SEYMOUR – Wilma “Omi” Koslowski Luft, 94, passed into eternal rest at the home of her daughter, Heidi Luft, in Seymour on January 10, 2026. Wilma was a farmhand, seamstress, homemaker, housekeeper, cleaning woman, gardener, and a pierogi/stuffed cabbage supplier to a Polish deli. Wilma, the last surviving member of her immediate family, was born May 5, 1931, on the family farm in Klaipeda, Poland, the twelfth of thirteen children.
After being spared from the Nazis due to their Lutheran faith, the family remained on the farm until late 1944, when they received notice, they had to quickly flee the Russian Army. Wilma and much of her family settled in Wallhoffen, Germany, where she lived until immigrating to the US in 1955 with her sister Martha to join their brother Julius in Scranton, PA. Wilma met her husband, the late Werner Luft, in Scranton where they married on Nov 23, 1957, and then moved to CT shortly afterwards. Wilma remained a resident of the Valley the rest of her life – first in Derby, then Ansonia, and finally Seymour in 1968, where she resided for nearly 58 years. She was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Shelton before becoming a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Oxford shortly after moving to Seymour.
Wilma was a quiet, kind, gentle person who, despite the hardships she faced as a refugee and losing her husband at a young age, she never complained. She took life as it came and always kept her Lutheran faith central to her life. She enjoyed being with her grandchildren, visiting for extended periods of time during their youth. “Omi” made the best raspberry jam from the raspberries she grew in her garden, birthday torte, and chocolate chip poundcake – her grandchildren’s favorite. She was a voracious knitter, making hundreds, if not thousands, of blankets, booties, and more. She patiently taught her grandchildren to knit many times, but they did not practice enough and ended up forgetting how to in between visits. Her grandchildren cherish their memories of helping Omi in her garden, running a “restaurant” in her kitchen, learning to play the piano in her dining room, and sitting beside her as she taught them to “knit one, pearl two.”
Wilma was the loving mother of Heidi Luft, Seymour and Gerald (Kathy) Luft, Bel Air MD, cherished grandmother (“Omi”) for Emily Luft, Mary Luft, and Patrick Luft – all of MD and was very close with her special friend and first longtime caregiver, Elsa Burgos. Wilma is also survived by several nieces and nephews both in the US and in Germany.
Wilma’s family would also like to give special thanks to Vitas Hospice Nursing Staff and also the wonderful caregivers from NOVA. They all gave Mom great care and attention during her long illness.
Funeral arrangements are under the care of the Ralph E Hull Funeral Home, 161 West Church Street, Seymour, CT and will be posted soon.