Mary Ellen Kreft

May 25, 1930 - November 3, 2018

Mary Ellen Kreft, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away peacefully at home on November 3, 2018 with her family by her side. She was born on May 25, 1930 to Roma and Josephine Karl in Crawford County, Ohio. She moved to Toledo, Ohio after graduating from New Washington High School and received her RN nursing certification from Mercy College of Nursing. Mary Ellen worked in various nursing capacities over the years, including Mercy Hospital and Family Practice and at the Masonic Auditorium as a facility nurse during events. On May 1, 1954 she married Leo “Lee” Kreft at Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church in North Auburn, Ohio. Mary Ellen and Lee raised four boys and one daughter and were active members of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church. Mary Ellen volunteered at the church singing in the funeral choir, chairing the Red Cross blood drive, and began their Bereavement group. She also volunteered for seven years at The University of Toledo Medical Center in the Pastoral Care Department. Mary Ellen lived a life of service to others. She served her family in raising her children and babysitting her grandchildren; her church through volunteering whenever she was called upon; her neighbors by caring for their medical needs; and her community. Holidays in the Kreft house always included an elderly neighbor that would otherwise have spent the holidays alone. Her faith in the Lord and devotion to The Blessed Virgin Mary was what guided her life. She passed from this life into eternity just moments after praying the rosary. Her greatest joys in life were her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her favorite days were spent baking cookies with them and gardening. Mary Ellen and Lee enjoyed traveling with their children and grandchildren and traveled to Europe several times. Mary Ellen was preceded in death by her parents; son Ronald; brothers Edward, Robert; Louis; and Vincent and sisters Margaret Lang and Katherine Forster. She is survived by her husband Lee; sons Gary, Tim, and Karl and daughter Mary Jo (David) Bruckner; grandchildren, Kevin (Renee) Kreft, Kyle (Brittany) Kreft; Aubrie and Drew Kreft, Hannah and Adam Bruckner; and great- grandchildren Kailyn and Gavin Kreft as well as numerous nieces and nephews. The family would like to thank Terry Morganfield-Jones, caretaker for mom the past two years who provided mom with special care and love. Friends may visit at the Coyle Funeral Home, 1770 S. Reynolds Rd., on Wednesday, November 7th from 3-7 p.m., where a Rosary will be recited at 6:30 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, November 8th beginning at 9:15 a.m., in the mortuary, followed by a Funeral Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church at 10 a.m. Interment will be at Resurrection Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may take the form of contributions to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church or to Hospice of Northwest Ohio. Please view and sign our online “guest registry” at CoyleFuneralHome.com