousins which lead to anger issues and insecurity in self. Lillian probably married early to leave the home as my father, Ronald left to serve in the military. Lillian raised her brother John who was nine years old when their father died. Lillian had a difficult time getting social security for her brother John because their father never changed the family name legally to Weleski. Apparently, when Lillian and my father, Ronald were born their legal names were listed as Wisloski. As far as the above Find a Grave Post from Leah Liss linked to my Schroeder/Weleski Post, I was told by my father Lillian was not legally married to Dominic Pologruta. According to my father, Lillian lied about the marriage. My father, Ronald and John found out the truth after Lillian was interred in St. Mary's. A few months after Lillian died, the funeral director contacted my father, Ronald to tell him the funeral bill was never paid. Apparently, Lillian had a life insurance policy and the sons/son or whoever took the money, changed phone numbers and left the bill unpaid. My father was furious. Apparently, there was not a whole lot of truth in the family. My memories of Lillian are not fond memories. I was taken to her home in New Jersey by my father when I was a child. There was a painting of my grandmother, Marie, hanging on Lillian's wall. When I told Lillian, I thought her mother was pretty, her response to me was, "Well, you are not pretty like her". I was a child and her words cut me like a knife. When I became an adult, I was told Lillian was an "ugly duckling" compared to her Schroeder cousins and this created jealousy. After Lillian's death, that painting which hung on her wall was given to me by my father. It has hung on my wall, the last 13 years. The painting was done around 1940. Someday I will pass it down to my own granddaughter. I am sure the Lillian I knew as a child was not the same Lillian her grandchildren knew. It is evident that Leah loved and adored her.