Mary Grabski

Mary was comforted by family and friends throughout her illness, and her son, Adam, and daughter, Carolyn, attended her throughout her months of hospitalization and were with her at the time of her passing.

Mary was born on March 31, 1940, in LaCrosse, Wis., to Dorothy (Lepsch) Grabinski and Verdon Grabinski. The third child of 11, she had two brothers and eight sisters.

Mary attended Holy Trinity Grade School and graduated from Aquinas High School, LaCrosse, in 1958. When she was 10 years old she was inspired to become a nurse as a result of a ruptured appendix and month long hospital stay.

At the age of 16 she met and was given an autograph from Elvis Presley after his concert appearance at the Mary Sawyer Auditorium in La Crosse. This memorable event and location of the autograph on her midriff raised quite a stir at the Catholic school she attended.

She studied nursing at St. Mary’s School of Nursing, Wausau, Wis. graduating with a BSN in 1961. During her studies in Wausau she met the love of her life and future husband Charles Grabski. Together they raised four children, Tony, Adam, Carolyn, and Mary Jae, but Charlie was taken by cancer from the marriage and their family too young at 52 in 1988.

Mary continued to expand her knowledge and nursing skills to improve employment opportunities as support for her family as a widowed mother. She attended master’s classes at NMU for a BS in nursing in 1993, followed by additional advanced practice nursing courses at University of Wisconsin-Madison.

During her 40+ years of nursing she cared for thousands of patients in many facilities and roles and especially remembered the many patients, doctors, nurses and support staff from her 14 years at Crystal Falls Hospital. Her final role, and one of her favorites, before retirement at 65 1/2 years old, was Home Health Hospice Case Manager for Marquette General Hospital.

She traveled hundreds of miles a day by car though any weather to care for patients in need of nursing care in their homes. This job, her nursing abilities, and friendly personality allowed her not only to treat their ailments, but also to develop the trust and friendships missing from many health care facilities today. Some patients only needed a friendly word or smile to make them feel better.

Mary was not all work and no play. She enjoyed many hobbies and outdoor activities. She taught all her children to ski at Keyes Peak. Bike riding, walking, gardening, and mowing her large yard with a push mower kept her in shape. The family took two memorable cross-country vacations while Charlie was alive to Disney World in California 1976 and to New York City in 1982.

Mary sewed, raised chickens, made ice cream and butter, baked, canned, and cooked many family favorite dishes. She loved to dance at weddings and to live music at almost any event or venue. She played couples bridge with her husband and in groups of her closest friends. Her pets were precious to her including her dog, Albert and beagles, Emma, Amil, and Trixie. She treated them with love and compassion as they were substitute children to keep her company at all times.

Mary met her new life partner Sid Steinke in 1992, and they have lived together since 2000 at Mary’s Florence, farm in summer and in winter as “snow birds” at Sid’s house in Gulf Shores. They enjoyed the famed Flora-Bama Beach Bar in Pensacola where Mary won the Interstate Mullet Toss at the legendary beach party.

Sid and Mary were very active outdoors where they hunted deer and turkeys, went camping, boating, canoeing and fishing occasionally. Sid was a race car driver in his younger years and he introduced Mary to NASCAR. She loved to place bets on the drivers, wear her racing jacket, and the couple attended the races at Daytona and the Talladega Superspeedway.

Mary is survived by partner, Sid Steinke; sons, Tony Grabski (Sara Harstad) of Blue Mounds, Wis., and Adam Grabski (Nancy Bucholtz) of Mazomanie Wis.; daughters, Carolyn (Kevin) Wentland of Helotes, Texas, and Mary J. Stroupe of Georgia; siblings, Gerald (Chickie) Grabinski, Verda Grabinski, Judy (Jerry) Eckert, Genie (Bill) Applebee, Carlota Gutierrez, and Archie (Tracy) Grabinski; grandchildren, Jeremiah Grabski, Kevin Wentland Jr., Kassie Wentland, Katie Wentland, and two other grandchildren; many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends; and her special beagle, Trixie.

In addition to her parents, Dorothy and Verdon Grabinski, Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Grabski; sisters, Colette (Robert) Finley, Sue (Bill) Leary, Denise Grabinski, and Zita Grabinski Clack; and infant granddaughter, Haley Wentland.

Mary had very strong religious beliefs and was raised as a devout Catholic. She attended Sunday and Holy day masses regularly, donated food and baked goods at church social events and served as a communion minister for many years.

She lived life according to the plan God gave to her and shared his spirit with her family and friends. She was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Florence and Saint Margaret Catholic Church of Scotland in Foley, Ala.

A Visitation will be held on Friday March 7, from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at Jacobs-Lundholm Funeral Home, 417 Central Ave., Florence. A Funeral Mass will take place 11 a.m., Saturday March 8, at St. Mary Catholic Church. The graveside will be noon, on Monday, March 10 at St. Paul Catholic cemetery, 1111 Main St, Mosinee, WI 54455

Friends may leave condolences and tributes to Mary’s family online at www.jacobsfuneralhomes.com.

The family has chosen Jacobs-Lundholm Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Florence to honor Mary’s legacy of life.