Mary Jane (Leverson) Island

Our Mom, Mary Jane Island (Kraut, Leverson) passed away on April 20, 2024 at the age of 95 at Spring Valley Living Nursing Home.

She was born, March 17, 1929, in Kasota, MN to Beulah (Nason) and Curtis Leverson. In high school she was a competitive swimmer. She grew up in St. Peter, MN where she met our dad, John Kraut.

They married in 1948 and had 5 children. She was only 19 which wasn’t unusual back then. Mom loved being a mom. She was a great cook, seamstress and knitter. She made sure we had a dog – Cookie, Honey and Mr. French. Among her many talents, she kept the boys’ motorcycles running. She was our greatest cheerleader/advocate. She always had our backs.

Mom moved a lot during her married life, following Dad wherever he got a new job as a meat cutter or meat manager. Their final move was to Spring Valley, MN where they owned a butcher shop/locker plant/meat market.

After she was divorced, she married Ray Island. They moved a lot also, from Rochester to Phoenix to North Carolina to Iowa.

Mom is survived by her children and their families. In chronological order: Billee Kraut (Butch Johnson) Jill House (Rick), Kenny Kraut (Janell), Doug Kraut (Joyce) and Bruce Kraut (Jane); 9 grandchildren and 27 great grandchildren.

She joins her parents, Beulah and Curtis Leverson, our dad, Ray and her three brothers, Jack, Gene and Bruce in heaven. She was the baby and only daughter who loved her family very much. Mom was part of the family dance band when she was young. She played the drums, her brothers played sax, her mom played the violin, and her dad played the accordion. She also played piano and was a singer.

An important part of Mom’s life was that she was in AA for over 50 years. And she started the first AA group in Spring Valley.

Our family wants to thank the supportive and caring staff at Spring Valley Living Nursing Home where she has lived for the past six years.

Memorial service will be on April 30 at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Spring Valley. Visitation at 10am and funeral at 11am. Lunch will be provided. Burial will take place at Fort Snelling.

In lieu of flowers, please send memorials to Spring Valley Living Nursing Home, 800 Memorial Drive, Spring Valley, MN 55975.

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