Kathy, Mike and Don have asked me to pay tribute to their mother and my wonderful aunt, Mary Ellen. She was special to all of us and we were so very fortunate to have her in our lives. Today would have been her 74th birthday. A good day to celebrate the life of a remarkable woman. Celebration is a very apt word because Aunt Mary celebrated life to its fullest and brought so much joy to her family, friends and co-workers. She was a beautiful woman with a vivid smile, sparkling eyes and a great laugh. People toss around phrases in memorials like “people person” and “ loved by all” but in Mary Ellen’s case this was so very true. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother and a beloved member of our family. Mary was a friend you treasured and the co-worker that everyone wanted to have. There are so many adjectives to describe her. Hospitable, generous, friendly, funny, kind…the list goes on and on.

She had a positive outlook on life and handled even adversity with strength, grace and humor. A friend of the family, Mary Simon said: “…I loved her laugh… if you were down , you were uplifted after a minute around her. Amazing woman! Will never forget her .”♥ She touched many lives. She knew that even the seemingly small things in life could have a big impact. A classmate Joe Schramek contacted us and vividly remembers a surprise party she gave him over fifty years ago. He said: “Mary Ellen’s passing affects me and I’m sure all who knew her closely. She was beloved by all. It is a little daunting to summarize such an important life, but it’s an honor too. Since Aunt Mary loved pictures so much we thought we would open up the family albums an d share some of Mary’s story with you. A few years ago we were so lucky to have our cousin Annette host us one afternoon in a picture/memory sharing party. The photos were wonderful to see, but even more special were the memories and stories that Aunt Mary told as she saw the photos…

Mary Ellen Rau Severs

Eyke

On this day In 1939 , Don Rau and Marie D’Amour Rau’s daughter Mary Ellen was born in Cedar Springs Michigan. She was a beautiful girl with big dark eyes and a wonderful smile. She joined her older brothers Larry and John, and the three siblings were close all of their lives.

Mary was the youngest child and the only girl. She was the apple of everyone’s eye. She was adored yet not spoiled. As my Aunt Deb says: “She had the charisma & charm of her Father and the beautiful grace of her Mother. She lit up the room when she walked in with her easy style, wonderful smile, and fabulous laugh!! “

Her parents and grandparents were well known in the town of Cedar Springs. Many people came to her grandfather Rau’s house: the big white house with the wrap around porch.

Her father and his sister Jeanne were many years apart in age but were very close all of their lives. When her Aunt Jeanne married Hal Halvorson, little Mary was the flower girl.

The Rau and Halvorson families were close-knit and got together frequently.

Mary was her daddy Don’s girl. Here he is after a long day of work and she was probably cheering him up. Kathy told me a great story: When she was in school she was self conscious about her new white shows being too conspicuous. Her dad would put them in the driveway and run them over with his car to give them a used look. It drove her mother Marie crazy!

Mary’s father Don had worked for the Michigan Treasury. For awhile he commuted to Lansing from Cedar Springs, but in 1947 the family moved to Lansing to a house at 924 Walnut Street. Mary’s mother Marie was a supervising nurse at St. Lawrence hospital. Like the Rau house in Cedar Springs, the Rau house on Walnut became a gathering place for family and friends and a place of warm hospitality. Mary inherited her parents’ generous spirit of hospitality.

Mary went to St Mary’s High School and graduated in 1957. She was lovely and vivacious and full of fun. Any potential boyfriends had to face her dad and two very protective brothers!

When Mary was asked at a high school reunion to reflect on the years since she graduated she said: “There have been some downs, but many ups too. I thought at 18 I pretty much knew everything. I DID NOT!” When asked about memorable events from her high school days she said: “Rita Miller and I went to Mass every day in the summer, so that the nuns would remember us when they chose the cheerleaders. It worked, didn’t it!”

High school brought her lifelong friendships.

By the time Mary was 20 both of her brothers had married and she had sisters at last. She was close to both of her sisters in-law: Barbara, her brother Larry’s wife, and Jan, her brother John’s wife. She enjoyed visits with them, especially up north.

Mary was bridesmaid at her brother John’s wedding. Jan and Mary had an inside joke of calling one another “Sister Rau.”

Both of her brothers John and Larry passed away years before her. Aunt Mary told me one time that she thought about her brothers every day. As we are trying to do today for her, I am sure she turned to happy memories of her brothers to sustain her.

Mary married Joe Severs in 1960. Along came three of the great loves of her

life: Kathy, Mike and Don.

Mary was divorced and single mom for awhile. When she joined the Jug & Mug Ski Club it brought much more to her life than fun times with friends. It was there that she met Walter Eyke, Uncle Walt. They shared 36 years together. They were husband and wife, and great friends.

Walter fit right into the family. He married Mary Ellen on July 6, 1976. The wedding reception was held in the backyard at our house on Cleo street in Lansing. The back yard was framed with beautiful willow trees. Nice setting but one slight problem, little bugs started dropping from the willows onto the food. Those little bugs liked cake!

Uncle Walt and Aunt Mary shared many happy times with family and friends…

Mary was so proud of her Kathy’s children, her grandchildren: JC Bauer and Shelby Moody. Here are four generations, Mary Ellen, her mother Marie, her daughter Kathy and Kathy’s son JC.

Grandma’s pride and joy…

Mary had various jobs in her life. With her personality she was good at everything she tried. “People person” is tossed around a lot but Mary really WAS a people person. For many years she worked in the advertising department of the Lansing State Journal. She helped her husband Walter with his construction business, worked in realty, and managed an assisted living facility. Many of her jobs were in promotion such as her positions at Frandor and Tanger Outlets in Howell. Promotion and marketing were perfect fields for Mary. When she was Promotion Director at Frandor and you walked around with her, she greeted all of the merchants by name and they were glad to see her. She was a Frandor celebrity. She was in charge of the Easter Bunny and Santa at Frandor and talked several of us into being the Easter Bunny. One time poor Mike was mobbed by a busload of special education kids while in the suit. Kathy was one of Santa’s elves and told her mom: “Santa smells like candy canes.” Turns out Santa was imbibing peppermint schnapps!

Aunt Mary loved travel. Favorite destinations included Florida, Mackinac Island, Branson with her niece Lisa, and her sister-in-laws’ homes up north. She also golfed on occasion, and once beat Mike and Walt on the Grand Hotel golf course.

She could talk her way into anything with her engaging personality. She told me when they were filming Somewhere in Time on Mackinac Island she made herself at home in a chair on the porch at the Grand Hotel (where she wasn’t supposed to be.) She sat down like she owned the place and watched Christopher Reeve and other stars go by for a long time.

When she managed an assisted living facility in East Lansing she persuaded Richard Simmons to come visit. She matched his bubbly personality with her own!

Aunt Mary loved animals, especially her pets. This is a trait all of her children have inherited. Mary’s dogs and kitties had a wonderful home with her. Cocoa was perhaps the world’s ugliest dog with a face only a mother could love, but was sweet. Callie was beautiful but an escape artist. One Halloween she and Walt found Boo—or Boo found them!

Aunt Mary was a wonderful cook. Like her mother before her, she could make the most delicious things from simple ingredients. Family favorites included sauerkraut soup, potato salad and AMMONIA cake. This is a family legend that Aunt Mary had to hear about for YEARS. Sorry Aunt Mary, ONE more time. Yes, the LEMON CAKE story. One day her mother Marie called out to Mary from another room to put the glaze on a lemon cake that was cooling on the counter. Mary dutifully poured the bowl of glaze onto the cake. Unbeknownst to her, her mother had been cleaning in the kitchen with an ammonia and water solution. You guessed it, the ammonia water (which looked like glaze) went into the cake. Grandma actually thought the cake could be salvaged! For years after that, poor Aunt Mary was always asked if she had brought her famous AMMONIA cake to the party. We are serving cake today, but you will be happy to know it ISN’T ammonia cake.

Mary Ellen was an extraordinary person and we all loved her. Even my friends called her Aunt Mary and my relatives on my mom’s side thought of her as one of their own. Our time with her was far too short, but we were so, so lucky to have her in our lives. I know we will think of her every day. There will be tears of course, but also remember the happy times. Recall her devotion to her family and friends, her beautiful smile and her hearty laugh. A Navaho Prayer, by the departed for the living: Grieve for me, for I would grieve for you. Then brush away the sorrow and the tears. Life is not over, but begins anew, with courage you must greet the coming years… Reach out and comfort those who comfort you; recall the years, but only for a while. Nurse not your loneliness; but live again. Forget not. Remember with a smile.