Mary Ekrut
December 15, 1944 - December 29 2021

Mary Ekrut ended her long-fought battle with Alzheimer's disease on Wednesday, December 29, 2021. She truly had the heart and soul of a servant and caregiver and will be greatly missed by her family. A private graveside service will be held at a later date by her family under the direction of Foss Funeral Home and Cremation Center.

Mary Jean Feenstra was born on December 15, 1944, in Sacramento, CA, the youngest of six siblings, to Helen and Henry Feenstra, Dutch immigrants who made their way from Holland to the United States through Ellis Island, NY. Mary grew up in Sacramento, where her family emphasized the importance of hard work and the value of education. She was a good student and decided after the loss of her father at an early age to pursue a study in the health field. She married Michael Delaney in Carson City, NV on June 13, 1965. They started their life in Sacramento and were blessed with two daughters and a son - Margaret Helen Delaney, James Patrick Delaney and Jennifer Irene Delaney. The family moved to Texas in the early 1970s and settled in Valley Mills where she raised her children. Mary completed her nursing degree at McClennan Community College in 1979 and was a board-certified registered nurse. She began her extensive career at Providence Hospital in Waco, Texas as a night shift floor nurse and over the years, contributed as an emergency room, ICU, and surgical nurse, culminating in her role as director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program from 1984 until her retirement in 2014. She dedicated her life to her patients' care, and was a voracious learner which enabled her to be a knowledgeable and dependable resource of medical information for others especially during difficult times.  She married Billy George Ekrut in 1986, and she was married to him for 27 years until his passing in 2015.

She was blessed with six grandchildren- Andrew and William Burns, Jackson, James and Samuel Martin and Jennifer Pearson. They were an endless source of pride and joy for her.

Mary loved to be outdoors, in her garden, caring for her yard, and taking long walks. She loved animals, especially rescues and strays who had been abandoned and found their way to her doorstep. Camo, her loyal companion dachshund, kept her safe and loved her immensely. In her later years, she enjoyed the farm where she spent innumerable hours with her son Jim.

Mary was a member of over 25 years at St. Louis Catholic Church in Waco, Texas where she actively supported the parish, affiliated school, and community outreach efforts. Her faith was a grounding, incredibly important part of her life, and she believed that our most profound expression of that was shared through our daily care for and acts of kindness toward others.

She is survived by her 3 children and their spouses Margaret and Jason Polser of Canyon Lake, Texas; Jim and Rachael Delaney of Valley Mills, Texas; and Jennifer and Randy Martin of New Braunfels, Texas; 6 grandchildren- Andrew Burns of Houston, Texas; William Burns of Atlanta, GA; Jackson, James, and Samuel Martin of New Braunfels, Texas; and Jennifer Pearson of Austin, Texas; and her brother Henry and wife Cathy Feenstra of Sacramento, California.

Mary Ekrut Memorial Video

You may sign the online register book at www.fossfuneralhome.com