Grandma Mary Krile

At a week shy of 99 years old, my Grandma passed away last week.  She was a strong, faithful, and humble woman.  There's a joke I heard the other day that a Catholics worst nightmare is that they die, get to purgatory, and Mother Teresa's still there.  That's the way I feel about my Grandma.  She had unwavering faith and solid convictions her whole life.  While we weren't extremely close, there are few memories that I hope to share and pass down to Clare someday.

• Grandma was raised by her Grandfather in Wisconsin, while her father worked 6 days a week. 
• At the age of 22, she came from Oshkosh, WI to Pisek, ND to care for a relative.  She was then asked to become the priest's housekeeper and stayed in Pisek from then on out. 
• My grandfather courted her by giving her Holy cards.  Even though there was a 17 year age difference between them, they got married in 1940 when she was 27 years old.
• She worked at the Post Office and became Postmaster in 1973
• My Grandfather died in 1961, while my Dad was still in college.  Grandma never re-married, and lived way more of her life as a widower than a married woman.  I can't imagine living that long without your husband's support and love.  There meeting in heaven must have been a beautiful sight.
• She lived by herself in a single wide trailer in Pisek till she was 91.  She never drove a car and would make daily trips to the grocery store down the street.  She knew how to survive the harsh winters of North Dakota.  I've heard stories of getting a bowl of snow from outside and waiting for it to melt to get drinking water. 
• She used to have a beautiful orange cat that was a great companion.  When the cat died, someone gave her a fish.  The next winter, the fish froze in his bowl.  Winter's were harsh!
• In the summers, Grandma would have massive gardens on either side of her trailer.  Corn, dill, cabbage, peas, and beans sprouted everywhere.  The best memories were snapping green beans on her huge two bench swing in the back. 
• Grandma was an avid gardener, talented crocheter, cook, piano player, card player, and reader.
• The last time I visited her in 2008, my Aunt Rosemary kept insisting she play canasta with Kevin and me.  Grandma kept going on and on about how she couldn't remember how to play and that she had forgotten everything.  Her memory was starting to fade then, and she had good and bad days.  Finally, we talked her into playing.  We gave her 2 minutes to get her cards straight, and then she whomped us every round.  We didn't even have a chance.
• I want to say thank you to my parents, who drug all us kids on the three day drive, one way, every other summer trip to get to visit Grandma in Pisek, ND.  I know it was a hard trip to make, but I'm grateful for every memory we made. 

At my cousins wedding in California.

The last time I got to see her, and Kevin's first time to meet her.  I was just finishing my 1st Trimester with Clare and got to ask her a lot of advice.