Mary Ann McEniry (1943-2022)

MCENIRY, GILLEN, KRUSE

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 5/30/2022 at 13:21:38

Mary Ann McEniry, of Marion, passed away at the age of 78 on May 27, 2022. A funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marion on Thursday, June 2, 2022, with Father David O’Connor and Father Christopher Podhajsky officiating. There will be a visitation at the church at 9:30 a.m. before the Mass and a luncheon in the church basement immediately following the Mass. Teahen Funeral Home is serving the family.
Mary Ann was born October 8, 1943, in Cedar Rapids, to her beloved parents Wesley Elmer and Mildred Frances (Gillen) Kruse. Her sister Kathy and brother Mike joined the family in the years following. Her father passed away in 1959 as a young man.
On November 9, 1968, Mary Ann was united in marriage to James McEniry of Melrose, Iowa, and they had three wonderful children, Mary, Jimmy, and Annie. Mary Ann was the biggest champion of her children and her love never faltered through triumphs or travails. She absolutely adored her grandchildren Catie and Max and was thrilled that Catie and her husband Riyaz are going to become parents in July. Her love also extended to the children of her sister Kathy and brother-in-law Ron. She loved Andrea (Arabi), Casey, Danny (Sunny) and the grandchildren Mohamad, Mariam, Bila, Dylan, Summer, and Paige. She also loved her favorite little dog companion, Maggie, who brought her much joy over the past few years.
Mary Ann graduated from Mount Mercy College and also had a master’s degree in special education. She was passionate about teaching and was an elementary and special education teacher for many years. After taking some time off to raise a family, she returned to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church as a pastoral associate and director of religious education. She spent 25 years in these roles and touched the lives of countless children.
Mary Ann was a lifelong baseball fan, especially the Cubs, and loved traveling, whether it was day trips throughout Iowa and the Midwest, trips to Washington, D.C., or trips around the world. Ireland and Israel were very special places to her. She loved watching her grandchildren perform in the Cedar Rapids Washington and Xavier show choirs. She was extremely patriotic and enjoyed sharing stories about the World War II generation, especially about her father and uncles who all served in the War. She was also proud of her Irish heritage and took Gaelic for many years. And she enjoyed telling stories about her youth growing up with her sister Kathy and dear friends Marcia and Susan. She really lived a remarkable life.
Mary Ann was preceded in death by her parents, Wesley and Mildred Kruse; stepfather, Harold Walsh; nephew, Brian Allen; niece, Andrea Allen Alshaar; and brother, Mike Kruse.
Donations can be made in Mary Ann’s name to St. Joseph Catholic School in Marion. This school brought her an immense sense of joy while her children attended there over a twenty-year period. Donations can also be made to Cedar Valley Humane Society as Mary Ann loved animals, especially dogs.
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