Marion Wasileski knows the importance of voting. She has done just that in 20 presidential elections and today she will add one more to the list.
Wasileski, 98, of Auburn, will walk to the voting booth today. When her daughter, Lucia Swallow, asked if she wanted to carry out her civic duty through an absentee ballot, she turned it down.
“She said 'No, I want to walk,'” Swallow said. “She is a survivor. She has a joie de vivre.”
She is still independent, but Wasileski has been slowed recently by health issues. Despite the issues, she is insisting on casting her ballot in person, which Swallow said is not surprising.
Wasileski has always taken her responsibility as a citizen seriously, Swallow said. Though she and her late husband, Leonard, were not political activists, they read newspapers and talked about current events at home, Swallow said.
Through example, Wasileski taught her children the meaning of citizenship - giving back to your community, living as a patron of the arts, educating and serving fellow citizens.
“She believes in voting being a privilege and a right, and a responsibility,” Swallow said. “She has never taken it lightly. That is citizenship.”
Born in Amsterdam, N.Y., to immigrant parents, Wasileski earned a teaching degree while working as a waitress and doing laundry. She taught during World War II, and learned to sew well enough so that she made her children's clothes.
She never missed a Saturday afternoon broadcast of opera performances at the Metropolitan Opera.
“She has taught herself a lot of things over her lifetime,” Swallow said. “She always says that if you can read, you can learn how to do anything.”
Swallow also said her mother never pushed her children to be interested in politics, but Wasileski has influenced them on the importance of voting, she said.
Swallow has also learned being a good parent is an act of a good citizen. Wasileski wants her family to be contributors to the world and society, she said.
“I think as a role model she is passing it on to her children by reminding us to vote and asking if we are voting,” Swallow said.
“She's a citizen, and she raised her kids to be a citizen.”
“She said 'No, I want to walk,'” Swallow said. “She is a survivor. She has a joie de vivre.”
She is still independent, but Wasileski has been slowed recently by health issues. Despite the issues, she is insisting on casting her ballot in person, which Swallow said is not surprising.
Wasileski has always taken her responsibility as a citizen seriously, Swallow said. Though she and her late husband, Leonard, were not political activists, they read newspapers and talked about current events at home, Swallow said.
Through example, Wasileski taught her children the meaning of citizenship - giving back to your community, living as a patron of the arts, educating and serving fellow citizens.
“She believes in voting being a privilege and a right, and a responsibility,” Swallow said. “She has never taken it lightly. That is citizenship.”
Born in Amsterdam, N.Y., to immigrant parents, Wasileski earned a teaching degree while working as a waitress and doing laundry. She taught during World War II, and learned to sew well enough so that she made her children's clothes.
She never missed a Saturday afternoon broadcast of opera performances at the Metropolitan Opera.
“She has taught herself a lot of things over her lifetime,” Swallow said. “She always says that if you can read, you can learn how to do anything.”
Swallow also said her mother never pushed her children to be interested in politics, but Wasileski has influenced them on the importance of voting, she said.
Swallow has also learned being a good parent is an act of a good citizen. Wasileski wants her family to be contributors to the world and society, she said.
“I think as a role model she is passing it on to her children by reminding us to vote and asking if we are voting,” Swallow said.
“She's a citizen, and she raised her kids to be a citizen.”
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cm wrote on Nov 4, 2008 6:49 AM:
I too have taught my kids to VOTE at every election, we may not agree on who to vote for but they will be at the polls today, as they had since they turned 18. "