Jarie (nee Vavra) Granton

Jarie (nee Vavra) Granton, 97, passed away March 15, 2024, with family by her side. She was born on February 7, 1927, in Prague, Czech Republic to Josef and Marie (Zmek) Vavra. She migrated to America with her parents, sister, and brother when she was six months old. Jarie grew up as a child in the Great Depression, and as a teenager during the Second World War. This made her a member of the greatest generation, a generation of survivors.

Jarie got her first job at the age of 14 working at a fruit stand. She worked until she was 65 years old, taking 14 years off to raise her three children, Frederick, Elizabeth, and Catherine. Jarie was married to her husband Marvin for 36 years. They met at work and shared a devoted marriage until his passing in 1990.

Jarie came a long way from the young girl who worked at a fruit stand. She graduated college from St. Xavier's University with a bachelor's degree in Sociology. She ended her career as a Supervisor of Employment Rehabilitation Counselors for the state of Illinois. Her work ethic could only come from being a survivor of the Great Depression and two world wars. For many years she was able to successfully maintain herself and her own household with little help.

Jarie spent her years of retirement traveling the world. She visited almost every state in the US and traveled abroad many times covering most of the Slavic countries – Ukraine, Bavaria, Russia, Poland, and three times to the Czech Republic. She also visited Canada, Israel, Spain, and Jordan. Through her journeys, Jarie was made aware of the diversity of people, their fascinating cultures, and made lifelong friends through the groups she traveled with.

It's nearly impossible to sum up the accomplishments of a life that reached 97 years. Jarie enjoyed many passions: sewing, art, culture, theater, and reading. She was a Libertarian, and an ardent feminist. This passion started in the 1960's when she worked for the Passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. She took her three small children along with her to rallies in Chicago, and lamented the fact that she couldn't participate in the recent women's marches because of her age. She also donated to many organizations that support mental health awareness and woman's rights.

Jarie is survived and will be dearly missed by her daughters, Elizabeth Granton and Catherine (fiance Bobbie Lewis) Granton, her six grandchildren, Emily Kvasnicka, Stephanie Granton, Joseph (Sabrina) Kvasnicka, Michelle Granton, Jacob Kvasnicka, and Mila Kvasnicka, her great-granddaughter Scarlett Kvasnicka, and her beloved cousins, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Josef and Marie (nee Zmek) Vavra, her sister Marie (nee Vavra) Skopal, and her brother Vladimir Vavra, her husband Marvin Granton and her son Frederick H. Granton.

Her celebration of life will be held privately on March 23, 2024, at the Queen of Heaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Emily's List, Northern Illinois Hospice or NAMI: The National Alliance on Mental Illness in Jarie's honor. Arrangements were entrusted to Finch Funeral Home 310 Oak St. DeKalb, IL 60115 815-758-3841.