Obituary of Teresa P. Sohmer

Teresa Pajonk Sohmer, 82, of Heritage Village, Gerry, NY, formerly of Lincoln Street in Jamestown, passed away Tuesday, January 19, 2021. Teresa was born in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, on March 20, 1938. She was the daughter of Joseph Pajonk and Mary Vitko Pajonk. The family moved from Clearfield to Curwensville, Pennsylvania when Teresa was a young girl. Teresa was a 1956 graduate of the Curwensville Joint School System. Immediately after her graduation, she was employed by the school system as a secretary in the high school office. She then served as the secretary to the elementary school principal and later as secretary to the high school principal. It was at Curwensville High School that she met her husband, Kenneth F. Sohmer. The couple was married on July 25, 1964, in St. Timothy Roman Catholic Church, Curwensville, Pennsylvania. After their marriage Ken and Teresa moved to Jamestown, New York. When their daughters were young, Teresa was an active member of the S. G. Love School PTA where she often served as a room mother for many years. Teresa was employed by Jamestown Stamp Company from 1984 to 1994. In 1994, she left her job to help provide childcare after her first grandchild was born. She loved being a grandmother to both of her grandsons, and she was always there to support them at sporting and musical events. She was extremely proud of their accomplishments. Teresa was a communicant at Saint James Roman Catholic Church where she and her husband were active in the Catholic Charities campaign. In her spare time she loved to crochet. For many years, she made afghans, which she donated to local nursing homes at Christmastime. She also enjoyed working on word search puzzles. Teresa is survived by her husband of fifty-six years, Kenneth F. Sohmer. She is also survived by her daughters Mary Cook (Randall) of Jamestown, NY and Kendra Salem (Michael Eckam) of Lehigh Acres, FL, and grandsons Zachary Stahlsmith (Carson), Holly Springs, NC, and Adam Stahlsmith, Jamestown, NY. She was preceded in death by her parents Joseph Anthony Pajonk (1968) and Mary Vitko Pajonk (1968). She was also preceded in death by her son-in-law R. Scott Stahlsmith (2003). The family wishes to extend its thanks to the staff at Heritage Village, in Gerry, NY, for providing Teresa with quality care and loving compassion in the months she resided there. Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, no Mass of Christian Burial or viewing will be observed. There will be a graveside service at Crown Crest Memorial Park, Clearfield, PA, at the convenience of the family. Please use the time that would have been spent at a mass or viewing to reach out to a friend for a Covid-safe visit. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Meals on Wheels of the Jamestown Area, PO Box 56, Jamestown, NY 14702 or The Jamestown Schools Promise Fund, where donations may be made by check, payable to the Community Foundation and mailed to: Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, 418 Spring Street, Jamestown, NY 14701. To leave a remembrance or to post condolences to the family, please visit www.lindfuneralhome.com.