Maria Josefa Grosdidier

Maria Josefa Grosdidier, 99 1/2, of Pomona, KS passed away at her home, Monday May 9, 2022, with family at her bedside. A Rosary will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, July 1, 2022, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church followed by family remembrances, a Memorial Mass, and burial at Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Ottawa Kansas. Maria was born August 8, 1922, in Lutten, Germany, the daughter of Theodor and Johanna Rolfes. She had three brothers and four sisters, all of whom preceded her in death. In 1952, she immigrated to the United States of America and lived with her sister and brother-in-law, Alvin and Cecelia Buenger in Osage City, Kansas. There she assisted with the childcare of her nieces and nephews and worked in the family’s Osage Bakery. On March 16, 1965, she became a naturalized citizen of the United States of America. Maria was united in marriage to Albert Joseph “Al” Grosdidier, a widower on July 9, 1966. He preceded her in death on September 24, 2020. Survivors include a daughter, Pam (John) Lombardo of Pomona; three grandchildren, Jenny Lombardo of Belmont, CA, Jonathan (Heather) Lombardo of Naperville, IL and Elizabeth Lombardo of Oxnard, CA, and two great grandchildren, Hannah and Rylan Lombardo of Naperville, IL. Local nieces and nephews: Mary Buek, Lawrence (Susan) Buenger, Hildegard (Tim) McManus, Steve (Vickie) Buenger and Ann (John) Kelley and numerous Grosdidier nieces and nephews. In Germany, nieces and nephews include: Ludger (Ingrid) Ryschka, Hildegard (Ernest) Moehlmann, Dorothy (Gunther) Boeckmann, Hans Ryschka, Marianna Lang, Annie Ryschka, Mechthild and Joachim Cordes, Mathias (Elizabeth) Ryschka, Ute (Paul) Ryschka, Maria (Gunther) Vahnhorn, Martin Rolfes, and Franz (Maria) Rolfes. She was preceded in death by two children, Cam Dean and Tim Grosdidier, and granddaughter, Katie Lombardo. Maria enjoyed planting and harvesting vegetables from her garden and was especially proud of her “purple” asparagus. She lovingly tended her flowers and was always willing to try out a new variety. Her German fresh fruit Torte graced every family buffet table. She enjoyed skiing and traveling to Germany with her beloved husband, Albert and shared many stories of their adventures. On winter evenings she was content to crochet or knit her beautifully designed afghans. In her later years, she relished watching the kittens play outside her sliding glass door on the patio and observing the cloud formations. She was a longtime parishioner of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The family suggests memorial contributions either to the Children’s Cardiomyopathy Foundation or Prairie Paws Animal Shelter c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory, Ottawa, Kansas 66067.