MARY'S STORY …. A Life to remember

Mary Helen McKinney Ensrude, 83, Pekin , ND went home Tuesday, June 23 rd , 2009 at her earthly Pekin home.

  Mary was born October 3, 1925 in rural Shellsburg, PA to Elmer and Rhoda (Miller) McKinney, the middle daughter. Her parents and both sisters, Lorraine Meyers and Ruth Kuhns are all deceased as well as her special friend Karen Deehr. Vernon , her husband also preceded her . She is survived by and will be very much missed by her daughter, Zandra Day and by her much beloved “favorite” son-in-law, Ken, two grandchildren, Nichole Day and Nathan (Shanna) Day, and two great grand daughters, Nakota and Daphne, all of Boise, ID. Randy Ensrude, her adopted special needs son resides at the Parkview Center in Aneta, ND.

  She graduated from high school at 16 and left her beautiful Allegany mountains to go to business school in Hagerstown, MD. She then went to work for Fairchild Aircraft and worked as a secretary, joined the “Cadets” and graduated from Philadelphia General Hospital as a Certified Registered Nurse. Meanwhile, she met a “handsome” (or so she said) young Army Air Corp officer at the USO and began a five year courtship which resulted in,…… “you know”. Vernon, husband of 52 years died May, 29, 1999.

  I write this brief history of A LIFE WELL LIVED with blurry eyes and an aching heart. What can I tell you about Mary? You all knew her and could tell your own stories about her and I believe she would enjoy it most told with some spunk and humor to it, so I've added a bit here and there. The funeral director said, “I suppose Mary was a 100% Norwegian “. No, not one little bit of Norwegian blood but she became one when she left the mountains of PA as a young bride and new mother with her 100% Norwegian husband to North Dakota in the winter of 1948. They were snowed in at Lakota for 2 weeks with snow banks coming as high as Seidlinger's (Pekin Pub) second story windows. She delivered Raymond Seidlinger Jr. and flew out of Pekin in a snow plane because she discovered a blockage and that was the only way out. That was her introduction to her new home on the plains and HER LIFE'S CALLING. She and Dad also remodeled the bank building into the Corner Café which is now the Pekin Business Center which houses business offices. There was always someone at the house for immediate care, blood pressures taken, teaching self care for diabetics, changing dressings, house calls, accompanying patients to Grand Forks by ambulance, and then the house calls to go on …… all at no charge. She told me recently that she bought her medical supplies and dressings from Montgomery Ward Catalogue (their Wal-Mart of those days) because buying from the drug store was way too expensive and they just didn't have the money at that time. It is amazing that people just thought she magically had the medical supplies she used..

  When Vernon was called up again during the Korean Conflict and their first house that they built themselves on the original lot was not quite finished, she worked nights at the McVille hospital and took her daughter with her to sleep in a hospital crib. We didn't have a refrigerator that first winter so milk was kept cold in the bathroom window. Didn't have money, didn't buy…. kind of a good concept, don't you agree? With wars end and his discharge from the service she encouraged Dad …to use his GI Bill to get a college education so they/we moved to Mayville, lived in the tin hutments married student housing . He worked as a janitor at the Lutheran church thanks to the former Pekin Pastor, Spondee and Mary quickly worked up to Director of Nursing at the Mayville Hospital. They moved their house in Pekin off the lot and bought a lot in Mayville and added on . Again doing everything themselves. Dad overbuilt and Mom finished the sheet rock with never a crack or a seam to be seen. Between them, his woodwork and her finishing were works of art. They built the HOMEPLACE (red house in Pekin) with even more attention to detail with a bigger budget and didn't complete it until after Ken and I were married (42 years ago), so we were pressed into service also.

  Mary was director of nurses in Mayville, Michigan, and McVille … also a nurse anesthetist, shared between hospitals. She was accredited thru Cook County Hospital in Chicago while working shifts to pay for her further education. Dad also attained his Masters Degree at UND in education. He was superintendent of schools in various ND, MT, and MN schools, but they always “met in the middle” on weekends in Pekin … back to their roots and home residence. She became Director of Nursing at the University of North Dakota Medical Rehabilitation Center/Hospital, (now Altru) planning and surviving the building of two hospitals. She loved her work and built many valued friendships over the years. Many friends e.g. patients, coworkers, and neighbors are gone but she always made new friends ….. (As, we say she always made more)! July 1962 through April 1988 …..26 years (at Rehab) of service, leadership, and dedication which has touched so many lives. She obtained her BSN at UND … only getting 1 year credit for her 3 full year diploma nursing degree and years of experience.

  After “retiring”, she worked for the Nelson County Home Health Care System in McVille until her daughter … that would be ME, insisted that she hang up her nurse's cap due to those treacherous winter roads to the middle of nowhere …. she would take those visits when no one else would. Always the nurse, she joined Hospice and visited her last patient on Friday … 3 days before she was taken by ambulance to Altru Hospital in Grand Forks. We arrived from Boise on Monday night the same day she was taken there. We went every day and spent concentrated real time with her. She knew the “game” and just what was required to be discharged on Sunday so she could be at home with her family. Her family was very important to her …. so much so that she ignored the consequences of her deteriorating health condition. She wanted to be home.

  She was a life long member of the Pekin Lutheran Church, serving on the council for many years, held offices (treasurer … naturally) currently for the Ladies VFW Auxiliary and the Senior Citizens, cashiering for most every event, donated food, made silent auction baskets, homemade wine, scrubbies, Wal-Mart bag rugs, towels, crocheted large intricate dollies for special weddings, and gathered aluminum cans for the Senior Citizens Christmas light contest awards. She called herself the “bag lady” with pride.

  She enjoyed feeding the birds (and people), taking care of the stray cats (and stray people), and spending time in her garden … even planting one this year , and you know what kind of a spring we‘ve had. She taught everybody who knew her how to live, laugh, and love …. Boy, did she enjoy the “Red Hatters”! Live life to the fullest, laugh every chance you have and think of others more than yourself. Be the best you can be. Mary did.

  In lieu of flowers, the family would encourage contributions to the MARY H. ENSRUDE

REHAB NURSING UND SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION at Altru. As, Ron White would say, “At will put a smile on her face”!

  Memories and condolences may be shared with Mary's family at her funeral service at 1 PM at the Sheyenne Lutheran Church in rural Pekin , ND on Monday, June 29 th with viewing one hour earlier.   

  She always left the light on until we got home, so Mom, keep the light on until we come home too!