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Mary Krob
MARY RUTH KROB
Walker
Mary Ruth Krob, 94, of Bradenton Fla., formerly of Walker, passed away on Dec. 29, 2014. Services will be held on Friday, Jan. 2, at 9:30 a.m. at SS Peter and Paul Church, Bradenton. A memorial service will be held in Walker, Iowa, at a later date, with a committal service at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Walker.
Mary Ruth was born in Paducah, Ky., on Feb. 15, 1920, the third of eight children born to Leo and Erminie Willett Van Ness. She was raised in Fancy Farm, Ky., and attended St. Jerome School, graduating in 1938. While working in Louisville as an X-ray technician, she met a young army lieutenant named Norbert Krob. They were married in Fancy Farm on April 24, 1944. After the war they moved to Iowa, where Nobert worked in the family grain elevator business. They raised their three sons in Walker, and lived there until retiring to Florida in 1976. In April of 2014 they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary.
She is survived by her husband, Norbert of Bradenton; sons, Mike (Penny) of Walker, David (Cheryl) of Ely and Tom (Jane) of Las Vegas, Nev.; 10 grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are two sisters, Jean Smith of Mayfield Ky., and Gena Foote of Sacramento, Calif.; and one brother, Henry Van Ness of Memphis, Tenn.
She was preceded in death by a grandson, Michael; a brother, Gerald Van Ness; and sisters, Catherine Finn, Hilda Hunter and Magdalene Fister.
Mary Ruth loved playing bridge, square dancing and entertaining her family. She and Norb enjoyed traveling to 49 states, Canada and Mexico in their RV. To celebrate 50 years of marriage, they made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where they renewed their marriage vows at Cana.
Her church was very important to her and her faith was deep, which she passed on to her family. She was a member of Sacred Heart Church in Walker for many years and a charter member of SS Peter and Paul Church in Bradenton. She did volunteer work at Blake Medical Center and St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, as well as delivering Meals on Wheels in Bradenton.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to her favorite charity, St Jude Children's Hospital, or Tidewell Hospice of Bradenton.
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