Mary Ann Kauffman

“Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Mary Ann Kauffman, it summarized in every way who she was. She was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around her and always thinking before acting. She was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything she did. She was a friendly person who truly cared about those around her.

Mary Ann was born on February 6, 1935 at home in Lorain, Ohio. She was the daughter of John and Mary Mrosko. Mary Ann was raised in Lorain, Ohio, and was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, she learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that she would carry with her throughout her life.

As a young girl, Mary Ann was always aware of how others around her felt and this quality served her well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Mary Ann was generally able to avoid conflicts. It seemed as if Mary Ann was the family member who was always working to keep stress at bay. Preferring a quiet environment where she could concentrate, Mary Ann also had the ability to relate well with her family and friends. Mary Ann was raised with one brother, Gregg, who preceded her in death. Mary Ann was constantly involved in activities with her family. Mary Ann and her brother had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years.

Growing up, Mary Ann was one of those children who didn’t need to be in the center of a whirlwind of activity. She was content to entertain herself. Mary Ann was never pushy when it came to games and other activities, but rather, she was able to enjoy the pure fun these could bring. In just about everything she did as a child, Mary Ann was intent on pleasing both the adults and the other children around her. Mary Ann took part in a number of activities as a child. In her spare time she liked to play Violin. Mary Ann's memorable achievements included being a straight "A" student.

Mary Ann enjoyed learning. She always had a great memory and was particularly skilled at retaining factual information. Mary Ann was generally quiet in class, learning best through observation. She often showed great concentration and was competent at completing the tasks at hand. Good with details, Mary Ann was painstaking and accurate in her efforts. All of these talents culminated in a successful high school career. She was a majorette.

Most folks would say that Mary Ann was shy until they got to know her. Those who were privileged to know her well learned that she was a solid, good friend. Mary Ann was reluctant to generalize about people, and she based her friendships on her personal experiences. Because of this, Mary Ann best trusted those people that she truly knew. She was concerned about how those around her felt, and she always seemed to uncover the positive side of people. She could relate to others and had the ability to see their point of view, to “walk a mile in their shoes,” as the saying goes. The friends that she made, Mary Ann kept. While growing up, she was best friends with Ruth. Later in life, she remained best friends with Ruth (Bob) Walski, as well as becoming friends with Christa, Alisha, Christina, Margot, Carol, Walda & Joe, Wonda and Ema.

Love can’t be defined but must be experienced. That was so true for Mary Ann. On May 8, 1954 Mary Ann married Eugene R. Kauffman at St. Mary's Catholic Church of Lorain, Ohio. It was as if Mary Ann naturally sensed her spouse’s needs, and accepted those feelings unconditionally. Although Mary Ann disliked conflict, she did not take flight from discord, but rather sought to preserve harmony even during the most trying times.

Mary Ann was a good mother to her daughter. She had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because she trusted emotions, Mary Ann was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way she seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around her, always thinking before acting. In addition, Mary Ann was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around her might be, she seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Mary Ann was blessed with one daughter, Deborah Fritz. They were also blessed with two grandchildren, Michael and Katherine.

If you gave Mary Ann a deadline, she would meet it. At work, Mary Ann was always on task. Without hesitation, Mary Ann could adhere to any assignment and see it through to its completion. Her primary occupation was school secretary. She was employed with the Beaumont Unified School District for 35 years. During that time, Mary Ann excelled in working with small groups in order to complete assignments. She was able to quickly grasp concrete ideas and could organize and plan the best way to accomplish things with remarkable consistency. Mary Ann was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Mary Ann had a true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems. She was often the team member who managed to put forth a win/win solution for all parties.

Mary Ann liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Mary Ann's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Mary Ann preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on her hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were golf and figure skating. Mary Ann was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying her hobbies all by herself and could often be found just reading about her favorite pastimes.

Due to her excellent organizational skills, Mary Ann was a welcome addition to the professional and community organizations to which she belonged. Mary Ann could bring established, successful methods to the discussion table, along with a generous helping of common sense. Mary Ann was good at making and keeping schedules and never got bogged down in unnecessary details. Throughout her later years, Mary Ann was an active member of the Alter Society.

Mary Ann was active in the community. She was practical and grounded and based her decisions on first hand experience. She was responsible and liked working to achieve results rather than just chattering about possibilities. Mary Ann was a member of several community groups, serving on committees for the Mountain Airs Social Club.

An individual who respected and maintained traditional values, her faith was important to Mary Ann. Her compassion, consideration and sympathy toward others was evident in her personal beliefs. She was a member of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church, Beaumont, California. During that time, she was a Knights Lady with the Knights of Columbus.

Doing things to help others seemed to come naturally to Mary Ann. She never set out to gain individual recognition, but the praise and accolades given her for her many and varied efforts throughout her life were well deserved. Some of her most prestigious awards included Classified Employee of the Year for 1995.

Anyone who traveled or went on vacation with Mary Ann had smooth sailing. It was often taken for granted that she was the trip planner. She would start early and examine all of the possibilities, selecting the best and most effective options. Favorite vacations included a trip to Hawaii for their 50th wedding anniversary with family.

When Mary Ann's retirement finally arrived in June 1, 1996, she was well prepared. She had taken the time to learn about her various options and chose her course wisely. In retirement, she found new pleasure in golf, reading and traveling to Montana. Even in retirement, Mary Ann continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities retirement offered her.

Mary Ann passed away on March 4, 2011 at her home in Banning, California. She is survived by her daughter, Deborah (Donald) Fritz; grandchildren, Katie (Marty) Knoll and Michael (Katy) Fritz; great grandchildren, Zoey and Xander Fritz; sister-in-law, Dian Mrosko; niece, Melisa (Angel Sanchez) Mrosko, nephew, Mathew (Tiffany) Mrosko and great niece Carleigh Mrosko and great nephew, Luke Mrosko. Services were held Thursday, March 10, 2011, at 10:00 AM, at Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church, 1234 Palm Ave, Beaumont, California. A visitation and Rosary were held Wednesday, March 9, 2011,at Weaver Mortuary, 1177 Beaumont Ave, Beaumont, California. Mary Ann was laid to rest in Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Blvd, Riverside, California, with the LOVE of her life, Eugene.

It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Mary Ann was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Mary Ann was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of woman to whom everyone was drawn. She was thorough and practical. Mary Ann Kauffman was very literal with her words. You always knew where you stood with Mary Ann. She will be missed.