Although she was small in stature, the impact Mary Zablocki made on the hearts and lives of those around her was of great significance. She embraced traditional values and roles while finding much satisfaction in caring for her husband and children. Mary possessed the gift of hospitality and her door was always open to anyone who needed a place to call home. She was a woman of faith who taught her children to live by the motto "do unto others as you would have done unto you," and not just with her words, but by the way in which she lived each and every day. The year 1929 is often remembered as the year in which the infamous "Black Tuesday" marked the beginning of our nation's downward spiral into the Great Depression that lasted throughout the thirties. Although these were difficult times, there was beauty to be found too. This was a year of great celebration in the home of Albert and Goldie (Cooper) Magner as it was in this year that they welcomed the birth of their daughter, Mary Ellen, on December 28th. Mary was born in South Bend, Indiana as the oldest of ten children in her family. She later moved with her family to southwest Michigan where she was raised on a variety of farms. These were the days in which farming was often a family affair and such was the case in the Magner family. Both the farming lifestyle and being part of a large family instilled within Mary values that would follow her throughout the rest of her life. She learned the importance and necessity of hard work, what it means to be responsible, and the gift of sharing with others. Mary often accompanied her father into town to sell vegetables from their garden. She did make time to have some fun every now and then too as she often got in trouble for riding their plow horse Tony instead of actually plowing! As the Great Depression crippled the agricultural industry, Mary left school after the ninth grade even though she was a good student. She became a live-in nanny in order to help bring money into the family. Caring for children was something that came naturally to Mary throughout her entire life. A new chapter began in Mary's life when she met William Joseph Zablocki with whom she would write an eloquent love story for more than 40 years. Mary Ellen Magner and William Joseph Zablocki fell quickly in love and were married on April 2, 1949 when they eloped to Kalamazoo. Bill and Mary made their first home in Kalamazoo and began their family there with Bill working as a carpenter. Eventually they moved to Vicksburg and lived comfortably in a home on Vanderbilt Rd. which Bill had constructed with his own hands. Many happy memories are connected with this home that still stands as a testament to Bill. Bill was always the center of Mary's life, she absolutely adored him. Sharing his life & having a family with him was the culmination of everything Mary had always wanted from life. The couple was overjoyed with the blessing of their seven children. Mary was very supportive of her children and was involved in their lives too. She instilled within them a strong work ethic as all the children had chores to do. There was no sleeping in on Saturday mornings either as everyone had to do their fair share around the house. Life was not all about work in Mary's home, however, as there was also plenty of fun to be had. She simply enjoyed her children and special memories were made each Halloween when Mary dressed up right along with her children for trick or treating. There were so many ways in which Mary was an extraordinary wife and mother. Her ability to stretch a dollar was unmatched and she worked hard at making every penny count. Mary did a lot of canning and prepared mouthwatering meals for her family. She never used a recipe when preparing meals either. It was just a dash of this and a pinch of that with of course the main ingredient in every dish – love. She even learned to prepare many of the traditional Polish dishes from scratch in order to please Bill since he was of Polish descent. His parents were immigrants from Poland and Mary recognized the importance of honoring traditions through the many dishes she prepared for him. She even shared her recipes with her daughters-in-law later in life, especially for the Polish dishes. William had children from a previous marriage and they were always welcome at their home. At times these children even lived with their family. Bill was an excellent carpenter and Mary very much enjoyed working with her husband and sons on their job sites. She also made time for herself from time to time and when Friday and Saturday nights rolled around, she was ready to play cards. Later in life, as they realized the importance of God in their lives, Mary and Bill took the steps to be baptized and confirmed at St. Martin Catholic Church in Vicksburg. Bill's family had always carried the Catholic faith and tradition and now Mary and Bill carried it on together. They found great comfort and happiness in devotion to their church. Life was not without trying times for Mary though. She was deeply saddened with the death of her beloved William in 1992. As a means of coping, she took comfort in the companionship of her poodle Brandy whom she treated like a baby. And then just two short years later, her youngest born son Andy died as well. Mary found peace and comfort in the words of her Bible during these difficult days. Shortly thereafter Mary's own health began to decline and this once feisty lady became sweet and innocent like a child at Christmas. With a contagious joy for living, Mary Zablocki brought such warmth to the world around her. Although she was short (she even put wooden blocks on the pedals of the Ford Ranger), she could be downright feisty when it came to things she felt passionate about. She enjoyed a great many things throughout her life, yet nothing came close to the peace and joy she felt when surrounded by her beloved family. Mary considered herself blessed to care for her husband and children and created a legacy more precious than the rarest of treasures for all those she leaves behind. She will be dearly missed. Mary Ellen Zablocki of Vicksburg went to be with the Lord peacefully, with her family at her side, to begin a new journey on December 3rd, 2009. Mary's family includes her mother Goldie Marie Magner of Elkhart, IN, sons Joseph Zablocki of Florida, Walter (Connie) Zablocki of Mendon, daughters Barbara (Roger) Rishel of Three Rivers, Linda Callaway of Winter Haven, FL, Deborah (Mike) Wood of Vicksburg, and Shirley Kendal, and Tim Keeney of Vicksburg; 14 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren; and 2 great-great-grandchildren; her stepchildren, William J. (Teri) Zablocki, Jr. and Sylvia (Chuck) Nolke of Dowagiac, Cathy (Bobbi) Smith of Decatur with many more grandchildren and great grandchildren; her brothers and sisters Jack (Nancy) Magner of Elkhart, IN, Helen Parsons of Edwardsburg, Gloria Woodruff of Paw Paw, Bud (Janie) Magner of Edwardsburg, Sandy Dash of Decatur, Trudy (John) Dudley, and Judy (Jim) Zimmer of Dowagiac. She was preceded in death by her father, Albert Magner, her husband William J. Zablocki, Sr., son Andrew J. Zablocki, 2 sisters Betty Schmucker and Carla Zimmerman, and one step daughter Diana Melson. Visit with Mary's family and friends on Thursday 4 -7 p.m. at Life Story Funeral Home, Vicksburg. Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday 11 a.m. at St. Martin's Catholic Church, Vicksburg. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can archive a favorite memory or photo and sign her guest book