Our beloved Marie Kremer has died. John Kremer, one of Marie's children, has been asked about memorial gifts in honor of his mother. He says he is directing them to Frost Valley's Alumni Campership Fund. (For info about that, call 973 744-3488.)
John Kremer writes the following about Marie:It is with much sadness that I find myself having to once again write to report another death within the Kremer family. My mother, Marie Kremer, died quietly in her sleep on October 15; she was 89.
As you well know, my mother's contributions to Frost Valley were many. The family history is long and now spans generations, as several of her grandchildren were staff and adventure campers this past summer. My mother began working at FV in the early 60's as a castle and camp cook. In 1972, after our family moved permanently to Claryville, she became the full time office manager where she worked until her retirement in the mid 80's. She contributed to the critical transition of Frost Valley from a summer camp to the premier environmental education center and camp it is today.
I'm sure if asked, my mother would have defined herself in terms of a homemaker, but she was so much more than that. She was a remarkable woman in many ways. Born to Irish immigrants, her strong will and determination was evident throughout her long life. When my father enlisted during WWII, she too felt the call to serve and joined the Marine Corps; rising to the rank of Corporal, where she out-ranked him! After the war, she turned her attentions to raising a family, which eventually grew to seven children. Despite this responsibility; she still found time for community service by being active in the Catholic Youth Organization, as PTA President for many years, and as a cook for a Catholic School. She was also a gifted seamstress, crafter, and quilter. She was active with the Claryville Quilters, President of the Calico Geese Quilting club, and was inducted into the Catskill Mountain Quilters' Hall of Fame in 1994. All in all, a life well lived!
Most of all, I hope my mother will be remembered for her kind heart. She willingly opened our home to those in need, and gladly gave to help others. Even though the heart and soul of our family, my mother and father, are now gone, the spirit forged by them will live on through us, and all they have touched.
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Gail McNeill remembers: Everybody has their 'magic feather.' Remember Dumbo? If he didn't have his magic feather, he couldn't fly. For the surgeons I circulate for, it's a particular instrument. For Dr. Kerrigan, it's a pair of Beasley forceps. For Dr. Hecht, it's a Freer elevator. For Dr. Murphy, a pair of 5 1/2" curved delicate Lahey scissors, and on and on. If it's not on the tray, they just can't operate properly- even if they never pick it up. For Marie, when she was the cook, it was a bottle of Kitchen Bouquet. If she didn't have that little brown bottle with the yellow label on the shelf above the stove, she wasn't happy- and as they say, if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. Just what *is* Kitchen Bouquet, you may well ask? It makes things brown. Gravy. Meat. Whatever. You add a few drops, presto, your pallid sauce is instantly tastier looking, or at least, well, brown. One summer back then, among other random jobs, I ran the warehouse, and once, I ran out of Kitchen Bouquet. Did you ever make Marie mad? I mean really, really, mad? I seemed to have a particular talent for it, but this was a truly special occasion. I hate to use the "Irish temper" stereotype, but if you were ever toe-to-toe with Marie when she was armed with one of those great big mixing spoons, it was something you didn't forget quickly, if ever. Needless to say, I never ran short of Kitchen Bouquet again, nor was I ever short of a friend or a hug when Marie was around. Marie was one of the core Frost Valley people for all the time I was there, and the kind of person that any organization is extremely lucky to have one of. Frost Valley's great good fortune was that we had several, folks whose job description is their name, and when they retire have to be replaced by three full time people in at least two departments. Marie's strength, her laugh, and her open heart will be missed by all, especially her wonderful family; my thoughts and love are with them.
Nancy Caplan writes: One of my fondest memories of Frost Valley was the summer that Beth Krumholtz and I worked in the Girls Camp kitchen with Marie Kramer. I can still hear her say "seek and ye shall find" when she would send us into the store room to find some ingredient for whatever it was we were cooking/making! We worked hard, and laughed a lot! My thoughts are with the Kramer family.
Marc Hanna (1987-95) writes:
