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Mary Catherine Mesenbrink |
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February 18, 1919 ~ January 22, 2018 |
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January 29, 2018 |
Mary Catherine Mesenbrink, 98, passed away at
Boundary Community Hospital on January 22, 2018.
There will be a funeral mass and celebration of
Mary’s life at 1 p.m. Monday, February 5, at St
Ann’s Catholic Church, 6712 El Paso Street,
Bonners Ferry.
Mary was born in Sheridan, Wyoming, to Suzie and
Paul Yarco, on February 18, 1919. She had three
brothers.
She was married to William (Bill) Clark in
Sandpoint, they had three children; Helen
(Clark) White, Bill Clark, Bonners Ferry, and
Sue (Chi Chi) Brawn, Springfield, Oregon.
When their kids were young, She and Bill lived
in Moyie Springs, where she worked as a cook for
the Moyie Club. She has many stories of the
friends she made during this time.
They eventually moved into Bonners Ferry, where
Mary worked at the bakery, Lindsay Helmer
Hardware and the Post Office.
One time she told Bill she wanted to paint her
house purple. He didn’t think it was a very good
idea, so she walked home on her lunch hour and
got the front painted before he came home. Too
late for Bill to change her mind.
It is purple to this day!
She was known as “The lady in the purple house.”
She even received a card from one of her
grandkids addressed only to “Grandma Mary in the
purple house - Bonners Ferry Idaho.” It found
her just fine!
Bill died in 1970 and Mary married Melvin
Mesenbrink. Mel died in 1980.
Mary baked five loaves of bread every Thursday
because there were no meals served at the Senior
Center on that day. If you went to visit Mary,
more than likely you left with a fresh loaf of
homemade bread. If she heard of a fundraiser,
she made sure they had a loaf of her bread to
raffle off. It was usually one of the first
items sold.
Mary loved music, dancing and gathering with her
many friends. She has probably danced with every
man who ever attended the dances in Bonners
Ferry or Moyie Springs.
Mary decided in 2012 that it was time for her to
quit driving and move into the Restorium. After
all, she had been a member of The Friends of the
Restorium since its beginning.
This is a group of people who work very hard to
keep the Restorium a place that Boundary County
can be proud of.
She was very happy there but, unfortunately, her
health required that she move to the extended
care facility at the hospital. She always said
it was a wonderful place to be, and she loved
the people and the care that she got there.
No matter where Mary was, she always stayed
involved with life.
Mary was preceded in death by two husbands, one
brother, one grandson, one granddaughter and
many friends.
She is survived by two brothers, two children,
14 grandkids, 38 great-grandkids, 40 great-great
grandkids, two great-great-great grandkids and
many nieces, nephews and friends. |
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