Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, December 25, 2021

Mountain Views-News Saturday, December 25, 2021 

WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side 

REMEMBRANCES 
IN LOVING MEMORY OF IRENE ANNA KROL 
Irene Anna Krol, 88, of Sierra Madre, California, 
passed away at her home on Tuesday, December 
14, 2021. 
Forever remembered as a loving sister, wife, 
mother, grandmother, and friend, Irene will be 
deeply missed by all. Irene was born in Iwonicz, 
Poland, to the late Walter and Helen (Krupa) 
Gladysz. Irene finished high school in South 
Bend, Indiana after returning to the United 
States in 1947 from Poland, where Irene and 
her family hid from the Nazis during the duration 
of World War II. While living in South 
Bend, Irene worked for the local radio station 
WSBT as a radio staffer. She loved her time at 
the radio station and spoke about it fondly to 
her family every chance she could. 
After moving to Los Angeles, California, Irene 
worked at Pasadena City College for 22 years 
as the department lead for the Tutoring Center. 
She aided countless students during their time 
at PCC, ensuring their academic success. 
Once Irene retired from her position at PCC, she pursued the next chapter in her life as grandmother 
and entrepreneur of Krol’s Krafts, a traveling boutique of wooden boxes and jewelry from Poland. 
Irene was known for her generous heart and spirit, donating thousands of items to those less fortunate 
in both the United States as well as those in Poland. Irene travelled extensively throughout 
Europe with her children and nephews, exploring the ruins of Greece to the beauty of the Habsburg 
Castle to Ephesus, Turkey, the holy site of the Virgin Mary’s last earthly sighting. When Irene was 
not travelling the globe or spending quality time with family, she would be at the PCC flea market 
every first Sunday of the month selling her Polish wooden boxes. Irene also loved spending time in 
her garden growing beautiful flowers, avocados, or oranges to make the sweetest orange juice for her 
grandchildren who spent the weekend at her house. Not only was Irene a generous and loving individual, 
but she was also a spitfire. 
Her favorite place to go on vacation was Las Vegas. She loved the never-ending lights and would 
always ask for a view of the Strip so she could look at the lights as she was going to sleep. But more 
than anything Irene was a family driven individual. Nothing meant more to her than family and family 
dinners with droves of food. Her homemade apple cake, meatloaf and vegetable soup will forever 
be a staple within the family. She will always be the little old lady from Pasadena smelling of Estee by 
Estee Lauder, with her lifetime supply of Sprite, her order of weak coffee with a side of milk, her love 
of politics, and the prayer cards tucked away in every nook and cranny of her house. 
In addition to her parents, Irene was predeceased by her brother, Joseph Gladysz. Surviving is her 
children Andrew Krol of Huntington Beach, California, Richard Krol and his wife, Cindy, of West-
lake Village, California, and Lori Grotz and her husband, Greg, of Freeport, Maine. She was a devoted 
grandmother to Jennifer and Katherine Krol of Westlake Village, California, and Emily and Jordan 
Grotz of Freeport, Maine. Irene also left behind cousins Richard and Casey Habrat, and nephews 
Victor and Robert Gladysz as well as Christopher Wildes. She leaves behind a host of other family 
members and dear friends who will miss her dearly. 
A rosary service will be on Monday, January 3, 2022, at 9:30am, at St. Rita’s Catholic Church in Sierra 
Madre, California, followed by a funeral mass at 10:00am, presided by Father Tom Baker. A graveside 
service and internment will follow at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Los Angeles, California, at 
12:30pm. A celebration of Irene’s life luncheon will follow the internment proceedings. 
FORMER SIERRA MADRE 
CITIZEN OF THE YEAR 
ROBERT QUARNSTROM 
PASSES AWAY 
Bob Quarnstrom, who spent his entire working 
life in Sierra Madre starting as a box boy in Robert's 
Market and ending as the store manager with 
Howie's. He has passed away at the age of 76. He 
always had a smile on his face, cared about people 
and loved keeping in the world of social media. He 
was Sierra Madre Citizen of the year and Grand 
Marshall of the July 4th parade in years past.He 
will be truly missed by all of his many friends and 
family. There will be a Celebration of Life for Bob 
at Memorial Park in Sierra Madre on Sunday January 
9th 2022 from 12pm-4pm. All are welcomed. 
10/24/45 - 11/9/2021 
SIERRA MADRE TREE DISPOSAL 
Holiday trees are 100% recyclable! Athens Services collects 
holiday trees each year, from the day after Christmas 
through the second week of January, on your normal 
pickup day. Trees are delivered to various landfills to be 
used as mulch or cover material, or to Athens’ American 
Organics compost facility in Victorville. 
Tips to ensure your tree is properly collected:
• Remove stands, ornaments, lights, and tinsel. 
• Place holiday trees next to your regular trash containers. 
• Trees over 6 feet in length must be cut in half. 
• Trees with flocking or fire retardants ARE NOT 
acceptable.
• If you miss the date for recycling, please cut up your 
tree and place it in your yard waste container(s). 


by Deanne Davis 

“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess 
created in the living room on Christmas Day. Don’t clean it 
up too quickly.” Andy Rooney 

“What is Christmas? It is the tenderness of the past, courage 
for the present, 
and hope for the future.” Agnes M. Pahro 

“Love came down at Christmas; love all lovely, love divine.
Love was born at Christmas, stars and angels gave the sign.” 
Christina Rosetti 

Christmas is almost behind us. I’m writing Walking Sierra 
Madre on Tuesday, December 21st as our beloved editor, 
Susan Henderson, is doing her best to get the Mountain 
Views News into everyone’s hands by Christmas Eve. It’s 
not quite Christmas but it’s close. We pick up our honey-
baked ham on Thursday, I need to make Helen’s Lime 
Jell-O salad and a market run to buy some really good 
sourdough and rye bread so we can make ham sandwiches 
on Christmas day. 


We’ve bought everything we’re going to buy, most of it is wrapped and under our Christmas trees 
and school Christmas break is upon us. In just a few days, we can all sit down, take a breath and 
give ourselves a minute to recuperate before we start planning for the New Year. 2021 passed with 
what felt like the speed of light and now 2022 is just around the corner. I’m planning on leaving 
Christmas up just a little longer; let my head-turning lighted reindeer stay out in front just a little 
longer, and not be too quick to de-Christmas-ify. The picture is one of the many lighted snowmen 
that decorate our neighborhood and probably yours, too. 

The world hasn’t gotten a lot better this past year, what with Omicron hanging over our heads and 
the stock market dropping. But I’ve noticed that people seem to be kinder and friendlier, more 
doors are held open, more humorous comments are exchanged on the grocery lines and more 
people are smiling at each other for no reason at all. Of course, I have a tendency to look at the 
world through rose-colored glasses so this could just be selective viewing. 

I came across this piece of advice not long ago and thought I’d pass it on to you dear friends and 
neighbors: “When in doubt, seal your lips and see what happens. Some silences will communicate 
far beyond words. Some silences will communicate nothing, which might turn out to be precisely 
what the topic warrants.” There are comments that come our way that leave us speechless…which 
is probably a good thing. 

I have put “Directions for Planting” in my column before, but this seems like a really good time, 
just a few days before the New Year begins, to pass it along to you again. A perfect way to end a 
year which has had ups and downs for all of us. 

I keep this beautiful piece hidden away at the bottom of the Christmas card basket, “Directions 
for Planting,” taken from the writings of Margaret Hooper Ineson, a precious saint of God and 
beloved member of our family. Born on November 22, 1904, she entered the gates of heaven on 
November 11, 2000...just a few days short of her 96th birthday. She lived her life according to her 
“Directions for Planting.” 

Directions For Planting 

1. Plant 5 Rows of Peas 
PreparednessPromptnessPerseverance 
Politeness 
Prayer
2. Plant 3 Rows of SquashSquash GossipSquash CriticismSquash Indifference
3. Plant 4 Rows of Lettuce 
Let Us Be Faithful 
Let Us Be Unselfish 
Let Us Be Truthful 
Let Us Love One Another 
4. Plant 4 Rows of TurnipsTurn Up for Where We’re NeededTurn Up with A SmileTurn Up with New IdeasTurn Up with Determination
Mrs. Ineson also practiced all those things in 1 Corinthians 13: 

“Love is patient, love is kind, love is humble all of the time.
Not easily angered, enduring the test,
Never forget, love is the more excellent way.” 

Merry Christmas, dear friends! 
May God bless you and keep you and make his face to shine upon youAnd give you peace...and joy! 

“What a wonderful story it is, The Christmas Story. 
Only God could have thought of it!” Norman Vincent Peale 

My book page: Amazon.com: DeanneDavis 
Christmas has passed, but my book:
“Sunrises and Sunflowers Speak Hope” 
Would be a really nice gift for anyone you’ve suddenly remembered.
You can find it on Amazon.com 
“Star of Wonder” a delightful Christmas Kindle story is there, too.
If you’d like a little preview, take a look at: https://youtu.be/Ka1KYrONrd0 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 
Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com