Mary Helen Cronen

Mary grew up on the Miner family farm in Cavour, South Dakota. She went to the country school until she was in the 8th grade, and loved to tell us how she and her siblings rode horses to school everyday. Mary loved it when their teacher would fall asleep while they were out for recess so they would get an extra long time outside!

Mary was in high school when she met her future husband, Joseph Cronen. Mary and Joe lived in Huron and Lake Preston, South Dakota before making the courageous move to Littleton, Colorado in 1983. They had five children together, including Laura, Amy, Julie, Donny, and Sam. As a family they loved spending weekends and vacations going to the lake. It didn’t matter if they were sleeping in an old Winnebago at Lake Poinsett, a tent at Lake Enders, on a houseboat at Lake Powell, a cabin at Angostura Reservoir, or a house on the Lake of the Ozarks, they were all together and that was what mattered most to Mary.

As the kids got older Mary and Joe designed and built a home outside of town. Being outside of the city gave them the chance to raise a small herd of cattle. Mary and Joe loved seeing the baby calves in the spring and taking their cows to the National Western Stock show. One year, their bull calf even took 1st place!

Family was everything to Mary, and that is where she poured her love and energy. She grew up going to huge family reunions and having cousins from all over wanting to visit the family farm. Mary always felt lucky that she grew up on the farm along with her siblings, Ann, Kathy, and Donny. Though Mary put roots down in Colorado, she always made sure she brought her kids back to South Dakota at least twice a year when her kids were younger, and almost always for Thanksgiving when all of the aunts, uncles, and cousins would gather for a family reunion holiday.

Mary was the definition of a matriarch. When spending time with her kids and grandkids, everyone gravitated towards her. Her quick wit and ability to find humor in almost any situation brought joy to those around her. Whether it was a holiday, or just a get-together Mary planned and coordinated everything, and then directed everyone in perfect symphony. Their last holiday together, Easter, was a gorgeous spring day. Along with a meal for 25, she organized an Easter egg hunt and watched as her grandkids ran about the yard looking for the eggs that each held two 50 cent pieces! She was one-of-a-kind, a force of nature – determined and not easily swayed, yet fiercely supportive of the people she loved. Her beauty, both inside and out, shone brightly throughout her life.

Mary will be deeply missed by her devoted husband of 53 years, Joseph Cronen, her children and their spouses, Laura Cronen and Richard Smith, Amy and Joe Covell, Julie and Scott Bolton, and Donny and Lindsey Cronen, her grandchildren, Payson (Megan) and Maggie Cronen Smith, Joe and Scarlett Covell, Lucy and Henry Bolton, Jackson and Kendall Cronen, and Lucas and Logan Cronen, her siblings and many extended family members and friends who loved her and her unique blend of strength, humor, and love.

She was preceded in death by her parents Don and Peggy Miner, and her son Sam Cronen.

A gathering to celebrate Mary's life will be held at their home on Sunday, May 18, at 4 pm. In lieu of flowers, donations to the COPD Foundation at copdfoundation.org in her memory would be welcomed.

We want Mary to live on in our lives through stories and pictures - please share these if you have any!