KATHLEEN KAROL (KJELLBERG) KARKLIN

July 28, 1940 - February 8, 2022

Kay was born in Cook, MN to Herman and Leona (Gordon) Kjellberg, and joined three older brothers: Gordon, Marvin, and Wallace. A tragic house fire claimed the lives of her mother and 3 brothers in 1945. She lived with her grandparents (Ellen and Walter Gordon) in West Eveleth and attended Kindergarten there. When she entered first grade, she was taken into the home of her aunt and uncle, Adolph and Viola Johnson, and attended her first five grades at the Orr School. When Kay was ten years old it was necessary for her father to seek work in Alaska in order to support his daughter. They were separated for 14 years while he worked at various jobs in Fairbanks, Point Barrow, and Ketchikan, retiring in 1964.

In 1951 the Johnsons moved back to Cook, so Kay attended grades 6 - 9 at the Cook School. In 1955 she chose to leave Cook to attend Prairie High School in Three Hills, Alberta, Canada. She completed her sophomore and junior years there. In 1957, the Johnsons retired and moved to Wisconsin, so Kay joined them when she returned from Canada and then graduated from High School in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin.

After spending some time in Phoenix, Arizona, she returned to Wisconsin in 1959 and worked in Milwaukee. In January 1960 she enrolled in St. Paul Bible College in St. Paul, MN. She attended one year, then married her husband, Bob Karklin, in 1961. She served with him in pastorates in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Colorado. In 1984 they returned to Minneapolis where she worked in various secretarial positions until 1999 when they moved back to her hometown of Cook, MN. While in Cook she served as a secretary for the Elbow Lake Lodge, the U.S. Forest Service, Culbert Realty, and First Baptist Church.

Kay was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis while in her teens. She bravely lived with pain most of her life, but particularly the last 10 years. She is now living pain-free with Jesus whom she loved and served.

She is survived by her children Melody (Gregg) Knudson (Evansville, WI) and Josh (Minneapolis); 13 grand- and great-grandchildren: Sasha, Camille, Stephanie, Lance, Charisse, Brittney, Aria, Johanna, Riley, Kiya, Alexander, Ronan, and Kaiden; and many wonderful friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband Bob and son Rob; her parents Herman and Leona Kjellberg; her brothers, Gordon, Marvin, and Wallace; her foster parents Adolph and Viola Johnson; her cousin-brothers Richard, Russell, and Curtis Johnson; aunts, Edith Edblom and Beda Ferguson; and her maternal and paternal grandparents.

Her Homegoing Celebration will be held at First Baptist Church, Cook, on Saturday, March 19th, 2022. The visitation will begin at 10:00am with a service at 11:00am, and lunch to follow. Memorials can be donated to the Missionary program at First Baptist Church in Cook, MN, or to the family to help with funeral expenses.