Mary Zelma Koselke

Mary Z. (nee Seward) Koselke, age 82 of Lake Station and formerly Kentucky took her last breath surrounded by her loving family on February 10, 2026. She was born on May 24, 1943, in Louisville, Kentucky to the late William and Martha Seward. On June 9, 1969, Mary married the love of her life, Terry Koselke, in Crown Point, Indiana. Together they built a life centered on love, family, and devotion.

Mary’s life was not measured in years alone, but in the people she gathered, the meals she served, and the love she gave so freely that it multiplied across generations. She was the heart of a family that grew wide and strong — nine children, twenty-one grandchildren, and twenty-nine great-grandchildren, each one carrying a piece of her forward. Her home was never just a house; it was a place where doors stayed open, chairs were pulled close together, and the kitchen was always warm. Mary believed food was another language for love. A pot on the stove or bread on the table meant you belong here. No one left her home hungry, and no one left without feeling cared for. Her hands were rarely still. They stitched memories into quilts, crocheted comfort into blankets, and mended more than fabric. With thread and yarn, she created things meant to last — just like the family she built. Those same hands had carried children, wiped tears, prepared countless meals, and held the people she loved through both joy and heartbreak.

Mary was fiercely strong and deeply determined. She spoke honestly, never hiding what she believed to be true. Her voice was steady, her spirit resilient, and her love unwavering. She lived through profound loss — the passing of her beloved husband Terry, the love of her life, and the heartbreaking loss of her children Christine and Jimmy; and her sister and closest friend, Joyce Hack. Still, she continued forward, carrying their memories with courage only a mother could understand. In her later years, Alzheimer’s slowly took many of her memories, softening the sharp edges of recognition. Faces became unfamiliar, names drifted away. But love — the deepest part of who she was — remained untouched. In one of the most tender moments of her life, she said words that will live forever in the hearts of her family: “I don’t remember you, but I know I’m supposed to love you.” And she did. She always did. Because Mary’s love was never dependent on memory. It lived in instinct, in warmth, in the way she welcomed people, in the meals she prepared, and in the family she held together for so many years. Love was simply who she was. Today, she is reunited with Terry, with Christine, with Jimmy and with those she carried in her heart every day. The woman who gave so much of herself now rests, her work on this earth complete, her legacy alive in the generations she created. Mary will be missed in quiet kitchens, at crowded tables, in the hum of sewing machines, and in the comfort of handmade blankets. She will be missed in laughter, in honesty, in strength, and in love. But most of all, she will be remembered — not for what Alzheimer’s took — but for what her life gave. And what she gave was everything.

She is survived by her children, Kevin (Robin) Hack, Debra (George) Swartzell, Brenda (David) Holt, John Hack, Rosemarie (Rich) Fasel, Matthew (Amy) Koselke, Teresa (Gary) Runde; 21 grandchildren; 29 grandchildren; brothers, David Seward, Robert Seward, Richard Cianci; many loving nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

A celebration of Mary’s life will take place Friday, February 20, 2026, from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm at the American Legion Post #100, 1899 Central Ave., Lake Station, IN 46405. Cremation was entrusted to Rees Funeral Home, Hobart Chapel. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.reesfuneralhomes.com.