Maria Bock

Maria Buhali Bock, 91, of St. Joseph passed away peacefully on Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026, surrounded by the people who meant the most to her – her family.

Maria was born on Aug. 10, 1935, in Ivankovo, Croatia, to Franz and Veronika Fuito Buhali. Her life was one of courage, love, hard work, faith, and family. On Dec. 26, 1953, she married the love of her life, Josef Bock, in Brazil. Together, they built a life filled with family, laughter, traditions, and countless memories. In 1971, Maria and Josef made the brave decision to begin a new chapter in America.

For Maria, family was everything.

She was happiest when her home was filled with the voices and laughter of her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She had a special way of making the people she loved feel cared for. One of the ways she expressed that love was through food. Maria loved to bake and prepare meals for her family and was happiest when she had a kitchen full of people to feed. Those meals were about so much more than food – they were about bringing everyone together and making memories around the table.

Whether she was crocheting a blanket for someone, working in her garden, reading, fixing something around the house, or simply enjoying time with her family, Maria gave her love through the everyday things she did.

She loved to dance the polka and could often be found singing German songs. Music and laughter were part of who she was. She enjoyed the simple pleasures of life and never needed much to be happy – just her family nearby, something to keep her hands busy, and perhaps a little music playing in the background.

Maria was a member of D.A.N.K. (Deutsch-Amerikanischer National-Kongress) and was a faithful member of the St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Joseph for 54 years. Her faith was an important part of her life, as was the example she set for those around her.

Maria understood something that many of us spend a lifetime learning: it isn't the things we collect or the places we go that matter most. It is the people we love and the lives we touch.

She truly lived the "dash" between the dates of her birth and her passing. She worked hard, loved fiercely, laughed often, and gave her family a lifetime of memories. She taught by example – to be strong, to be generous, to appreciate the little things, and most importantly, to love your family.

Her greatest legacy is the family she leaves behind.

She is survived by her four children, Anna (Edward) Schramm of St. Joseph; Franz (Denise) Bock of Granger, Ind.; Paulina (Frank) Polaskey of Coloma; and Richard (Sandy) Bock of St. Joseph; her grandchildren, Edward (Katheryne) Schramm, Michael Schramm, Jennifer (Blake) Ryan, Austin (Kelsey) Bock, Eric Olszewski, Sarah (Shane) Franks, Steven (Meredith) Polaskey, Brandon (Lindsey) Polaskey, David (Stacy) Neidlinger, and Ashley (Deaven) Watt; and her great-grandchildren, Tyler and Emily Schramm, Nathan and Ava Neidlinger, Grady, Parker and Emery Ryan, Hezzy and Masa Bock, Sylvia Watt, Arthur, McKenna and Lucy Polaskey, along with numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Josef; her parents; her sisters and brothers; and her daughter-in-law, Karen, and son-in-law, Ed.

Maria's family will miss so much about her – the sound of her voice, her laughter, her singing, her dancing, her strong hands always busy making something for someone, and most of all, the love she gave so freely.

But her story does not end here.

It lives on in every blanket she crocheted, every family tradition she passed down, every song she sang, every garden she tended, and in the hearts of the children and grandchildren who were blessed to call her mom and Oma.

She spent 91 years giving her family a lifetime of love, and that love will continue for generations to come.

Once loved, never forgotten. Forever a part of the family she cherished so deeply.


FOTO: Private