Mary E. (Flavin) Kriley

Mary E. Kriley of Esbon, Kansas, died Friday, March 28, 2014, at 8:30 p.m. She was 94.

Mary Elizabeth (Flavin) Kriley was born December 15, 1919, to John and Elizabeth (Heinen) Flavin, at their farm home north of Cawker City, Kansas. She grew up on the farm and attended a country school for the first three years of elementary school. Then she attended St. Theresa’s Academy in Cawker City, Kansas, from fourth grade until graduation in 1937. After that, Mary attended St Francis Nursing School at Wichita, Kansas and graduated as an RN in 1941.

From there she joined the army and served as a nurse at William Beaumont Hospital in El Paso, Texas for three years. Following that she worked several years at St. Anthony Hospital in Hays, Kansas, where she met Kenneth Lawrence Kriley. They were united in marriage in 1947, and lived on a farm north of Plainville, Kansas, for seven years in which they were blessed with five children. In 1954, they moved to a farm north of Esbon, Kansas. Shortly after that, they were blessed with their sixth child. Kenneth passed away from cancer in 1957. Mary stayed on the farm, raising her family, until the youngest children where in high school. Then she went back to nursing at Jewell County Hospital until she retired to care for her mother, who died in 1979.

Mary was a sixty year member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Esbon. She spent much of her life helping her family and others who needed care and encouragement, and never complained about her struggles and heartaches.

Mary was preceded in deat6h by her husband, Kenneth; one infant child, Mary Elizabeth; her parents; and three brothers, Patrick, Maurice, and James. A fourth brother, Harold, passed away the day after Mary died.

She is survived by four sons, Lee of Esbon: Dale and wife Maggie of El Paso, Texas; Mark of Esbon; and Gary and wife Janet of Esbon; one daughter, Kay and husband LeRoy of Colorado Springs, Colorado; one sister, Sr. Edwardine Flavin of Concordia, Kansas; nine grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and many more relatives and friends.

Mass of Christian burial will be (was) held Thursday, April 3, 2014, at 10:30 a.m., at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Esbon, Kansas, with Fathers Jospeh Kieffer officiating. Music will be (was) with Bonnie Benoit as organist, and Gayla Flavin, cantor. Vigil service will be (were) Tuesday, April 1, 2014, at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Cawker City, Kansas. This will be a joint service with her brother, Harold Flavin. Mary’s vigil service will be (was) 7:00 p.m.,Wednesday, April 2, 2014, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Esbon, Kansas. Inurnment will be 2:00 p.m., Friday, April 4, 2014, at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery, Plainville, Kansas. On-line condolences can be left at www.melbymortuary.com . Melby Mortuary, Mankato, Kansas, was in charge of arrangements.