Mary Lou Kroening 1934-2026

Mary Lou was finally released from a long battle with dementia on January 9, 2026, in Spirit Lake, Idaho. She was born to teachers William and Harriet Linden in Omak, Washington on March 13, 1934. The family moved to Tonasket, Washington in 1938 where Mary Lou was joined by a sister Patricia (Patsy) a year later. William bought a clothing store in 1944. Finances were tight so the family sold what they did not need (except the piano) and used all of their savings to buy the business but they could not afford a home. The parents lived in one room in a house and cooked in the basement of the store while Mary Lou and her sister lived with another family. It was a challenging time but within a few months the family was reunited. Over the next several years the business thrived and they moved into their dream home in 1946.

Mary Lou enjoyed growing up in a small town. A self-described "little lady", she was "prim and proper", ultra feminine, strikingly beautiful, and did what her parents expected of her. She loved to sing and started playing the piano at a young age. She was very comfortable performing on stage even though she was shy in social situations and her parents frequently encouraged her to perform at family events and larger social gatherings.

Mary Lou's father began talking with her about sports when she was old enough to read and understand the Spokesman Review. Having been a college quarterback and minor league baseball player himself, her father taught her the strategy, rules, and nuances of football, basketball, baseball, and other sports. Every day they read the newspaper together and discussed sporting events locally and across the country. She was a cheerleader in high school and carried this enthusiasm into her lifelong passion for sports. She would have been thrilled for the Seahawks and eagerly waiting to cheer them on to victory in the Super Bowl.

Due to the age gap and very different personalities, Mary Lou and her sister found little common ground as children but were able to bridge these gaps as adults. Mary Lou enjoyed time with family including attending horse shows which were her sister's passion. She enjoyed going for car rides with her mother after school when they discussed the events of the day. She loved family outings to community concerts which brought musical theatre to their small town. Because her parents owned a clothing store, she was allowed to join her mother on buying trips to Seattle during her last two years of high school. They always stayed at the beautiful Olympic Hotel and enjoyed eating in the dining room there. These trips contributed to her love of fashion.

In high school Mary Lou participated in drama and loved musical theatre. In her teenage years she was an accomplished pianist and had developed a beautiful soprano voice. She considered a career in musical theatre but felt it was not a good choice for a young woman in the 1950's. Her love of young children and her parents' time as educators led her to consider a career path in elementary education. She chose to attend the State College of Washington (now Washington State University) because her father had gone there and it was away from home but not too far away. She pledged Delta Gamma sorority and enjoyed the structure and close-knit family feel. She was very involved in her house and her favorite role was serving as song director for Mother's Weekend, a traditional activity at the time. That year her house took second place in the women's division. She declared her major in elementary education with a secondary focus in English and music.

While home from college one summer, Mary Lou saw a couple walking by her house. She knew the young woman who was from her town but did not know the tall, blond, good looking young man she was with. Mary Lou thought to herself "I hope one day I meet a nice young man like that". Little did she know she had just seen her future husband. In the fall of her senior year in college, a quartet from the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity came to her house to entertain. The tall, blond, good-looking young man stood out because he had fallen asleep under a sun lamp that morning and his face was a red as his Hawaiian shirt. For Jerry Kroening, it was love at first sight. He asked one of Mary Lou's sorority sisters to set up a blind date. Mary Lou was attracted by his sense of humor. He was easy going, fun to be around, and comfortable. They were engaged in the spring and married a year later.

Mary Lou graduated in 1956 but Jerry would not finish until February of 1957 and had already been accepted into pilot training in the Air Force. Mary Lou taught first grade in the West Valley School District during the 1956-57 school year while Jerry finished college. They were married on March 30, 1957. Jerry worked at Darigold in Spokane until July when he and Mary Lou arrived in San Antonio, Texas for his pre-flight training. They would make many moves as part of Jerry's training including McAllen and San Angelo, Texas before returning to San Antonio. They had hoped to be stationed closer to Washington State but Jerry was assigned to Abilene, Texas instead where son Steve was born in 1959. They were transferred to Dover, Delaware in 1961 where daughter Kathy was born that year. After several years in Delaware they were transferred to Columbus, Ohio where they spent three years before leaving the military.  During their time in the Air Force Jerry was gone three weeks out of the month reflexing at remote locations waiting for refueling missions. Mary Lou was a young mother with two small children and learned to overcome her shyness out of necessity.  She made many friends with other military wives and played a lot of bridge.  There were a number of crises in the United States and the world during that time including the Suez Canal crisis, the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban Missile crisis, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and the Vietnam War.  It was a scary time for everyone, but it created an immense fear for military wives and families who did not know when a crisis would become personal.

Mary Lou and Jerry had both grown up in small towns in Washington and wanted to raise their family in a similar environment.  After leaving the military in September of 1966, the family moved in with Mary Lou's parents in Tonasket, Washington while deciding what was next.  After three months, with financial help from Mary Lou's father, they purchased a Western Auto Store in Newport, Washington. Western Auto was a family store and their name-brand was Wizard. There was a joke circulating at the time that it took a family to run the store and you had to be a Wizard to fix everything. This turned out to be true! Inventory day was often a family event with everyone helping to open crates, cross-check items with the inventory list, label them with price tags, and put them on the right shelf.

The first two years in Newport Mary Lou helped Jerry with the business, helped the children settle into a new school and routine, and spent time making new friends. Having overcome her shyness in the military, she had no difficulty meeting new people. In fact, she became so socially adept she could initiate conversation with complete strangers which she often did at restaurants and other public places.  These conversations could be quite lengthy, much to the dismay of any family members who could not leave without her.  In 1969, in order to keep her teaching certificate active, Mary Lou had to return to teaching and college for a "fifth year". She taught elementary school for three years and attended night and weekend classes at Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington, about a 60-minute drive away. Those were grueling years and when she had completed the requirements, she stopped teaching. She returned to teaching full-time in 1979 until she retired in 1994. She was a dedicated teacher and adored her students. She was up early on school days to grade assignments and do lesson planning. She liked having discipline in her classroom but also wanted her students to have fun and enjoy learning.

Mary Lou was very involved in her children's lives and truly wanted the best for them. She encouraged hard work, doing your best, and striving for academic excellence. She supported son Steve's interest in art and obsession with cars. She also supported daughter Kathy's music and was a die-hard member of the Geritol Rooters, cheering for Kathy and her teammates at volleyball and basketball games, and track meets. She planned family vacations at Wannacut Lake and Fairmont Hot Springs. She loved fashion and helped with suggestions for back-to-school clothes shopping even through the fashion challenged years of the 1970's.

Mary Lou was actively involved in Newport community life. She was a member of Soroptimist, P.E.O., and the Honey Bear Booster Club for the girls' sports teams. She was active in the American Lutheran Church. She loved playing bridge and was a part of several groups that played regularly. She was generous with her time and financial support. She and Jerry built their dream home on a 5-acre piece of property just outside of town and moved there in 1980. When the children were on their own Mary Lou and Jerry enjoyed travelling. Jerry retired in 1997 and the following year they purchased a home in Tucson Estates in Arizona where they spent the winter months.

Mary Lou lived a long, full life and was loved by many. Her passion for music continued even as her cognitive clarity slipped away. She would burst into song, her face would light up, she would look you in the eye, and for a moment, she was completely present and happy.

Mary Lou is survived by her husband of 68 years, Jerry Kroening; son and daughter-in-law Steve and Kris Kroening; daughter and son-in-law Kathy Kroening and Jeff Barreca; sister Patsy Smith; nephew Rudy Leighton and wife Diane; nephew Kevin Smith and wife Dorothy; niece Shelley Miller and husband Greg; and niece Elizabeth Smith.

A celebration of life will be held for Mary Lou on Saturday April 11, 2026, at 11:00am at the American Lutheran Church in Newport, Washington. Address: 332801US-2, Newport, WA 99156. In lieu of flowers we ask that you honor Mary Lou's legacy as an educator by making a donation in her name to the P.E.O. Scholarship Fund.  Donations can be mailed to: P.E.O. Scholarship Fund, Box 202, Newport, WA, 99156. Remembrances and photos may be sent to the family at kmkroening@outlook.com.

If flowers are your choice to send, please call Floral Traditions (208)-448-2611 or Safeway (509) 447-2506

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