Esther M Kraus

Esther Mackey Kraus
Born at home in East McKeesport, Pennsylvania on October 25,1921, and after a long, fruitful, and productive life, Esther succumbed to the afflictions of Alzheimer's disease, congestive heart failure, and the multiple infirmities of old age on November 13, 2014 at the Justin T. Rogers Hospice Center.
Esther was preceded in death by her loving husband of 66 years, Henry Kraus, M.D., parents Richard Dawe Mackey, Esther Rownd Mackey, and sister, Edith Mackey Ward. She is survived by four children, Dr. Charles T. (Judith) Kraus of Canton, Thomas H. (Laurel) Kraus of Boulder, Colorado, Anne K. (Dr. Stephen Matter) Matter of Normal, Illinois, James D. (Carla) Kraus of Bath, Ohio, and her brother Robert R. (Carol) Mackey of Grafton, Ohio. At the time of her death, "Grammy" was the much respected family matriarch, caring grandmother, and great grandmother to 12 grandchildren, Matthew (Angela), Adam (Rie), Daniel, Charles (Ting), Rachel (Jarrod), Aaron (Caitlin), Leah, Hanna, Lauren, Henry, Tobias, and Isabelle, and 2 great grandchildren, Jacob and Emma.
Esther spent her youth growing up in western Pennsylvania and graduated co-valedictorian of her high school class at East Mckeesport High School in 1939. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Bethany College in Bethany, West Virginia with majors in Biology and Chemistry. Her family moved from East Mckeesport to Elyria, Ohio and following college Esther worked briefly for the Harshaw Chemical Company in Elyria. The United States was embroiled in World War II and both houses of the United States Congress unanimously passed a bill in 1943, introduced by Congresswoman Frances Payne Bolton of Cleveland, creating the United States Cadet Nurse Corps, with the expressed goal of encouraging the education of nurses to volunteer to serve in the military forces abroad and on the home front. Esther enlisted in the Cadet Nurse Corps and enrolled at the France Payne Bolton School of Nursing of Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. She received her MSN degree and RN in 1946 and began a brief career in nursing at University Hospitals of Cleveland. It was while attending nursing school that she met her future husband, Henry Kraus, on a blind date. Henry was attending medical school at Western Reserve University. Their romance blossomed and they were married on July 7, 1946.
Esther learned to ski and play tennis as an adult. Her dogged determination to master the athletic skills required of these activities rewarded her with the opportunity to actively participate in several adult tennis leagues in West Akron and to fulfill the requirements of the National Ski Patrol to be certified as a Ski Patrolman. She participated as a volunteer in the Ski Patrol First Aid Hut at Boston Mills ski area for 20 years.
Although she had no formal culinary training, she was heavily influenced by Julia Childs "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." Esther was considered an inspiring role model and gourmet chef by all of her daughter's in law. Festive Christmas or Thanksgiving holiday dinners prepared by Esther were legendary in the Kraus home and were always anticipated with gustatory enthusiasm by her extended family. She loved travelling, partying with close friends, and was known to appreciate a dry gin martini with at least two olives.
Esther was an active member of First Congregational Church of Akron, which she joined in 1958. She served as a Deaconess and was a member of a number of Church committees. She was a member of the Akron General Hospital Women's Board, the Women's Board at Stan Hywet, the Women's Committee of Akron University, and she enjoyed being a member of the Akron Garden Club. She and Henry were active participants in their West Akron neighborhood. They were among the founding members of the Delaware Sunnyside Athletic Club (DSAC) and were charter members of the Delaware-Ridgecrest-Sunnyside July 4th parade committee.
Esther will be best remembered by her family as a loving, caring, and protective mother who bore the responsibility of managing the home and raising her children while her husband, Henry, was occupied with the responsibilities of his Internal Medicine practice. She never shirked from the responsibilities of motherhood which included being the loyal chauffer who drove her four children to their multitude of various activities including boy scouts, girl scouts, riding lessons, ballet lessons, little league, typing lessons, knitting lessons, swimming lessons, tennis lessons, skiing lessons, and music lessons as they developed and matured. Her nurturing and protective manner was such that she never went to bed at night until all of her offspring were safely back at home, if they were out for late evening activities as they grew into adolescence and early adulthood. Perhaps as a result of her upbringing by her own English schoolmarm mother, Esther never hesitated to point out any grammatical inaccuracies verbalized by her children if she felt it would help better their linguistic proficiency. Esther forever maintained a keen interest in the goings on of her family, and in spite of the effects of Macular Degeneration leaving her essentially blind for the last years of her life, her hearing remained hyper acute. Woe betide the errant son or daughter who verbalized anything the least bit critical of Esther or her children within her earshot, even if it were whispered in hushed monotones. She lead by example and instilled a sense of manners, propriety, and good will in her children while also inculcating an appreciation of achieving goals through dedication and hard work.
The family wishes to extend their appreciation to the staff of the Justin T. Rogers Hospice Center, Dr. Melodie Phillips for her professional and devoted care, and the attentive caregivers and staff of Heatherwood Hall at Chambrel and at Lily Homecare.
Services will be private. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to First Congregational Church of Akron , 292 East Market St. Akron, Ohio 44308 or Hospice of Visiting Nurse Service, c/o Akron General Foundation, One Akron General Avenue, Akron, Ohio 44307-2463. (Billow FAIRLAWN Chapel)