Mary Elizabeth Krauski

Mary Elizabeth Krauski (Arendt), 77 years old, of Monches, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on September 5, 2024.

Mary grew up in New Berlin, Wisconsin, with her parents, Edgar and Ann, and her two brothers, Ron and Butch. As a child, Mary was always interested in words, language, and reading. She enjoyed drawing pictures of butterflies and nature. During her high school years, Mary thought she would become a linguist. She studied several languages and traveled throughout Europe.

Mary met and began dating Bob Krauski in high school. They quickly married after high school and started a life together on the East Side of Milwaukee, where they met most of their lifelong friends. Mary had no formal training in art or stained glass when she met Bob, a second-generation stained glass craftsman, however she liked to draw and had an eye for color coordination. Bob’s father taught her the basics of stained glass and together, Mary and Bob opened their first Stained Glass Studio.

Mary and Bob eventually had their two sons, Peter and Matthew, and decided they wanted to move out of the city. They fell in love with the Civil War Era General Store in Monches, Wisconsin, and moved their lives and business to the small town. It was here they opened Krauski Art Glass. Mary was the talented, self-taught artist behind Krauski Art Glass, while Bob was the Master Craftsman. One of Mary’s favorite pieces she designed is a memorial window currently at UW Madison Hospital and clinics. It was made for three Med-Flight crew members who died in a helicopter crash in 2008 and depicts cranes. Krauski Art Glass has glass pieces in libraries, clinics, hospitals, churches, and private residences all over the country and throughout the world.

Mary’s love of nature is present in all of her designs. She loved animals of any type, from birds to bugs. She loved to garden and her flower gardens were the envy of many gardeners.. For one of their anniversaries, Bob enlisted the help of his sons and friends to build Mary a screen house that she could sit in next to the Oconomowoc River running through their backyard to gain inspiration from. If the weather was even somewhat ok, Mary could be found outside.

Mary was known as Grandma Mary to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She liked to ask her grandchildren to tell her “one new thing they learned” every day. Mary loved her family and friends and would do anything for them. She loved all of her animals over the years, but she had a special relationship with her dog, Norm, a Lhasa Apso who found his way down the road from a neighbor’s house to Mary. Mary tried to return Norm but he continued to sneak out of the neighbor’s house and come to Mary, until one day the neighbor decided to gift Norm to Mary permanently.

Bob and Mary continued to live and work in  their house in Monches until their deaths. Bob died in April 2024 and although Mary’s Alzheimer’s disease was extremely advanced, she was heartbroken and never the same. She asked about Bob every day after his death, sometimes every hour. It brought Mary some comfort knowing Bob was just “at an art fair, with Trenten, in Baltimore”. Ultimately, Mary wanted to be with Bob.

The family would like to thank Tamarack Adult Day Program for the  love, care, and companionship they provided Mary in the last years of her life. She genuinely enjoyed coming everyday and it provided us with a sense of peace knowing she was in good hands. 

We would also like to thank Horizon Hospice and her hospice nurse, Meghan T., for the wonderful care she provided to Mary and the support she provided to the family during the last weeks of her life, which allowed Mary to remain in her home and comfortable.

Mary is survived by her children, Peter (Megan) Krauski and Matthew (Melissa) Krauski; grandchildren: Trenten (Hannah) Miner-Krauski, Eli (Samantha) Krauski, Madelyn and Mason Krauski; great-grandchildren, Braylon and Mazie Miner-Krauski; brother, Edgar (Karen) Arendt; and many many good friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Mary’s name to Tamarack Adult Day Program in Hartford, Wisconsin at https://tamarackadultdayservices.com/ - All donations go directly to the day program participants for fun activities, or the Alzheimer’s Association at https://www.alz.org/.