Magdalena Jost grew up during the Great Depression in a German enclave in the former Yugoslavia, where she was grateful if she received an orange for a gift at Christmas–and then she shared it with her five brothers and sisters. During World War II, she remembered hiding under the hay bales at her family farm when Nazi soldiers arrived. Her mother, Katarina Kaiser, fled with young "Leni" and their other five children, and they found rest and work and food wherever they could. After the war, Leni lived for years in a displaced persons camp in Austria. The camp was a hungry and poor place. "We had a loaf of bread to share with all of us and we all slept in one room," she told her granddaughter Lauren Swanson. She emigrated to America later in 1955. Yet despite the harshness and deprivation she experienced in her early years, Magdalena remained positive, loving and funny, as well as no-nonsense, disciplined and organized. She kept a spotless home in Belmont-Cragin, where she loved tending to her fragrant backyard roses. Over the years, she made gallons of delicious goulash, expertly mixing in both smoked paprika and Hungarian sweet paprika so it tasted just right. For more than 40 years, she worked at the Zenith factory on the Northwest Side, where her nimble fingers got her promoted to quality control. She never learned to drive but got around by CTA. In retirement, she walked five miles a day to meet friends for lunch, a feat that helped keep her healthy into her 90s. Magdalena, 93, of Chicago, died December 20th surrounded by her loving family. Two weeks earlier, she'd been out raking leaves. And if her family hadn't stopped her, she also would have tried to get up on a ladder to tar her roof. Hard work was her calling card, ever since she immigrated to America at age 25. Settling in Chicago, she and her siblings bought a home in Wicker Park before she later purchased an apartment building in Belmont-Cragin. One of her favorite sayings was "It's not what you make, it's what you save," according to her daughter Dorothy Klees. She counseled relatives to pay off their bills and remember not to spend too much money at restaurants or linger in front of an open refrigerator door. She remained disciplined and trim all her life, snacking sparingly on pecans and fresh fruit. When her grandchildren Lauren, Tracey Klees, and Nicole Klees were small, "She would peel us Golden Delicious apples, and she'd make us tea with lots of honey," Tracey said. She never measured, but knew exactly how much flour to toss in as she made her ethereal crepes. "We'd race each other to eat the fastest, so we could get the next one," said Tracey. Using her sewing machine, she made ensembles for herself that were timeless. Her granddaughter Nicole, who sometimes wears them, said the craftsmanship and style were "impeccable"–so much so, that Nicole's friends stop, study the outfits and ask: "Oma's?" Magdalena and her husband Emil acted like sweethearts, touching and laughing. They'd drop in at Sauhammel's bar at Addison and Damen, a popular gathering spot for German immigrants. They also enjoyed Resi's Bierstube on Irving Park Road. When they shopped in Lincoln Square at the old Delicatessen Meyer, the Josts always brought home a special treat for their grandchildren: German chocolates wrapped up to look like ladybugs. Magdalena was active with the organization now known as the American Aid Society of German Descendants. She went to their picnics and German dancing events. On Saturdays, she watched German movies at the DANK Haus of German American Cultural Center on Western Avenue. Magdalena told her family she'd never pay for cable, but she liked watching movies on VHS videotapes, and later, DVDs. To find them secondhand, her daughter said, "I went to garage sales." Sometimes she'd watch "Little House on the Prairie" and "The Waltons." Other times, she'd  enjoy "Bonanza" reruns, "Judge Judy" and American soap operas: "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful." Magdalena listened to polka music and German radio shows and occasionally read bodice-heaving German romance novels. On her birthday, she might indulge in some thin crust pizza, Popeyes chicken, and strawberry whipped cream cake from Lutz's bakery at Montrose and Western. "She didn't care what we did, as long as we were together," Dorothy said. One Thanksgiving, their plans for a restaurant meal were stymied when they found out the spot had closed. They wound up at a McDonalds, her daughter said, and "She was happy as can be." In addition to her daughter Dorothy Klees and her three grandchildren Tracey Klees, Lauren Swanson and Nicole Klees, Magdalena is survived by her sister Kathe (Frank) Schlegel and brother Joseph (Audrey) Kaiser and her grandson-in-law Gregory Swanson. She was predeceased by her parents Katarina and Stefan Kaiser, husband Emil Jost and siblings Teresa (Joseph) Schwartzli, Rosina (Udo) Nurme and Stefi (Katharina) Kaiser. Visitation is scheduled 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesday Dec. 27 at Cooney Funeral Home, 625 Busse Hwy., Park Ridge. A service is planned at the funeral home at 11 a.m. Thursday Dec. 28. Burial is at Maryhill Catholic Cemetery & Mausoleum, 8600 N. Milwaukee Ave., Niles. Info 847-685-1002 www.cooneyfuneralhome.com. Memorial donations in Magdalena's name would be welcomed to the charity of your choice.