Mary Jane (Casper) Gruber

Mary Jane (Casper) Gruber, age 93, of Spring Valley, WI, formerly of St Paul, MN, died Wednesday, January 10, 2018 at the Spring Valley Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Visitation will be Friday, January 12 from 4-7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Spring Valley.

Funeral service will be Saturday, January 13 at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Burial will be in Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis.

 Our lives are greatly diminished by the passing of our sweet Mother on this January  10 , 2018;  we celebrate her 93 years of exceptional living.  She is now joyously HOME with The Lord, and her beloved husband, Frank.

 Mary Jane Casper was the 5th daughter born to Hubert and Mary Casper in Saint Paul, Minnesota on September 23,1924. Her humble poor beginnings and blindness in one eye were never a deterrent to living fully; her motto through life being “Where there is a will, there is a way.”  Her contagious warm smile will be remembered and cherished forever.

 Young Mary Jane was always a writer and an honor student.  In 1941 , her Sophomore HS year, she met the love of her life, Frank Gruber.  She married her WWII severely wounded soldier on September 12, 1944.  They had 8 children in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, loving their country hobby farm life.  On June 1967 they moved to Wilson, Wisconsin to expand their dreams of dairy farming.  Mary Jane was ever the hard worker, and lovingly cared for all the animals.

 Frank’s sudden passing in 1974 reset MaryJane, and she moved to Baldwin and embraced her career as the Activity Director at the Baldwin Care Center.  There she shared her numerous musical talents, love of travel, and the beauty of Nature with her residents until retirement at age 82.

 Mary Jane’s life was defined by her love of God as a devout Catholic, her husband and family, and her patriotic love of Country.  She was always most generous, and appreciative to all.  Music flowed through her entire life; she played piano, guitar, keyboard, and the organ to accompany singing.

A defining life project was the biographical book she wrote in 1990, “I Never Stopped to Smell the Roses”.  In addition, she was a devoted member of the Baldwin American Legion Auxiliary, traveled anywhere and everywhere she could, gardened, and read voraciously.

She lived true to The Great Depression Motto: Eat it up - Wear it out-  Make it do -  Or do without.

 Mary Jane eventually moved to the Spring Valley Senior Apartments, and finally The Spring Valley Care Center.

 Wherever Mary Jane landed she brought her unique positive spirit of “Throw All Caution to the Wind”, a pure zest for life!  She loved deeply and unconditionally each and every child, and her numerous grand and great-grandchildren.

Mary Jane is preceded in death by her loving husband, Francis E. Gruber, her parents, Hubert and Mary Casper, her sisters: Kay Tellander, Margaret Baker, Helen Ludwig, Dorothy Gonia,  and brother Bert Casper; and her Grandson, Joshua Gokey.

She is survived by her 8 children and their Families: Richard (Deanna) Gruber; Jeanne-Marie(Brad) Littrell; Patricia (Steven) Benson; Gregory(Sheryl) Gruber; Deanna (Bill) Gavin; Anita (Bill) Gokey; Catherine (Bill) Kloster; Frank (Carissa) Gruber.

Farewell, Our dearest  love , Mother,  you lived well;  rest in God’s peace now.