Mary Rose Jiskra

A beautiful heart stopped beating on February 16, 2017. Mary Rose Michalski Jiskra, 84, Bismarck, died in Bismarck, ND. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am Monday, February 20, at Church of the Ascension, 1825 S 3rd St., Bismarck, with Rev. Msgr. James Braaten officiating. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be held from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm Sunday, February 19, at Eastgate Funeral Service, 2302 E. Divide Ave., Bismarck, where a vigil/rosary will begin at 4:00 pm. Mary was born on April 3, 1932, in Walsh County, ND, to parents Frank and Apollonia (Gerszewski) Michalski. She graduated from the 8th grade and in her adult years, after raising six children, went on to receive her GED. Mary worked for JCPenney in Grafton, ND, and was the supervisor of the custom decorating department at the Bismarck Kirkwood JCPenney. She was also a branch manager for Sarah Coventry Jewelry. She married Florian Jiskra on November 25, 1948, and they were married for 49 years when Florian passed away. Mary was an avid reader; her books meant so much to her. She was often reading two or three books at a time. She loved to paint, creating beautiful works of art. People would say to her, “Do you think you could paint me a picture of…” and after much deliberation, she would produce a treasure. She had a little business called Grannies Mending Basket. If you needed something patched or sewn she was the go-to lady. She enjoyed attending plays at Dakota Stage and often wondered if she could act in one. Everyone encouraged her to audition and she got the part of Grandma in the production “The Homecoming” and she had a blast. Mary was involved with the Foley house at Buckstop Junction. Her interest in the house was sparked by the fact that she and her family lived in the house at one time. Mary’s family meant a great deal to her and she enjoyed visits from family members whenever possible. Many of her grandchildren made it a point to call her every weekend. Mary is survived by her sons, Gregory (Michiko), HI, Keith (Kim), AL, and James (Barb), Bismarck; her daughters, Cheryle and Sandi, Bismarck; her daughter-from-another-mother, Greta; her grandchildren, Jacob, Jason, Jordan, Josh, Chelsea, Peter, Luke, Chris, and Isaiah; and her great-grandchildren, Zach, Noah, Gellsia, Abby, Lilah, Atticus, and Khonor. She was preceded in death by her husband, Florian; her son, Robert; her sisters, Cec Burtell, Sarah Brown, and Mildred Sobolik; and her brothers, Leonard and Ralph Michalski. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the VFW Post 1326 Gilbert M. Nelson Scholarship fund. Mary was very proud of her military family members and knew the importance of education.