Mary Arens : 1917 - 2010

Rita's Mother passed away on April 24 after battling the effects of the debilitating stroke that struck her earlier this month. It was her wish that she be allowed to go home for her last days, and the family honored that request. She died peacefully in the manner she chose, in her own home and with a loving family gathered around her standing vigil. Each of her children had a chance to say their private good-byes before she lapsed into a semi-coma.

Mary Arens was born January 25, 1917 in the small town of Mosinee, Wisconsin, the youngest of 10 children. Her father was John Anthony Victor (or Wiktor in the Polish spelling), born in 1867 on the family farm near the village of Poreba Zegoty in southern Poland...about 15 miles west of Krakow. At that time Poland was partitioned among Russia, Prussia (Germany), and Austria. Their village fell into the Austrian sector so politically the family was Austrian, though there was never any doubt that ethnically she was Polish to the core - a fact that she was happy to remind you of at the slightest provocation.

Her mother was Mary Barbara Marcela who was born in 1873 near the same village. The couple had 7 children (a good Catholic family obviously) before they elected to emigrate to the US. Her father departed around 1907 to find work and establish a residence in Wisconsin, then sent for her mother, brothers and sisters who joined him after the long ocean voyage in late 1909. Imagine that - crossing the Atlantic by steamship with 7 children in tow, and the youngest of those a one year old toddler! Once settled in the US there followed 3 more children, with Mary being the youngest.

In 1931 and at the age of 13 she entered a convent and began training to become a Felician nun. Just before she was to take her final vows, however, she decided that the life was not for her after all and elected to leave the order...this was in 1943. At a USO dance in 1944 she first met Bert Arens - a true case of love at first sight - and they were married after a whirlwind romance shortly thereafter. After Bert was mustered out of the Army Air Corps in early 1946 they moved to northern California and began their long life together. The couple were married for 57 years before Bert passed away in 2001, and the marriage produced 5 children with Rita being the middle sibling.

She was the true Matriarch of the Arens family - the strong-willed and indomitable glue that held everything together as the family migrated from Redding to Weed to Mount Shasta and finally Yreka, California. She continued to be extremely religious throughout her life - attending services regularly and playing the organ for morning Mass at the church in Yreka where Rita spent most of her growing-up years.

She and Bert moved to Vancouver, Washington around 1999 to be near the Veteran's Medical Services that Bert needed near the end of his life. Widowed since 2001 she continued to live life on her own terms - independent and self-reliant to the end.

She was 4 ft., 11 inches tall and weighed about 130 lbs when she died. I'll always be glad I had the chance to know her. Aside from my own Mom who passed away in 1992 I've never known a kinder, more loving and generous person. My life was enriched by knowing her, and the world will be a lonelier place without her in it. May she rest in peace.