Mary Margaret Sawyer Kruse, 95, of Flagstaff, AZ, passed away peacefully on the morning of May 25, 2016. Mary Margaret was born August 4, 1920, in Owatonna, Minnesota to Abbott Woodman Sawyer and Mary Francis White Sawyer. She grew up in Winona, MN and graduated from the College of Saint Teresa, in Winona in 1942. Mary Margaret married her high school love, Wallace C. "Wally" Kruse in 1946. Their 58-year marriage was blessed with three children: Carol Kruse, Flagstaff, AZ; Carl Kruse (Sue), Marthasville, MO; and Katherine Kruse Beard (Jim), Sanford, MI. She is survived also by 2 granddaughters, Kelli Kruse Hayes (Gary) and Kim Kruse Rothermel (John); 4 great grandchildren, Emily, Johnny, Ashley and Zachary Rothermel, numerous nieces and nephews, and her dog Nya. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Wally; and three sisters, Josephine Sawyer, Katherine Sawyer Hardt and Eleanor Sawyer Sauer.

A dedicated teacher, she taught English, Latin, and biology, and directed school plays in Rapid River, MI; Chatfield, MN; northern NJ; Pearl City and Dakota, IL and Louisville, KY, before retiring to Mesa, AZ. There she was an active member of Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, especially in the Thursday Angels craft group which put on an annual Christmas bazaar. After 30 years in Mesa, she spent the last 5 years with her daughter Carol in Flagstaff, Az.

Always the English teacher, Mary Margaret remained vigilant to proper grammar, both written and spoken, throughout her life. She was always pleasant and polite, but also strong, independent, and determined to do things right and by the rules. She was aided in this by her ever-present to-do lists.

She easily found humor in life and conveyed this with a laugh and a twinkle in her eye. She loved music, especially the Lawrence Welk Show, and continued the weekly tradition of watching it even when only available as reruns. She was also an artist, and her pictures grace the walls of her children.

Mary Margaret was active in the outdoors, enjoying camping, hiking, bird watching, gardening, tobogganing and looking for rainbows. She loved animals, and home was a haven for dogs, cats, turtles, hamsters, orphaned raccoons, baby birds and a fox, but never a snake. (She was deathly afraid of snakes, but kept that fact hidden from her children, so they would not grow up to share her fear.)

She loved family traditions and instilled that love in her children, who continue the traditions of finding the golden egg at Easter, delivering May baskets on the 1st day of May and preparing special recipes served only on Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Mary Margaret's family is very grateful for the loving care she received from the staff at Haven of Flagstaff. Services will be held at a later date in her hometown of Winona, MN.