Obituary of Mary Pruski

Mary Pruski (nee Bially) St. Louis Park, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on November 12, 2017, at age 91, in the presence of her daughter and son. She was preceded in death by her parents, Peter and Mary (Paciorka) Bially; brother, Stefan Bialy; half- sister, Bronica (Bernice) Bialy; half- brother, Jackie Bially; sisters, Molly (Bially) Stack and Anne (Bially) Pearson, and her husband, Stefan “Steve” Pruski. Survived by her daughter , Nellie (Roland) Hofmeister and son, John Pruski; brother, Nestor (Nancy) Bially; sister, Polly Kosowan; brothers, Harry Bially, Henry (Helen) Bially and Frank (Elsie) Bially; sisters, Rose (John) Tkachuk and Bernice Goy. Following her mother's death from pneumonia in Michigan, five days after giving birth to Mary, her father, Peter Bially placed Mary in the care of her maternal grandparents in Tolstoi, Manitoba and returned to work in Michigan. Mary continued being raised by her maternal grandparents believing them to be her parents, and her uncles and aunts to be her siblings. It wasn't until Mary was 14 years old that her father was able to persuade Mary's maternal grandmother it was time to introduce her to her real father, stepmother, two older sisters and her half siblings who lived just five miles away on a farm near her paternal grandparents homestead. She remained living with her grandmother; her grandfather had died when she was 13 years old. She celebrated the end of World War II on May 8, 1945, V-E Day, with her sister Anne in Winnipeg working a long day as a waitress in a restaurant. At the end of day only eggs were left. As she left work she found the entire street covered in confetti. Shortly afterward she was called back to Tolstoi to care for her maternal grandmother who was going blind and developing dementia. In February 1948 Steve Pruski, a six year veteran of the war, asked Mary for a date for Valentine's Day. She accepted. Their wedding was held on October 9, 1948. After marrying, they all lived in the house where she had been raised. Steve's family lived just a half mile away. She continued to care for her grandmother and maintain the farm with the help of her husband who continued his baking job. Just ten months later their daughter, Nellie Ann, was born. There was no running water or indoor toilets. Her uncle John, ten years older, now lived in the United States and sent her a wringer washer and a fridge when electricity was connected in 1952. The house was heated with a wood stove. In 1952 Mary, a U S citizen by birth, with her husband and daughter moved to the United States bringing with them her grandmother, who spoke only Ukrainian. First they moved to Omaha, NB to live with her Uncle John and his family, then a few months later to Minneapolis. Six months later they moved to St. Louis Park, Minnesota, her home for the rest of her life, over 64 years. The year her son, John Peter, was born, 1955, her grandmother died at the age of 71. She loved her home, family and neighbors. She loved having visitors. After learning of her two older sisters, five half -brothers and two half- sisters, she enjoyed making them part of her life and looked forward to visiting them and them visiting her. Her family grew larger after she married Steve because he too had half- brothers and sisters and an older step-brother. The families were close neighbors sharing the Ukrainian language, traditions and similar religious beliefs. Mary kept a loving and well managed home. She and Steve raised two appreciative children. She loved her flowers and garden, gardening until she was 87. She enjoyed canning and sharing her bounty with friends and family. She crocheted afghans and gave many away as gifts. She traveled, usually to visit with relatives, across Canada and the United States. One of her greatest treasures to her family was documenting the history of her and their lives. Photo albums filled with pictures, announcements, newspaper clippings, and notes of all that happened in and around their home and lives. As her children became teenagers she took on housecleaning for neighbors. Later, she began working at the Ambassador Motor Lodge where she worked in housekeeping for 23 years, until 1991. Her family expanded once again when Nellie married Roland Hofmeister in June 1972, she now included her son-in-law and his family as part of her own. Her husband of thirty six years died February 11, 1985 and was buried on February 14th, 37 years after her first date with him. She continued the Ukrainian traditions in her home, especially the Easter and Christmas traditions were always observed. The Pruskis attended St. Constantine's Ukrainian Catholic Church. One of the most memorable traditions is the Ukrainian Easter basket blessing. Shortly before becoming ill at the end of April 2017 she enjoyed the Easter basket blessing with her children by her side. She survived cancer twice. At the end of April she became ill with aspiration pneumonia as a result of Alzheimer's Dementia but with care being given to her by those in Abbott Hospital, Texas Terrace Care Center, and Allina Health Hospice, and her son and daughter, she enjoyed living through the Summer and Fall at home. Her life was one well lived. Memorial service Sunday, November 19, 2017 at 4 p.m. at Cremation Society of MN, 7835 Brooklyn Blvd. Brooklyn Park. Visitation beginning at 3 p.m. Interment at Gethsemane Cemetery on a later date.