Mary Jo Berven

Mary Jo Berven (Martin), age 69, passed away on October 31, 2023, after a 7-year battle with endometrial cancer. Funeral Services will be held on Saturday November 11, 2023, at 11:00am at Salem Lutheran Church in Deerwood, MN with Pastor Amanda Kempthorne officiating. Visitation will start at 10:00am at the church. A visitation will also be held on Friday November 10, 2023, from 4:00pm – 7:00pm at the Brenny Family Funeral Chapel in Baxter, MN. An interment will be planned for summer of 2024 at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery near Camp Ripley in Little Falls, MN.

Mary Jo was born to Earl and Alpha (Eull) Martin on March 9, 1954, in Robbinsdale, MN. She grew up in Robbinsdale and New Hope and attended High School at Cooper and Armstrong, graduating with the class of 1972. She attended St. Cloud State University from September 1972 to June 1973. During her first marriage to John Hagel, she raised a family in Brooklyn Park, MN and enjoyed motherhood, neighborhood parties, racquetball and sewing clothes and Halloween costumes. She worked at TLC and Prudential. She married her husband Stan Berven on March 4, 2000, and they created a life together in Crosby, MN in their home on Rabbit Lake. She worked in Human Resources at Riverwood Hospital in Aitkin, MN, retiring in 2020.

Mary Jo enjoyed lake time with her family, boat rides, bonfires and smores, traveling, playing 500 and other games, and making hot cocoa for her grandchildren. She lovingly created fabulous birthday cakes for each grandchild’s birthday, faithfully researching their interests (which she often exclaimed she knew nothing about!) and exceeding their expectations. She even made a few wedding cakes for those she loved. Mary Jo was the hostess with the mostest and always the life of the party! She was known to dress up as a nun, Maxine, an old woman or even a German barmaid to help people celebrate special milestone parties! Mary Jo’s battle with cancer took its toll on her, especially the last three years, but she still got to enjoy traveling, watching her grandchildren play volleyball, soccer, or dance, and visiting with family and friends.  She had a sense of humor that was with her to the very end as she still joked and surprised us and made us laugh and smile.

She is survived by Stan Berven, her husband of 23 years; parents Earl and Alpha (Eull) Martin of New Hope, MN; children Jennifer (Hagel) Donato (Chris) of Waconia, MN and Joshua Hagel (Susan) of Brooklyn Park, MN; step-children Peter Berven of Brooklyn Park, MN and Rebekah Berven of Sioux Falls, SD; siblings Kathy Garry (Tim) of Forest Lake, MN, Jim Martin (Laura) of Plymouth, MN, Patti Bullen of Pequot Lakes, MN, and Barb Martin of Plymouth, MN; grandchildren Sydney, Jillian and Alexander Hagel, and Ruby Donato; many nieces and nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, extended family and dear friends. She is preceded in death by her brother-in-law Carl Bullen.

Memorials in memory of Mary Jo are preferred to CRMC Kaleidoscope Courage Cabinet or Foundation for Women’s Cancer.

Arrangements are entrusted to Brenny Family Funeral Chapel, Baxter.