Mara Grauman

All who knew Mara Grauman would agree that she certainly put the spice into life. She was adventurous, spunky, and even fearless at times with just the right amount of strong-willed Italian thrown into the mix. Mara was a devoted wife and loving mother who was the matriarch of her family, and she never hesitated to let her loved ones know just how deeply they were loved. She had a special place in her heart for children, and they were drawn to her, too, perhaps because she was forever just a kid at heart. Life will never be the same for Mara’s family without her here, but they will proudly carry on her legacy that is deeply rooted in kindness, generosity, and selfless love.

Although WWI officially ended in 1919, there were still vast amounts of unrest in Italy during the years that followed. Mussolini continued to oppress the Italian people and firmly believed that violence was necessary in enforcing his control. It was during this eventful time that a young couple from Viareggio, Italy, was pleased to announce the birth of their baby girl on July 24, 1924. Mara was the youngest of five children born to her parents, Francesco and Elia (Bertolucci) Morescalchi, and there was a large difference in age among she and her siblings. Her father worked as a pharmacist, who also performed many of the same duties that a typical doctor would, and Mara regularly assisted him in performing basic procedures at his drop-in clinic. Her mother was primarily a homemaker but later had a small paper business as well.

From the time she was a young girl, Mara had an adventurous spirit and could even be described as fearless. She was very involved in swimming and diving - even practicing her diving off the cliffs! Mara also swam out to the shipping channel buoys and dove for coins where the boats docked as well as went hiking in the mountains. She additionally liked roller skating and played volleyball. Mara was raised in the Catholic faith.

Life was forever changed for Mara when she met a handsome young man during the days following WWII when much of Europe was still occupied by an American military presence. He was a young man from Gobles, Michigan, named Allen Grauman, and he was stationed there, staying at a hotel that was owned by Mara’s sister. She saw him and was instantly drawn to his blue eyes, and to say she was smitten with him would be putting it mildly. After falling deeply in love, Mara and Allen were married at a church in her hometown on October 6, 1947, and he had become Catholic as well.

Upon completion of Allen’s duties in Italy, the couple moved stateside and settled into a small shanty that was considered housing for soldiers in Carmel, California. It was there that they welcomed their first son, Alan, in 1948. After Allen was discharged late in 1948, they moved to a place on Oak Street in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where their family was completed with Judy who was born in 1951 and Mila in 1952. Mara stayed home and cared for her family while developing what would become a formidable Italian cooking repertoire. It was kind of a rude awakening for her as finances were tight despite her mistaken understanding that living in America meant that the streets were paved in gold and filled with huge homes. At first, Mara didn’t know much English, although she quickly built upon the limited range of swear words that she had picked-up from living around so many soldiers.

Fortunately, for all who had the opportunity to hear her speak, she never did shake that lovely, thick, Italian accent. Mara’s husband was a jack of all trades who worked hard. Mara became a United States citizen in 1952, and she learned to drive in 1956, which was something to remember as the first time behind the wheel she drove the car through the garage!

For a time, Mara moved with her family to Caracas, Venezuela, where they remained for about one year. She and the children moved back to her sister’s home in Italy while her husband remained in Venezuela for another year until his job was completed. Then in 1959, they came to Gobles, Michigan, where they stayed with Allen’s parents, until they moved into the house they built at 6809 Brigham Street in Portage during the 1960s. Mara continued to be very homesick, however, and traveled home to Italy to see family every few years. She was deeply saddened with Allen’s death in 1973.

There was nothing that was ever more precious to Mara than her loved ones. She loved being with her kids, often taking long walks together. She did her best to afford them unique opportunities and made sure that they learned to speak the language during their visits to Italy. Mara found love again, in a rather unique way, as she married a man named Bob Beck in 1975 who was the father of her new son-in-law, Jim. Bob owned and operated Hoffman’s Party Store, which Mara came to own alongside him. They eventually sold the store. Together they did some traveling including to Florida to visit his family as their families were always their main priority. Mara loved children and babies and was always available to babysit her grandchildren.

Throughout her life Mara enjoyed so many things. She loved to sing, especially when she was cooking or oldies from the fifties and sixties, opera, or Sinatra. Even if she didn’t know the words she just sang along with whatever words she could make up. With a special place in her heart for dogs there was always a dog around with dachshunds being her favorite. Mara’s family loved her spaghetti sauce, and with her heavy accent she did some radio ads for Fricano’s Restaurant. She read in Italian, enjoyed crosswords, and loved talking about “Carnevale”, the Mardi Gras-like festivities in her hometown back in Italy. Mara also enjoyed going to the movies.

After Bob’s death in 2007, it became apparent that Mara was dealing with dementia. She recently moved to Crystal Woods, in the memory care area, where she stayed at the end of her life.

Mara Grauman had an amazing sense of humor coupled with a fun-loving spirit. Her love for her family had no match, and she cherished nothing more than being surrounded by her loved ones. Mara will be dearly missed and forever remembered.

Mara Grauman died March 23, 2014. Mara’s family includes her 3 children: Alan (Cecilia) Grauman, Judy Grauman, and Mila (Jim) Beck; 7 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Mara was preceded in death by her first husband, Allen Grauman; second husband, Robert Beck; and 4 siblings. Friends may gather with the family on Thursday from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at the Life Story Funeral Home, Betzler-Kalamazoo, 6080 Stadium Drive; 375-2900 where services will be held at 11:00 a.m. A luncheon will follow in the Life Story Center. Private burial at Robinson Cemetery, Gobles. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com, where you can archive a favorite memory or photo and sign her online guestbook before coming to the funeral home. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice Care of Southwest Michigan or Meals on Wheels.