Mary Scherer
(Maria Anna Prokopik) 1928 - 2017
Our lovely mother Mary passed away on April 29, at Aegis, in Moraga California from conditions associated with a broken hip and dementia. She lived an extraordinary life. Born in Prudy, Poland in 1928, she cherished her short-lived Polish life before the war, attending Catholic school, visiting the family farm, celebrating national holidays with costumes, music, dancing and food.
That idyllic life ended September 1, 1939 when Germany and Russia invaded Poland at the beginning of WWII. Along with her mother, grandmother and sister, she was loaded into a boxcar bound for Siberia. Her father had been deported earlier and would never be seen again.
She spent time in Siberia, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Palestine and survived illness and lack of food yet experienced incredible good fortune and kindness along the way.
Mary and her mother came to the United States in 1948 settling in Tacoma, Washington. She attended the College of Puget Sound and graduated from Seattle University, majoring in biology. It was in Tacoma, that she met her future mother in law, Ethel Scherer who had a son named Jack. Mary and Jack were married in 1949 and moved to San Francisco. In 1952 Gregory John was born. They later moved to Daly City and in 1956 welcomed a girl, Janet Mary. Mary was very involved with Our Lady of Mercy Parish and school and made many lifelong friends from that community. In 1960, Susan Kathleen was born.
Mary and Jack moved to Moraga in 1969. Mary attended daily Mass at St. Monica’s and was active in the woman’s group. She and Jack traveled throughout the United States and Europe, visiting Poland several times. Their summers were spent in the Pacific Northwest and in the Sierras in Graeagle, California for family gatherings. Mary loved being a wife, mother and Babcia. She especially loved feeding her grandchildren—her apple crisp and pies are legendary.
Mary was predeceased by her husband Jack. She is survived by her children, Gregory, Janet and Susan, daughter-in-law Jeanne Miller, son-in-law Richard Silver, and 7 grandchildren: Zachariah, Elias, Samuel and Micah Silver, Claire and Elise Hartinger, and Michael Park. She is also survived by her sister Ira Marhefka (Robert), nieces Lynne Cook and Andra Addision, sister-in-law Deanna Scherer and nephew Richard Scherer.
We will miss this dear and sweet woman. We will love her forever. We are grateful to all who have shown our family love and support throughout the years. Thank you to Vitas Hospice and to Aegis for letting her leave this life with dignity and grace.
Donations in her name may be made to Vitas Hospice or Catholic Relief Services, specifically for helping refugees.
Services were held.