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ST. LOUIS - Attending a Blues game has been a long time coming for 95-year-old Mary Walkenhorst.
A St. Charles native, Walkenhorst has been a Blues fan "ever since they first started playing" back in 1967.
To say she was excited when she found out her nephews, Keith and Greg Renken, got her tickets to Thursday night's game against the Colorado Avalanche is an understatement.
"I was so excited I cried," Walkenhorst said. "I was so happy. I didn't think I'd ever get to go to a Blues game."

Although this is the first time Walkenhorst will experience a Blues game inside Scottrade Center, she is no stranger to the game.
"I never miss a game," she said. "I got a schedule and all I have to do is look on the refrigerator and see when they're playing and I'm right there."
If she forgets to check her schedule, Walkenhorst can always count on her nephews to remind her.
"We always call and give her a heads up that there's a game on," Greg said. "We tell her 'Make sure you've got the TV on channel 36 tonight.'"
The Blues are a frequent topic of discussion for Walkenhorst and her nephews.
"We talk about every Blues game there is," Greg said.
While Walkenhorst loves the Blues as a team, Brett Hull will always hold a special place in her heart.
"He's my man," she said. "I like him better than any other player they ever had. I just like his way of doing things."
For Greg, taking his Aunt Mary to her first Blues game is about more than hockey. It's about repaying her for all she's done in her 95 years for their family.
Walkenhorst stopped going to school before graduating from high school to start work and help her family. On her 95th birthday in October 2017, she was given an honorary high school diploma.
Walkenhorst has also spent years of her life taking care of various family members: For 10 years, she took care of her mother. She also took care of her grandpa and two of her aunts in their old age.
"I just decided that since she did so much for our family, she should get to go to a Blues game," Greg said.
When she's not watching the Blues, Walkenhorst likes to spend her time crafting. After years of making comforters and dolls, she's learnt her way around a sewing machine. Last year, she made a total of 13 comforters.
"I love to sew," Walkenhorst said. "If I spend a day sewing my hands don't even get tired."
Walkenhorst won't be at her sewing machine during Thursday's game, however. She'll be enjoying her first Blues game from the comfort of Scottrade Center with her hopes high.
"If they'd win, it'd be a beautiful day," she said. "I hope I get to see the Blues win and knock them [Avalanche] down!"