NetPosse honored as horse theft victim is laid to rest …
A Tribute to Carolyn.
On December 18, 2005, Carolyn 
Lawniczak discovered her Haflinger, Murph, and aged quarter horse, Saved for SunDay, had been stolen from their pasture at her residence along I-75 in Ocala, Florida. The fence had been cut and there was no trace of the animals.
After contacting authorities, within two days, Carolyn filed a report with Stolen Horse International. It took a few weeks of searching for Carolyn’s family and NetPosse members’ efforts to pay off, but on January 9, 2007, Murph and SunDay were found in Live Oak, Florida. Murph was in great shape, but the ordeal did take its toll on SunDay. Carolyn had to take special care to see that he recovered.
Any time a horse is recovered successfully, NetPosse rejoices with the victims and celebrates the homecoming.
Unfortunately, on the morning of August 31, 2007, Debi Metcalfe received an email from Carolyn’s son, Jeremy, that she had passed away unexpectedly. The family has graciously asked that donations be sent to NetPosse in lieu of gifts. Our deepest sympathies are extended to Carolyn’s family during this time.
As Debi wrote Jeremy: “We were so thrilled to be a part of Murph and Sunday's recovery, and are very honored to have had the chance to be a small part of [Carolyn’s] life. Your request to donate gifts to Stolen Horse International is so touching. I hope the horses are doing well, as I know Sunday wasn't in the best of health when he came home. It gives me great comfort to know that your mom did get to spend time with these horses instead of leaving here not knowing what became of them.”
The following is Carolyn Lawniczak’s obituary:
LAWNICZAK, Carolyn Sue, 68, passed away unexpectedly on August 28, 2007. Born in 1939 to Charles and Neva Couk in Plainwell, Michigan, Carolyn was above all else a devoted and loving daughter, friend, sister, cousin, niece, wife, mother, mother-in-law, aunt, great aunt, and grandmother. Married in 1964 to Jon J. Lawniczak, she bore and raised three sons, Brandon, Jon Jr., and Jeremy with patience and care. She doted on her grandchildren, Josephine and Duncan. She also leaves behind a brother, Charlie, and many other relatives she loved.
A high school cheerleader and honor student, Carolyn attended Western Michigan University and worked in various capacities throughout her life: in an ice cream parlor, a paper mill, as a legal office manager for her husband, Jon, and more recently, in both Michigan and Florida, as a gift shop salesclerk where she was also the best customer. In the 1970s, she was elected Treasurer for Atlas Township, Michigan, serving two terms. She volunteered much of her time to charity, tutoring children to read, working in the church Bingo, and in recent years delivering day-old bread with her husband to an Ocala soup kitchen.
Finally, the horses. First it was a Paint she rode bareback as a young girl, then a Pinto, and eventually many, many quarter horses with many, many saddles. With her husband’s unrelenting, support, she fed, watered, groomed, nurtured, exercised, rode, and loved them all. Over the years, she won many ribbons and trophies for which she was proud, but it was always her passion for the animals -- to be around them and to care for them -- that kept her at it. As a young girl, she announced she would “still be riding when she was forty.” She was still riding when she was 68.
A memorial service will be held at Hiers-Baxley Funeral Home located at 910 E. Silver Springs Boulevard in Ocala on Monday, September 3, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a memorial contribution to Stolen Horse International, www.netposse.com . This organization was near and dear to Carolyn’s heart, as it provided tremendous assistance in the safe return of two horses stolen from her barn.
Regards,
Jeremy Lawniczak
