Mary Agnes Almendarez

Mary Agnes Almendàrez, age 96, passed into eternal life on Monday, February 24, 2025, with the prayers of her loving family lifting her high. Born October 22, 1928, in the Troy Hill section of Pittsburgh to Agnes and Anthony Kram. The family later moved to Millvale, which was still her home when she began working at Bell Telephone, eventually partnering with a fellow operator to start the telephone operator's union. She took college courses at Mount Mercy College. But everything changed when she went to the St. Patrick's Day Dance in 1946 at Duquesne University. That was the first time she saw the handsome Jes's Almendàrez, and right there she decided to marry him. When she found out he had been a radioman in a WWII bomber, shot down, and in the hospital recovering for a year, his fate was sealed. Mary was beautiful enough to pull it off-tall, with legs so long and eyes so green they sparkled. She kept working and taking classes, until the hot summer day that he called, from Falfurrias, Texas, and told her to come down and marry him. A few weeks later, she headed for Texas, carrying her blue wedding suit and matching hat with daisies on the brim. September 25th, the traveling priest married them at the 5:30 AM mass. For the many decades ahead, Mary's eyes would sparkle every time Jes's looked at her.
Once married, she stopped working but kept up coursework, until morning sickness made the trolley too difficult, and she delivered her first daughter after Jes's had already gone to teach at the University of California. Then she packed up three-month-old Maria and took a 24-hour flight to join him. She was a strong woman who delivered four children in less than five years, and then moved the family to the country, where she had two more children. She spent 50 years in that house in the country, asking Jes's for a bigger garden year by year, eventually trading her wringer washer for a "modern" machine and getting a gas stove that had an automatic pilot-fortunately because two children had singed their hair and blew off eyelashes and eyebrows trying to light the old oven. She faithfully attended St. Killian's Church and was a staunch member of Christian Mothers for many years.
Meanwhile, she was busy raising six kids and running a household on a shoestring. She never missed an episode of General Hospital or The Guiding Light, and she found a reason to celebrate the days. St. Lucia Day, coffeecake and candles! St. Patrick's Day (a favorite): green mashed potatoes and green icing on cupcakes! Rainy day: cheerful pink potatoes or pink icing, and candles! First dandelion: yellow mashed potatoes and a dandelion bouquet! Spring: May Altar (Blessed Mother) and June Altar (Jesus) filled with wildflowers picked by the girls, accompanied by the available rainbow of Jell-O colors. A day home "sick" with Mum meant reading and watching TV at the "beach"-blankets on the floor with open umbrellas for shade. Mary had to make a rule, no singing at the dinner table, and it was invoked often, because she taught her kids to laugh, and celebrate everything. Then they taught her grandkids to do the same.
Mary's love of family grew as the family grew. In the blink of an eye, she was playing with grandchildren: the "summer camp" for her first five grandkids, later being a winged fairy, playing Barbies, reading books, and coloring with the rest. She was happiest at the many family gatherings with all of her 10 grandkids, and before she passed, she met all of her 12 great-grandchildren.
She loved to talk to her family, even back when she shared a "party-line" with the six neighbors on her hill and enjoyed sharing news. Mary treasured all the animals and birds that visited her seven-acres, feeding and observing them with pleasure-including the "friendly" field mouse that seemed to live under the stove! For many years she made and shared beautiful ceramic nativity scenes, and intricately painted ornaments of various St. Nicholas figures were annual Christmas gifts for her children. She and Jes's hosted many picnics and cookouts on their seven acres. It began with softball in the side field for the kids and all their college friends, and they formed a life-long bond with many: the laughter, the Jes's "umpire" rules with blatant favoritism, the slant of the field that helped or hurt, Mary's call to eat--"merciful heavens" that's a lot of food! The pig-roast that will live on in the memory of every participant; some things you can't unsee! Then came the events with children and grandchildren, and those life-long friends; games became board games and guessing games-with just as much laughter and favoritism, because luck always favored the youngest players!
Mary was preceded in death by her husband, Jes's; her parents; her sister Audrey Miller, her brother David Kram, and her daughter Ana Almendàrez. She is survived by and was the beloved mother of Maria (Rich) Barron, Joaquin (Karen) Almendàrez (Karen), Teresa (Frank) Lojocano, Sister Elena Almendàrez and Miguel Almendàrez; cherished grandmother of LeeAnn (Brandon) O'Neil, Russ (Shannon) Barron, Christina (Dan) Almendàrez-Derenzo, Rachel (Victor) Corder, Michael (Mylene) Almendàrez, Abbie (Brad) Eckendahl, Alex Tirenin, Pilar Lojocano, Francesca Lojocano, and Amanda Saunders; great-grandmother of Cole and Kendall O'Neil, Jake and Zoe Barron, Max and Cece Corder, Theo Almendàrez-Derenzo, and Elisa and Lia Almendàrez; and loving sister of Anthony Kram. Mary also leaves behind nieces, nephews, and friends.
We are sure that Mary is now at the party in heaven to welcome her home, with Jes's, Ana, Uncle Ricardo, Bill, and so many more enjoying the reunion.
All services will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to St. Joseph's Center, Sisters of Divine Providence, Allison Park, PA 15101. Special thanks to the St. Joseph's staff who loved and cared for Mary for almost six years. If you have a memory of Mary, please share it on the Tribute Wall. Arrangements are entrusted to ANTHONY G. STAAB FUNERAL HOME, INC., 900 Chartiers Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15220.
"Come to me, all who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Mary Agnes (Kram) Almendàrez, please visit our floral store.