JoAnn H. Wilk (nee Frydrych) age 87 of Des Plaines, Illinois passed away on October 17, 2020. Loving mother of Brian (Jacqie) Wilk and Christopher (Anna Lisa) Wilk. Cherished grandmother of Thomas, Julia, David, Jordan (Anthony) Albergo, Rachel, Samantha (Curtis) Bader, Jacqueline and Sabrina. Proud great grandmother of Olivia, Siena, Anthony and Clark. Former wife of the late Casimir Wilk. Dear sister of Chester Frydrych, the late Halina Gryzik, Irene Tuohy, Mary Sidorow, Stasia, Julian and Stanislawa Frydrych. JoAnn was born in Josefow, Poland on October 25, 1932 to Antonia and Stanislaw Frydrych. In September of 1939 German soldiers entered the town and forced her family to get on a train which took them to a place called the "Barracks", which was a slave labor camp in Russia. All personal possessions, documents, pictures, property, house, livestock and family members were taken from her. Her father was doing slave labor in the forests. There was hardly any food to eat so her family was becoming weak and sick and no doctors or medicines were made available to them. Her father Stanislaw, brother Julian, and sister Stanislawa all perished in the place called the "Barracks" . In 1942 she was able to leave Russia as a refugee. They first went to Leon, Mexico where they where cared for by the Felician Sisters. The refugees came to be known as the Poles of Santa Rosa. From Leon, Mexico she was able to come to Buffalo, New York and then finally to Chicago, Illinois. JoAnn's visitation and funeral mass will be private. Friends and family wishing to attend graveside committal services may do so. Social distancing measures will be in place and masks will be required. Graveside service will be taking place on Friday, October 23, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. at St. Adalbert Cemetery, 6800 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Niles, Illinois. For information please call the funeral home at (847) 699-9003.