Mary Jane Karst

Mary Jane Karst, 84, passed away on Monday, Nov. 28, 2022, in Appleton. She was born Oct. 1, 1938, to the late Karl and Alice (Kolaske) Baier in Oshkosh. On Aug. 5, 1961, she was united in marriage to Richard Karst at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Oshkosh. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Bayfield in 2011, where they enjoyed vacationing for many years. Mary was a kindergarten teacher in the public schools and gave private piano lessons for 25 years. She was a huge Rod Stewart fan, as well as Neil Diamond, and enjoyed attending concerts at the Performing Arts Center and Weidner Center. One of her favorite performances was “Les Mis.” Locally, Mary acted in plays at the Mielke Theatre. She enjoyed quilting with the Shawano Area Quilters. St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church in Cecil was her home church. Mary Jane spent the last few years of her life at Country Villa Assisted Living in Freedom, where she loved to socialize and play cards and bingo; especially sheepshead.

She is survived by her three children, Mary Ellen (Scott Kuntz) Karst, Tom (Lynn) Karst and Susan (Tom) Vande Walle; and two grandchildren, Elizabeth (Andrew) Vande Walle and Ryan Karst.

Mary Jane is preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Dick; her parents and one brother.

A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, 2022, at Swedberg Funeral Home in Shawano with Deacon Todd Raether officiating. Entombment will be in Sacred Heart Mausoleum. Visitation will be held at 11 a.m. Friday until the time of service at the funeral home.

The family would like to say a special thank you to the staff at Country Villa Assisted Living for their compassion for and excellent care of Mother.

www.swedbergfuneralhome.com