Obituary of Anna Marie Devenyns

Anna Marie (Moranville) Devenyns was born in Silver Lake, Missouri on November 13, 1927 and was received into the hands of the Lord on November 16, 2018 at the age of 91. She was the daughter of Leo T and Gertrude Moranville and grew up in and around Perryville, MO with her siblings Thomas, Charles, Bernadette and Mary, who predeceased her, and Rita (Gene), Richard (Margie) and Robert (Gail), who survive her. She married Clifford L Devenyns on July 2, 1949 and together they raised John and Rick, who predeceased her, and Michael, Steven (Karen), Edward (Nancy), Douglas (Therese), Cindy (Greg) and Bruce, who survive her. Her children blessed her with seventeen grandchildren who continued the blessings with seventeen great-grandchildren and, at last, one great-great-grandchild. Thankfully, mom enjoyed a house full of children and cherished our family gatherings!Anna Marie graduated from St Vincent's High School in Perryville and regaled us with stories of her work as a telephone operator, those nights dancing to the tunes of the Dunzy Brothers at Hilltop, and her memories of milking Bessie when she was but a young girl on the farm. She cherished her parents and shared many a story of Leo T's dedication to his Lord, crediting him with the foundation of her own faith and religious practices of prayer.In a culture steeped more in the value of resumes detailing �worldly' accomplishments than the �being' of a person, Anna Marie was more than the sum of her parts, her roles and duties in the lives of those she touched. She was more than a daughter, a sister, a mother, grand and great-grandmother, a wife, a �household manager'�aka a �stay at home mom'. Oh, to be sure, she was masterful in the performance of her duties, but those roles did not define her life. Instead, they blessed those of us who were the objects of her heart's desire to serve.Perhaps her greatest accomplishment was the indelible handprint of God she left on the hearts of her children. Mom was a woman of great faith, a devout and pious Catholic who attended mass as her body permitted and daily prayed the rosary, which became her greatest priority and sustaining hope later in her life as her dementia progressed and she struggled to summon other memories of her life. While she, at times, failed to recognize her children or remember her age, she unfailingly remembered her prayers. Indeed, she was our spiritual leader.Her servant's heart served us well. As a mother of eight, she prepared and served her five fried chickens, ten pounds of potatoes, a huge bag of frozen corn and enormous salad dinners or daily washed the laundry, helped with homework or tried to wrangle a herd of boys and a �saintly' daughter to save them from themselves and their antics. Without a doubt, we were the times that tried her soul but she always persevered in her most profound gift�Love.Indeed, for all of her qualities, mom's most endearing, and enduring, gift is her Legacy of Love. She personified the love Paul described in Chapter 13 of his first letter to the Corinthians. While mom would surely blush, she was�really to all who knew her�the model of Love. And I believe that she loved us as she felt loved by God. She was His conduit and we knew His Love through her.She was patient�and kind�always coming alongside with compassion and encouragement. And more often than not, an extra band aid for a skinned knee or that tissue to wipe away those tears. Mom was that smile in the audience, that beam of pride as she watched her children perform or reach for their stars. She was quick to forgive and even quicker to hug. She was that best friend, safest confidante and the softest shoulder to cry on.Her unceasing hope and sweetness of being blessed those who cared for her and loved her. She was an irresistible, precious woman of God�Love incarnate. Our hearts are broken with the sadness of loss even as we celebrate with joy the restoration of her mind to memories of joy and the deliverance of her hips and knees from the crippling arthritis. Just as children have visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads, we have visions of a beautiful, smiling, deliriously happy woman wrapped in the arms of her Savior! Oh well done good and faithful servant!We celebrate you mom with hearts of gratitude and tears of joy!Mass of Christian Burial, 10:00AM, Wednesday, November 21, 2018, Holy Apostles Catholic Church, 4925 North Carefree Circle, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80917. Events Mass of Christian Burial Wednesday, November 21, 2018 10:00AM Holy Apostles Catholic Church 4925 Carefree Circle North Colorado Springs, CO 80917 Phone: 719-597-4249 Final Resting Place Shrine of Remembrance Mausoleum 1730 East Fountain Boulevard Colorado Springs, CO 80910