Mary Ann Frances Karg went home to be with the Lord on January 5, 2025. She passed away peacefully and surrounded by family in the nursing home at Mille Lacs Health system in Onamia, Minnesota. She was 82 years old.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Wahkon with Fr. Jerry Schik, OSC officiating. Visitation will be from 9:30-10:30 a.m. at the church. Burial will be at Sunset Cemetery in Isle.

Mary Ann is survived by her five children, Pamela (Ross) Tramm, Roland (Leslie) Karg, Michael (Carrie) Karg, Kathleen (Travis) Young, and Steven (Gretchen) Karg; brother, Roy (Judy) Gibas; sisters, Marlene Gibas (Bruce Wyant), Paulette Osterdyk, Susie (Bruce) Ewald, and Beverly (Tom) Kern; fourteen grandchildren; and twenty great-grandchildren (and counting!).

She is preceded in death by her husband, Willard Karg; parents, Frank and Katherine Gibas; brother-in-law, Doran Osterdyk; and her great-granddaughter, Brooklynn Tramm.

Mary Ann was born on May 3, 1942 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Frank and Katherine "Katie" Gibas (Belinski). She grew up in Isle, Minnesota on her father's family farm where she helped with various chores including cooking and gardening. While waitressing at Lund's Cafe, she met Willard Karg, whom she later married on September 9, 1961 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Wahkon. They spent 59 memorable years together in Isle, where they raised their five children. She liked to knit and sew, sewing beautiful quilts as well as many of her children's clothes. On top of being a homemaker, Mary Ann juggled multiple part-time jobs, including waitressing for Outdoorsmen's Cafe and the Isle Bakery coffee shop, and making tackle for Lindy Little Joe. She also worked in the finishing department hanging blades for Spectrum Metal Finishing. Most notably, she worked in shipping at Lakeland, Inc. where she retired after 22 years. During this time, she often made unique and beautiful earrings out of spinners from fishing tackle that she would wear and gift to friends and family. Mary Ann was also active in her community as a member of the Sacred Heart Ladies Society (where she served as president for three years), the VFW Auxiliary, and the All Year Class Reunion Committee.

A skilled entertainer, Mary Ann loved hosting gatherings for friends and family. In later years, she often hosted her grandkids for a weekend during the summers, making her trademark popcorn and teaching them how to play dominoes. She also loved decorating for the holidays and had special decorations for each one. She was an excellent cook—most notably her chow  mein and chicken noodle soup—and often prepared some of the best fried chicken most Sundays after church. In addition, she baked and decorated delicious and stunning cakes for birthdays, weddings, and parties. She also enjoyed getting her family together every year to make pierogies, a tradition passed down from her mother and on to each generation since. She will be remembered for her ambition and tenacity, and her friendship and laughter will be dearly missed.