Mary Catherine Krake

Mary Catherine (Bausum) Krake - beloved mother, Oma, Ur-Oma, aunt, mentor, and friend - went home to be with her Lord and Savior on June 3, 2022, at the age of 93.

Mary was born in Annapolis, Maryland on April 3, 1929 to Frederic William Bausum and Florence Burke (Hillborn) Bausum. She was the fourth child of five, and spent her early years as – in her own words – a “spindly, woodsy-loving child”; a simple farm girl who was born into a fantastic Christian heritage, with a deep faith and love for Jesus that would shape and guide her over the course of a long and beautiful life.

In 1946, God called Mary to move from the family farm in Maryland to Pineville, Louisiana, where she attended Louisiana College and earned her degree in music, with a major in voice. It was there that she met the love of her life, Joseph (“Joe”) Krake. After graduating, Mary followed Joe to California where he had relocated to attend Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, and the two were married in 1951. Over the next decade, they were blessed with four children (Andy, Paul, Florence, and John), and with Joe’s encouragement, Mary found her gift in the profession of teaching, completed her master’s degree in education and, began work as a substitute in Pittsburg, CA.  She was soon hired as a fulltime teacher and served many years as a 5th grade teacher at La Fetra Elementary School in Glendora, CA, taught at an air force base in Germany, and then retired from teaching 1st grade in Pittsburg, CA. Not to mention many years of serving at church teaching youth and leading choirs.

Mary and Joe shared a passion for both ministry and travel, and explored much of the world together, sharing God’s Word on mission trips from Malaysia, to China, and even moving to their ancestral home of Germany for a period of time! Mary also had a love for music, and graced many with her beautiful singing voice and skilled piano playing – her favorites were classic hymns. Mary was a prayerful, supportive wife and mother, a wonderful cook, and a motivator, always asking about other’s hopes and goals, and providing encouragement and guidance. She delighted in time spent with her family and in her church, and was strong, funny, detailed, determined, and loving.

From a young age, Mary’s deepest desire was to share the experience of discovering Jesus as a personal friend with each and every person she met. She was a spiritual mentor to many, and in her final days, she was still sharing God’s Word with the hospital nurses who cared for her.

Mary is reunited in Heaven with her parents, her beloved husband Joe (“Opa”), her son Paul and daughter-in-law Dayle, and her siblings; Florence (“Sis”), Stover, Frederick, and June. She is survived by her children, Andy (Marty), Florence (George), and John (Linda), as well as 12 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

In her memoirs, Mary spoke of family members who had passed on, quietly resting under a large tree in the cemetery developed by her father, and she looked ahead to imagine a future beginning after her own eventual passing with these words: “…The exciting, fantastic journey I have not yet experienced, will be traveling with the angels into Paradise, to spend eternity with Jesus and Opa.” Mary will be deeply missed by the family and friends she leaves behind, but her legacy lives on through the lives of those she has impacted, and there is comfort in the joy she surely knows now that she has finally taken that journey she longed for most.

Friends will be received on Monday, June 20, 2022 at Bethel Baptist Church (3578 Clayton Rd, Concord, CA 94519) - Viewing at 10:00am, and Memorial Service at 11:00am with a light luncheon to follow. Graveside Service will be held at 2:00pm at Oakmont Memorial and Mortuary, Lafayette, CA.

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