Maria Jurkova Olejnik

Maria Jurkova Olejnik
After a 2-1/2 year battle with breast cancer, Maria Jurkova Olejnik passed away at the age of 65 on Sunday, January 3, 2016 with her family by her side. A Catholic mass celebrating her life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 12, 2016 at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Glen Rose, Texas.

Mary was born in Petrovany, Slovakia on May 9, 1950. At the age of 19, she left her country and family for the hope of starting a better life in America. Arriving in New York City after an invitation from her future husband, Milan and distant relatives, she began her journey. She and Milan were married for nearly 46 years at the time of her death. They started a family in 1971 when their daughter Michelle was born and two years later, their son Milan Jr. was born. Shortly thereafter, their journey took them to Texas, a State they loved and proudly called home, for nearly 40 years.

From the start of her life in America, Mary was involved in the restaurant and food industry. She showed her love to family, friends, and the community through her wonderful cooking and baking. Whether it was working for, managing, or owning restaurants, in the Dallas Metroplex or Houston, Mary was happiest while taking care of everyone. The last 18 years of her life were spent happily on the Flat Top Ranch in Walnut Springs, Texas caring for a family that she cherished greatly. There, she was known to cook meals for a little as 2 or as many as 150. She never hesitated in putting the finishing touches on her meals while preparing a feast for those she cared about. This overwhelming generosity led to her vision of starting a local restaurant in Glen Rose, Texas, the Riverhouse Grill. There you could find Mary greeting guests and making customers feel immediately like they stepped into her home for dinner. Always smiling, Mary enjoyed the restaurant and never met a stranger. There was always room for another guest at her home or establishment when Mary was in charge!

In addition to her love of the kitchen and spending time with her family and friends, Mary loved the beach and enjoyed decorating her home, visiting garage sales, and playing slot machines at a casino.

The family wishes to thank the nurses and staff of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and Baylor All Saints hospital and particularly Dr. Henry Xiong and her caseworker Marti Boren for their loving care and treatment of Mary during her courageous fight. Mary is survived by her husband Milan, her daughter Michelle DeVoss and son in law John DeVoss, son Milan Olejnik, Jr. and fiancé Kelli Peebles, grandchildren Madison and Johnny DeVoss, her brother Joseph Jurko and his wife Maria, and her sister Helena Sabolova and husband Rastislav Sabol, as well as many other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers, Mary’s family has requested that you make a donation to the Cancer Assistance Fund of North Texas, 800 W. Magnolia Ave., Fort Worth, Texas 76104. www.cafnt.org .
Funeral arranged by Lucas Funeral Home, Keller. 817-753-6800