Mary Louise Zimny was born November 2, 1929 on a small farm in Lansford, North Dakota. Her parents, Paul and Agnes Zimny, were both originally from Poland, but met and married here in the United States. She was the youngest of 7 children:
Isadore Zimney, Adeline (Sister Agnes) Zimny, Dorothy (Dot) O’Connell (Zimny), Albert (Raymond) & Delbert (Ralph) Zimny (twins), and Paul Zimny Jr.
Mary’s mother, Agnes, died when she was only 4 years old. This required her older sister, Dot, to quit school at the age of 16 in order to raise both Mary and her siblings.
She attended a one room country schoolhouse with her 3 older brothers until her 9th birthday. Her father then decided that the four youngest children would be sent to complete their education at a Catholic boarding school where Mary’s eldest sister, Sister Agnes taught. The children returned home every Christmas and summer to help with chores on the farm. Mary attended boarding school for 8 years and graduated high school in 1947.
At the encouragement of a close friend, Mary decided to attend school at St. Joseph Hospital in Minot, North Dakota and graduated as a pediatric Staff Registered Nurse in 1950. She began her working career in Chicago, Illinois while living with her two brothers, Raymond and Ralph.
In 1952, she moved with a girlfriend to Long Beach, California. It was there that she met and married her husband, Edwin Growe in 1954. Together, they had 7 children:
Marsha Evancoe (Growe), Mark Growe, Patricia Yunker (Growe), (Arleen) Frances Growe, Ted Growe, Thomas Growe and Karl Growe (Deceased).
The family moved several times to accommodate her husband's construction/carpentry business. Mary worked a night shift nursing schedule while the children were young, but after settling in Fullerton, California - she spent the rest of her career as a Certified Oncology nurse. Mary retired from nursing in November of 1992.
She then decided to enjoy a season of travelling. Mary had a very quiet, yet adventurous side to her. Along with 2 of her closest friends, Mary spent several years exploring the United States, Canada, Europe and the Middle East. Upon each return home, it was always fun to hear stories and see photos of her journeys - (our favorite was of her riding a Camel in Egypt)!
In 1999, Mary moved to Oklahoma with her son, Ted and his family. She joined the First Baptist church in Piedmont where she remained a member for the balance of her life. Everyone in Piedmont knew who Mary was. For 20 years, she was a familiar face to those who obtained food and clothing at the Piedmont Service Center. She also volunteered weekly at Piedmont's local library. And because of her extensive community service, Mary was chosen by the Service Center to be featured on a local news station for helping return a treasured quilt that was lost and restored to its original owners during the 2011 Piedmont tornado. She was even seen waving to folks in the local Piedmont Founder’s Day Parade!
Mary stepped into heaven to be with Jesus on Friday, February 19, 2021. She is survived by her 6 children, 11 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren, 5 step grandchildren and 14 step great grandchildren.
But this is only a snapshot of her life story…
Anyone who knew Mary, would tell you she was an amazing woman. On the outside, she was often known to be quiet and reserved. But to those who knew her well, she was fun!
She loved to travel, play cards, paint, and work puzzles. And Mary had a giggle that you couldn’t help but smile at when something truly struck her funny.
However, Mary also had a deep spiritual side to her. She attended church and Sunday school faithfully and read through her bible, which was full of inspirational notes and memory verses, every year. Her favorite passage of scripture was -
the 23rd Psalm.
Mary will be immensely missed by all who knew and loved her. Today, we choose to celebrate her life by embracing the same heritage of love, laughter, and memories she has left behind for us to learn from and cherish.
In honor of Mary's memory, the family would like to invite you to share a condolence or memory below.
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