Mary Pauline Liming

Mary (Strick) Liming was born January 8, 1938 to Tony and Josephine Strick.  She went home to heavenly rest April 17, 2025 at the age of 87.  Mary was born at home east of Kirk.  She was the 7th of 10 kids, 3 boys and 7 girls.  Art, Liz, Rose, Dorothy, Mildred, Margaret, Mary, Pete and the twins Jim and Jennette.  She was born on her sister Rose’s birthday.  When she was old enough it was her job to bring coal and cobs in to keep the heating stove burning.

Her mom had chickens every year and she kept hens for laying eggs.  Mary gathered eggs every evening.  Josephine would let the hens set occasionally on eggs to hatch little chicks.  They had geese, ducks, and turkeys, and she would let the hens set on their eggs to hatch, too.  They also had cattle, horses, and pigs.  When Mary was 2 or 3 years old, she could remember when her dad and mom would pick corn by hand, and they would cover her with quilts her mom had made and cover her with corn to keep her warm.  The horses would pull the wagon. 

When she was 5 years old the teacher let her go to the country school which was a mile from the Strick house.  The older kids rode horses to school.  She went to Clark school until 7th grade.  Then all the small schools consolidated to Kirk where she graduated. 

Soon after she married her sweetheart Allen Liming in August of 1955.  They moved to Denver, Colorado where she worked at Kurlan Motors doing bookkeeping.  Allen hated the big city.  One weekend her dad told him there was a job opening at Kirk Coop.  He went down and the manager Frank Hubbard hired him.  They went back to Denver and gave their 2 weeks notice.  After 5 years at the coop delivering gas, diesel and oil, Allen bought Cope Gas and Equipment from Ramon Schaffer.  The banker told Allen to buy Cope Gas and Equipment as he had too much energy to work for the coop.   In 1960 Allen and Mary purchased Cope Gas and sold propane for 8 cents a gallon.  Mary did bookkeeping at home and raised 4 children:  Rodney, Russell, Roberta and Robin. 

They bought a trailer house and hired more office help.  Then they put up a large building.  They had more than one location.  They had 21 employees when they sold the business, employing many young kids from the community.

Mary was secretary of the Lions Club when women could join and was a member for many years.  She took care of the groceries for softball and baseball games and ran the concessions stand diligently.  She provided wonderful food throughout the community as she loved to cook and was very good at it, just ask her grandkids about homemade donuts and syrup or her spaghetti.

This writing would not be complete without mentioning her gardening skills. She could grow anything.  Her flowerbeds were epic, after growing the plants, she loved to can the goods.

Allen and Mary loved to travel, and took as many family vacations as they could, one memorable one being to the World’s fair in Spokane, Washington. They traveled to Ireland, Jamaica, Canada and the Virgin Islands and of course Hawaii and Mexico.  They bought a camper and had many adventures in that as well, traveling to support grandchildren and great-grandchildren in their endeavors.

Throughout the years Allen and Mary were blessed with fourteen grandchildren and three step grandchildren. Jay Liming and wife Mindy and family; Taryn Liming and Blaine Liming (kids of Rodney and Lora Liming). Brezie Segovia and husband Omar and family; Maranda Nelson and husband Jamie and family; Januari Bond and husband Ryan and family; Jill West and husband Danny and family; Russell Jr. and wife Callie and family (kids of Russell and Belinda Liming).  Jessie Malave’ and family; Kyle Malave’ (preceding her in death) and family; Landon Malave’ and wife Megan and family; Ethan Malave’ and wife Kayla and family; Lacy Ficken and family, Tonya Ficken, Jace Ficken and wife Kassidee and family (kids of Berta and Kent Ficken. Payton Liming; Raquel Flynn and husband Chase and family (kids of Robin and Kristy Liming).  Also includes 26 great grandchildren, 4 step great grandchildren, and 4 great-great grandchildren. 

Mary is preceded in death by her sweetheart Allen Liming, her parents Tony and Josephine, siblings Art, Liz, Rose, Dorothy, Margaret, and Pete. Her in-laws Neil and Fern Liming, sister-in-laws Rosalie and Cheryl, and grandson Kyle.

Funeral Mass – Saturday, April 26, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Charles Catholic Church in Stratton with Father Carlos Ruiz officiating.  Interment follows at the Kirk Cemetery.  Baucke Funeral Home directed the service.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.