Mary Elizabeth (Kriegh) Fritzler

Mary was born in Washington, D.C. She was the “baby” of the family and the only girl with two brothers, Mack and Bob. At the age of 13 she began taking voice lessons and was a coloratura soprano. When Mary was 21 she was the Montana Princess in the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington, D.C.  She sang professionally for 15 years and had the honor of performing with the Justin Lawrie singers in the east room of the White House before President Eisenhower and guests. She debuted on the Bud Ward “Children’s Hour” on D.C. radio at the same time as Margaret Truman the daughter of then senator Truman.  Mary was also a soloist with various choirs in the Washington, D.C. area and with the Washington opera guild chorus preforming in more than 200 concerts at various veteran’s hospitals and military installations around the D.C. area. 

Mary moved to Idaho with her mom in 1958.  She was introduced to the love of her life Paul R. Fritzler. Paul owned a restaurant, “Paul’s Pizza” which was fast becoming the place to go in Nampa and he was one of the first to introduce pizza into the treasure valley.  She married Paul R. Fritzler on February 19, 1961 at Sun Valley Idaho. They lived and raised their 4 children Macie, Eric, Lee, and Paula in Nampa.

Mary was one of the first licensed public accountants in Idaho and practiced in her own business for 30 years. She was a member of the Idaho Association of Public Accountants (IAPA), becoming their first executive secretary in 1979 and holding that position until 1983. She was instrumental in the inception of seminars and educational conferences within the state and served as an Idaho delegate to the 1979 and 1983 conventions of the National Society of Public Accountants in Washington, D.C. and Anaheim, CA., and was a member of that organization for 12 years.  She also served as choir director of the First Christian Church in Nampa, Id from September 1980 to May of 1985.

One of Mary’s passions  was bowling and she bowled on many leagues with her friends and held the woman’s top score of a 279 for many years in Nampa.

In 1997 Mary became a part time worker at the local bingo hall in the Columbian Center where she also made lots of friends and loved to play bingo as well. She was called “bingo grandma” by her grandchildren over the years.

In 1998 Mary moved into the Golden Glow Towers where she still resided and made many good friends over the years with her morning coffee group which she looked forward to every day.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Macie Anna Kriegh and McKinley Kriegh, her brother Mack Kriegh, her husband Paul and her daughter Macie Keroack.

She is survived by her Son, Eric Fritzler (Angela), Paul “Lee” Fritzler, Paula Allmon (Dave); A brother, Bob Kriegh; Her grandchildren, Erica Nickols (Jeff), Martin Fritzler, Michael Fritzler, Jasmyn Keroack and her great grandchildren Gus Nickols and Emmie Nickols.

The family would like to thank all the loving people at the towers who looked after Mary over the years. We also want to thank Melanie for being Mary’s caretaker for the last couple of years, she loved and appreciated you and to the firemen who over the years have been there to help Mary and be a friend to her.  She adored you all…..

A memorial service will be Wednesday August 3rd at 10:00 am at the First Christian Church at 619 12th Ave S, Nampa, Id. 83651. Burial will follow in the Kohlerlawn Cemetery, Nampa.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made at any of the following, The Children’s Home Society of Idaho, the Golden Glow Towers, or the First Christian Church in Nampa.

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