Arloene Annette Sirochman

Brookfield - Arloene (Arlo) Sirochman of Brookfield passed away on Thursday evening, March 12, 2020 at home. She was 89; six months older than her good friend Lois.
Arlo was born October 19, 1930, in Sharon, to Dymitro (Mike) and Mary (Kurylak) Talowsky. As a lifelong area resident, she attended Hickory High School.
Arlo married Paul Sirochman of Sharon in 1951. The newlyweds built and lived in a cellar in Brookfield until they could save enough money to build a house above. Brothers and brothers-in-laws did most of the labor on the house. Arlo and her sisters finished woodwork and hand polished hard wood floors. The stories about the house were lessons about strength of family, teamwork, and hard work.
Her family and friends were her most treasured possessions. She loved all of them unconditionally. When her children got married, she declared that her S.I.L. and D.I.L’s were the perfect additions to the family. She cared for them as if they were her own.
All children had a place in Arlo’s heart. It was not unusual to have 5 or 6 of the many nieces and nephews for a weekend. This was in addition to her own five children! Imagine, caring for 10 to 11 kids all under the age of 12 at one time!
Once her children had left the nest, neighborhood kids would stop after school. Mrs. Sirochman became the neighborhood’s grandma. Over the years, a number of those now adults have stopped back to say hi and thank her for the time she spent with them.
As a member of St. John Ukrainian Orthodox church from childhood, she spent many hours at the church as a Ukrainian dancer, choir member, making pierogis and other church activities. Additionally, she spent many hours at the Brookfield Schools with the Band Boosters, Football Mothers and other functions.
Arlo’s hard work ethic was also evident in her daily homemaking chores, as well as gardening, canning, sewing and raising her five children. Arlo was a strong advocate for the kids to have pets- rabbits, dogs, chickens, horses, etc. That turned into additional work for her – especially with Pickles, the goat. She had to “wrestle” the goat several times when the goat needed milked. This feat will be memorialized on her headstone.
Somehow Arlo found time to learn to quilt. As an original recycler, no article of clothing ever got thrown out. After it was handed down to as many kids as possible, it became squares or triangles in some quilt pattern. Arlo’s handmade quilts were beautiful. She sold one once, but said it felt like she sold a piece of her soul. From that point on, everything she made was given away. Even in her final days Arlo stayed busy making pillows and fussing around the sewing machine.
She is survived with laughs and tears by her five children Arlo (aka. Sam, aka Buttons), Mary Sue (Bill Schofield), Paul (Christina), Michael (Ellen), Joe (Janet); 7 grandchildren, Stephan (Mandy and son James), Preston (Aleah), Sam, Sarah, Nik, Mika and Autumn. Also still laughing and loving is her sister Norma Jean Barker the youngest of the Talowsky women, fondly called “Kuma”. Additionally, the “nearly family” members Lois, Betty and Peggy will continue to carry on Arlo’s loving and caring memory.
Her beloved husband Paul preceded her in death in 2016; as well as two brothers Paul and Tom Talowsky; and five sisters, Ann Talowsky, Helen Stingis, Evelyn Zurawsky, Nellie Jamison and Catherine Barker.
Please do not send donations to the family. Instead do something nice for your neighbor. This would make Arlo happy.