Miranda Kay Crum

Miranda ("Mandy") Kay Crum of Olathe, Kansas began bringing joy, laughter, and love to all that surrounded her on March 17th, 2013. That's right...Mandy Kay born on St. Patty's Day.

Her parents, Gregory Trent Crum and Emily Diane Crum (Stephan), dreamed of four children and Mandy was the perfect addition to complete the family. From the beginning, Mandy was strong, independent, social, and adorable.

It took no time for our Baby Girl to become affectionately known as Boss Baby by her siblings, Makenzie Linn (age 12), Madden James (age 8), and Marshall Ryan (age 6). Each sibling had a unique bond with Mandy.

Makenzie was the perfect big sister for Mandy. Makenzie values family time over everything! That worked out pretty well for Mandy as she always loved being with "Kenzie." Mandy loved that Makenzie would play Barbies and dolls, have tea parties, or read her a book. Makenzie could negotiate with Mandy in a special way to get her to do things she didn't want to, like clean her room or take medicine.

Madden had a sweet bond with Mandy. They shared a room when she was still sleeping in her crib, and he loved that he got to see his baby sister first thing in the morning every day. When Mandy was scared, she would seek comfort in holding Madden's hand. He was also one of her favorite wrestling mates and imaginary play buddies. He had an amazing ability to cheer her up and make her laugh whenever she was sad or hurt.

Marshall and Mandy spent a lot of time playing together, and, let's be honest, there were some squabbles. They shared a room and loved to pretend to be puppies together. Whatever imaginary game Mandy wanted to play, and there were many, Marshall was happy to join the fun. He was busy preparing Mandy about what to expect when she started kindergarten in the fall at Green Springs Elementary.

Mandy loved time with her Grandparents and was fortunate to have two sets of Grandparents that lived on the water. Steven (Steve) and Constance (Connie) Stephan of Lake Winnebago, Missouri, filled her life with adventures of swimming in the lake, hiking, roughing around, playing Barbies, reading books, and, well, anything else that Mandy could coax them into! For Mandy, play was always the plan with Grandma Con and Grandpa Steve. Lee and Kathie Crum of Olathe, Kansas also have a home on Lake Okoboji in Iowa. Mandy talked about annual trips to Okoboji throughout the year. "FASTER" boat rides, trips to the amusement park (Arnold's Park), playing in the sand, and countless hours in the pool made the treasure of Okoboji far richer. She also loved beach vacations to Florida and Cancun with Grandpa Lee and Grandma Kath. She could always convince them to have play dates with Barbies, Play-Doh and puzzles at their home in Olathe. All of her Grandparents were grateful for their hours of fun with their spirited princess.

Her endearing spirit and infectious love for life spread well beyond the family. Mandy loved people...and people loved Mandy. Whether it was attending a sibling's game, a get together with friends, or a family gathering, it took no time for kids of all ages to be drawn into Mandy's world. The girl knew how to have fun and knew how to entice people all around her to have fun too.

Mandy excelled at gymnastics and was made for ballet. She made singing and dancing a norm around the house. Mandy had quite the influence on fashion as her coordinated make-up, nails, shoes, and accessories soon caught on with her peers at the Advent Lutheran Preschool of Olathe. This was certainly an acquired skill that involved lots of modeling on Barbies, bringing her designs to life by getting fancy, and analyzing hundreds of selfies to perfect her glamorous style. Mandy took lead from her mom as she took care of her own four (doll) children: Mary Ellen, Laney, Caroline, and Kit. Although Maverick, the family's new puppy, may have threatened the safety of her dolls, Mandy was quick to forgive him and loved resting her head on him while watching her favorite videos.

Mandy added the glamour of a pearl to Heaven after leaving Earth peacefully in her sleep on February 21st, 2018. The life and spirit of Mandy will live on for eternity.

Mandy's Celebration of Life will be at 5 p.m. on Monday, February 26th, 2018, at Ritz Charles Event Center at 9000 West 137th Street, Overland Park, Kansas. It will be a kid-friendly affair thrown with Mandy's flare. Please come in fancy, bright, and cheerful clothing. Instead of a memorial, Mandy's family would like new girl's toys, such as Barbies and stuffed animals, which will be donated to a pediatric hospital by the family on her birthday (March 17th).






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