Margaret Mary Keating

Margaret Mary lived a smiling, cheerful, optimistic life in spite of physical pain, mobility limitations, and complicated medical issues. When she found out recently that she was not a good candidate for the knee replacement procedure she hoped for, the news struck her hard. Still, Easter was coming, there were new babies to hold, dogs to pet, books to read, and injustices to fight. Her large, large family of choice gave her many opportunities to plan for the future. That said, her most fervent desire was to join her beloved Sharon [Schroeder] in the freedom and beauty of heavenly life. Her wish was realized just one day before the 10th anniversary of Sharon’s death. We picture Sharon swooping in to scoop her up and off they went to the party--singing, dancing, laughing, holding hands.

Margaret Mary lived and loved in the Servite (Servants of Mary) Community for 31 years, from her entrance in 1965 to her departure in 1996. Before her formal entrance, she attended their academy school beginning at age 12 and then went on to their college (Mount Scenario), all in Ladysmith, Wisconsin. Over the course of those years, she earned a degree in Education and went on to teach first graders for 16 years. It was a mutual admiration society for she loved them and they loved her. One of her schools was Holy Family School in St. Louis Park, MN where she met her long-time friend, Pat. In addition to her classroom teaching, she prepared children to receive the sacraments for six years.

As a teenager and young woman, she dreamed of becoming a nurse. At that time, her community needed her to train as a teacher but she did not fully let go of her vision. She earned a certified nursing assistant certificate in the state of Minnesota and served as an aide in nursing homes and private homes throughout her life. She also was trained as a massage therapist. She cared for people in their whole being--body, mind, and spirit.

Margaret Mary was a proud and active member in the recovery community. She went back to school in 1989 and became a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor; her counseling history includes The Gables women’s program in Rochester, Cedar Ridge men’s program in Stillwater and Mission Detox in Plymouth. She continued to practice her unparalleled listening skills all of her days. With her sharp memory and compassionate heart, she comforted and challenged hundreds of people throughout her life.

In the late 1980’s, Margaret Mary’s life took a turn that would bring her joy for the rest of her life. She was 40-yrs old and had spent half of her life in a religious community. She was in need of some rest and renewal. When the opportunity arrived for her to spend some time at the Franciscan Center for Holistic Living, she took it. The Center was a residential setting for personal growth and development especially for women religious, offered by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Sharon Schroeder was a member of this Franciscan community and happened to be at the Center for her own renewal at the very same time Margaret Mary was. We know how the story ends: they found new depths of God’s love in their love for each other and shared that all of their days. They also found new life-long friends in Beth and Lorraine during their time there. Sharon and Margaret Mary desired legal marriage and so had ceremonies in at least two states and Canada before it finally became the law of the land.

Margaret Mary and Sharon continued their spiritual growth, first at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church and then at Spirit of St. Stephen’s Catholic Community. While Sharon served as a prayer leader, Margaret Mary served on the Worship Committee, sharing her wisdom and always offering her help to the extent she was able. In recent years, she had a strong telephone ministry as evidenced by the extensive contact list in her phone. She kept track of the sorrows and worries of everyone she met and offered prayers as well as telephone calls--no texting for her. She described Spirit as a “renegade Catholic community” and she felt right at home with others working for justice, welcoming children, their parents, and all coming in the door, always praying and singing the inclusive love of God. Her Spirit family misses her terribly and are grateful to have shared this part of her life’s path with her.

Margaret Mary loved games, especially Chinese Checkers, cribbage, and dominos. She carried the equipment for these three games in her car, always at the ready to find a worthy opponent and, generally, win the game. She was ever the teacher and delighted when one of her “students” won the game.

Margaret Mary was genuinely interested in everyone she met and had the name, home town, and/or country of origin of each server, healthcare professional, aide, mechanic, bank teller, etc. etc. within minutes of an encounter. She embodied the saying, “there are no strangers, only friends we have not met.” She remembered their names and asked about their families, their studies, their love lives. Her questions were so warm and curious, her listening so complete that people told her whatever she asked. Margaret Mary treasured her friends and tried hard to keep in regular contact. When smartphones became available, she knew a new level of connection and was rarely if ever without her phone. If you were on her contact list, that was her blessing to you. Many, many, many people were blessed!

The only way a conversation could be improved, is if it happened over a meal. Food sustained her body but connecting over a meal fed her soul. She had a sweet tooth and loved chocolate, cookies, cake, and Dairy Queen treats. She loved cheese after all her years living in Wisconsin and a diet Coke or her trusty water bottle were always near at hand. She is also well-known for her love of savory food--anything that could be a conduit for her favorite seasoning, black pepper. Blackened pork chops took on a whole new meaning when Margaret Mary unscrewed the top of the pepper shaker and poured. She was not known for her cooking and was a most gracious receiver of leftovers.

She took quiet time each day to pray and to read but perhaps her most meditative moments came when she was completing her beloved puzzles. She had boxes of them in her car and apartment, as well as those spread out at Runnstone Senior Living (formerly Augustana) in Minneapolis, where she lived the last 5 years. Several residents have mentioned that there were many good chats over the puzzling-hours, especially in the early morning hours, so she always remained true to herself, teaching and listening.

Her inclusive love was not limited to humans; she had a deep affection for dogs. She loved her little black dog named--Pepper, and mourned his death and the absence his little spirit left in her life. She loved our church dogs, and no Sunday was complete without some lap time with a puppy. She also loved birds, especially the eagles and hawks soaring over the rivers and lakes. She kept her binoculars close at hand in the car.

As it became more difficult for her to get around, she supported organizations doing good work through donations or volunteering. One close to her heart was the Lift Garage--a non-profit auto repair shop in south Minneapolis--committed to helping people get to work and medical appointments safely. She went to the meetings and served on committees at her residence, reporting what she had heard from other residents in reaction to policies or needed repairs. In her heart, she wanted to be at the State Capitol or on the Lake Street Bridge making her beliefs known.

Margaret Mary was born to Robert Reagan Keating and Dorothy Mary (Ziegenhorn) on November 22, 1947 in the great city of Chicago, IL. She was very proud to call Chicago home and if there was a connection to be made with a new acquaintance to her home-town, Margaret Mary would find it. Her home parish was St. Domitilla School in Hillside, Illinois, where she also attended elementary school. Her relationships with her family and extended family formed her. These relationships ebbed and flowed over the years, as relationships can, with a recent reconnection to some cousins that brought her joy.

November 22 is the feast of St. Cecelia, the patron saint of music and musicians, which Margaret Mary embraced fully. She loved to sing and dance and supported live music in every form and the artists that create it.

Margaret Mary was truly grateful for all the help she received along the path of her life including friends, volunteers, staff, medical professionals, kind strangers, cleaners, servers and all who shared a hand and wisdom in her time of need.

Extra blessings on the person who invented the 3-wheel electric scooter--a stroke of genius and the breath of freedom for Margaret Mary; thank you.

The celebration of Margaret Mary’s life will include singing, stories, snacks, and puzzles on Tuesday, April 29. We will gather from 4-6 for the visitation and snacks, with the funeral liturgy beginning at 6 PM. This will be held in the New Branches building, where Spirit Catholic Community is housed, located at 5011 31st Ave S in Minneapolis. There is a small parking lot and plenty of street parking around the church. It is fully accessible and all are welcome. If you are unable to attend in person, the service will be livestreamed at the following link:

https://youtube.com/live/NsEEnXoYi1M?feature=share

Margaret Mary will be buried next to Sharon in Westside Cemetery, Westside, IA in a private service on Wednesday, April 30 at 2 PM.

Margaret Mary requested memorials be sent to Spirit Catholic Community in lieu of flowers, if you are inclined. Please send to Memorials--MMK Spirit Catholic Community 5011 31st Ave S Minneapolis, MN 55407. Thank you.