Mary Louise Francisco Morgan Kreamelmeyer

Mary Louise Francisco Morgan Kreamelmeyer, 102, passed away on January 15, 2021 at the Oaks of Mayview. Born on January 22, 1918 in Madison, Indiana; she was the daughter of the late Alice Joyce Millar and Van Edwin Francisco.

Mary Lou was born at the beginning of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic and spent her early childhood in the small farming community of Wirt in southern Indiana where her family was able to manage during the great depression. She attended a one room school house with eight grades and about 40 students. She graduated from Madison HS in 1935 and Hanover College in 1940. From 1941 to 1944 she worked as a social worker for Jefferson County and a secretary for Seagrams’ Distiller’s in Ky. Mary Lou had a sense of adventure and was restless to move to the big city of Washington, DC to participate in the war effort where she worked for the British Merchant Shipping Department. She moved to New York City and worked for The Voice of America monitoring the reaction to American Propaganda in Latin and Central America. When the war ended and after celebrating VJ day in New York City, she headed back to Washington.

In 1947 Mary Lou landed a position at the State Department and was assigned to the service staff at the Embassy in Santiago, Chile. (The local diplomatic officials who were working overseas, rented out their homes to visiting foreign stationed Embassy staff, and their homes usually came with a housekeeping and cooking staff…what a life!) While there, she met and married Douglas Morgan, who was a member of the Marine Corps Embassy Security Guard. Mary Lou and Doug were married in 1951. They returned to the United States in 1952 and settled in Raleigh, North Carolina. Mary continued her career as a staff member in the North Carolina General Assembly and an English teacher until 1973. After completion of her Master’s Degree in Education from North Carolina State University in 1974, she worked as a Guidance Counselor in Garner Middle School from 1974 until her retirement in the 1980s.

Twenty-one years later, after the death of her husband Doug, she married Bob Kreamelmeyer in 2001. They were friends at Hanover College in 1938 and were reacquainted at Mary Lou’s sixtieth college reunion in 2000.

Mary Lou was devoted to her church and volunteerism. She was an active member at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in the choir and altar guild; the Raleigh Panhellenic, Women’s League of Voters, and Wake County Democratic Women. She was a strong, well-educated and hard-working woman.

Mary Lou enjoyed life to the fullest. She loved to travel overseas, and only gave it up when she turned 90, spoke fluent Spanish and was passionate about the arts (especially classical music). She strongly believed in the power of prayer and many of her trips included visits to the Shrines of the Virgin Mary.

As a mother, her most important accomplishment was being the caregiver for her disabled son “Joey” until she was 85. At times it was not easy, but with loving care she provided him with every advantage that all of her other children received and made sure that he was included in all activities. Mary Lou was an ardent advocate for The ARC and involved in Life Experiences.

Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents, husbands Douglas and Bob; her brother Joseph Francisco (Virginia) and brother-in-law Theo Wennen.

She is survived by her children Ann M. Morgan (Benjamin Hatcher) of Norfolk, VA, Leonard D. Morgan (JoAnn) of Greenville, SC, Paul F. Morgan (Betty) of Raleigh, NC, Alice M. Hayes (Andy) of Frisco, CO and Joseph P. Morgan of Raleigh. She will be missed by her twelve grandchildren: Kathleen, Melissa, Margaret and Douglas; Gregory and Stephanie; Emily, Nathan and Evan; Richard, Julia and Madeline; and one great granddaughter Holland; her sisters Martha Alice Wennen and Elizabeth Joyce Copeland (Wood) and many nieces and nephews. She truly was a great role model and will be missed.

The family wishes to express our sincere appreciation for the care given to Mary Lou by the staff and Dr. William Dunlap at Mayview. A special thank you to Mary Hinton, her personal companion, for her loving and attentive care. It was such a blessing to know that during this Covid Pandemic with quarantine from family and friends, Mary was our lifeline to Mary Lou.

Memorial donations may be made to Life Experiences, 260 Towerview Court, Cary 27513. Please indicate as a memorial for Mary Morgan Kreamelmeyer.

The family will receive friends from 10 until 10:45 am in the Narthex of Our Lady of Lourdes Church on January 22, 2021. Funeral Services will follow at 11 am in the church, with interment to follow at Raleigh Memorial Park.

For those unable to attend, live streaming will begin at 10:55 am through the Facebook Page of Mitchell Funeral Home at Raleigh Memorial Park. (You may select the hyperlink below stating JOIN LIVESTREAM or search the full funeral home name once in your own Facebook account.)