Ada McCracken survived the Holocaust, sometimes eating tulip bulbs and cheese rinds as a child. After the war, she and her family lived in the streets. As an adult, she survived cancer for 16 years.
McCracken, who lived in Estes Park for many years, died May 23 at her home at age 73.
Despite the hardships, McCracken “lived her life with an enviable level of energy,” said her son, John, of Denver.
“Her mentality was not about surviving and plodding around through life but living and enjoying it,” he said. “She never dwelled on things.”
She rarely talked about her World War II experiences and “never harbored resentments,” said her daughter Suzanne van Drunick of Arvada.
As a teenager, she swam in the North Sea, which was so cold she had ice in her braids when she came back to shore.
She was an amateur harpist and a talented dancer, and loved skiing, hiking, biking and snowshoeing. She also acted for a time with a traveling troupe in the U.S.
Ada van Drunick was born Nov. 2, 1936, in The Hague, Netherlands, and attended high school and nursing school there.
She married John McCracken Sr. on Dec. 2, 1958, and they came to the U.S. in 1959.
She always had a fascination with the Rocky Mountains, her daughter said. From the time she was a child, McCracken had kept a postcard of an unknown Rocky Mountain scene.
She continued her work as a nurse, and part of the time she was employed at the U.S. Air Force Academy Hospital. She also had a degree in medical administration.
She worked in the tumor-registry department, which required her to track the health of patients. “She inspired the patients,” said her daughter. “She’d bring them flowers and bake them cakes.”
In addition to her son and daughter, she is survived by three other daughters: Brenda Heimbach of Colorado Springs, Gloria McCracken of Evergreen and Diana McCracken of Estes Park; one granddaughter; and her sister, Mary Louise van Drunick of Amsterdam.
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Virginia Culver: 303-954-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com
