Mary J. Kroll, age 88, of Correctionville, passed away on Wednesday, December 06, 2017 at her home of Correctionville.  A visitation and time of remembrance will be held on Saturday, December 16, 2017 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM at the Community Center of Correctionville.  Burial will be at a later date.  A visitation and funeral service will be held on Sunday, December 17, 2017 from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM with a service at 11:00 AM at the Community Center of Correctionville. 

Mary Kroll passed away peacefully in her home in Correctionville, Iowa on December 6, 2017 at the age of 88.

Mary was born in Climbing Hill, Iowa on October 21, 1929. She was the daughter of Frank Myrtue and Opal (Shoening) Myrtue,

Mary Jane Kroll was a wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, great-great grandmother and caregiver.

Mary grew up on a farm near Correctionville, met John Kroll and married on November 5, 1946.

John and Mary resided in the Cushing, Iowa area until 1949 and then settled in Hinckley, Minnesota where they bought a farm. During that time, they raised six children.

Later they started a trucking business and they each had their own red Chevy straight truck. John and Mary owned the trucking business for eighteen years. They loaded livestock from area farmers in the morning and delivered it to the South St. Paul stockyards. Never wanting to come back empty, they would pick up freight for the surrounding merchants and feed stores. Mary was proud knowing her husband John had delivered building materials to the now well-known restaurants in Hinckley, Cassidy’s Restaurant and Tobies Restaurant. Tobies is famous for their caramel rolls. 

At the time Mary only knew of one other female truck driver in the state of Minnesota. Mary unloaded the trucks by hand when delivering to the feed stores, one or two bags at a time. She was described by those that knew her as being a very strong woman.

After the sale of the trucking business, Mary worked at Plastics in Rush City and helped John with the farming.

Mary made sure her children went to the First Presbyterian Church Sunday School class every Sunday, and stressed the importance of perfect attendance in school. 

Her husband John was killed in a pickup/train accident on December 21, 1982. Shortly after that, Mary gave up farming, quit Plastics in Rush City and moved to Correctionville, Iowa to take care of her elderly parents until their deaths. While caring for her parents, Mary taught Sunday School, kept a garden and enjoyed working on her knitting machine. 

Mary made sure she was there for all the grandchildren’s graduations, weddings, bridal showers, and even Grandparents Day if she was invited, and was the one that always drove the farthest. She never wanted to be late for anything and never wanted to miss an event.

Mary was a wonderful cook, enjoyed canning and gardening, and was a talented crafter. If you still have a jar of her delicious apple butter, you have a family treasure. She went to many craft fairs and sold many knitted items also.

She loved being with people, visiting and having coffee, or going out to eat with her friends and family. Mary spent many mornings visiting and having coffee at Tobies when she was staying in Hinckley.

Mary is preceded in death by her parents, Frank Myrtue and Opal (Shoening) Myrtue; her husband, John Henry Kroll; son, John LeRoy Kroll; daughter, Patricia Ann (McKay) Adi; and brother, Richard Myrtue of Baltimore, where is family still resides.

She is survived by children, Diane (Freitag) McKnight, Cindy Olson, Richard Kroll and Frank Kroll. 

She is survived by grandchildren:

- Granddaughter Carin McKay, grandson David Kroll, grandson Thomas Kroll, and granddaughter Melanie Kroll.

- Granddaughter Jennifer (Freitag), husband Allan Tolman, four great grandchildren and one great - great grandchild; grandson Willie Freitag and one great grandson; granddaughter Liz (Freitag), husband Keya Oesterreich and three great grandchildren; grandson Bryant Freitag, partner Kim and four great grandchildren.

- Grandson Jack Olson; grandson Jonathon Kroll; granddaughter Mary (Olson), her husband Troy Toski and one great grandchild on the way. Granddaughter Kristy (Olson), her husband Bill Wood and one grandson. 

- Grandson Austin Kroll and partner Krystal have given Mary one great granddaughter.

- Granddaughter Candice (Warner) and husband Nick Stansky have given Mary three great grandchildren.

- Mary’s son Frank Kroll married Jean (Fisher) and has two stepchildren, Nathan and Tylor.

She will be missed by all.

A funeral will be held at First Presbyterian Church in Hinckley in the spring.

Mary will be laid to rest at New Birchwood Cemetery in Pine City, Minn. next to her husband John.

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