Mary Carpentier, age 97, of Cambridge died March 10, 2014 at GracePointe Crossing Gables West. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday, March 15th at Christ the King Catholic Church in Cambridge with Fr. Don Wagner as Celebrant. A visitation will be held one hour prior the service Saturday at the church. Interment will be at Ft. Snelling National Cemetery at 11:00 A.M. on Monday.
Mary Ann Carpentier
Entered Eternal Life on March 10, 2014, at the age of 97. Born on September 28, 1916, the second of 10 children of Louis and Frances Udovich in Greaney, MN. After grammar school, she attended Chisholm HS living with a family where she worked for her room and board.
She met Ernest Carpentier in Duluth when she attended a Halloween party and after a short courtship were married on September 28, 1940. Her father insisted that they wait till Fall so that he would be able to make his famous choke cherry wine. They made their home in Duluth and started their family in 1942 with Louie, then Margaret Rose, and completed their family with twins, Joseph and JoAnn.
Mary was an excellent homemaker as well as a seamstress. She sewed almost everything for the kids and often designed dresses for neighbors using Margaret and JoAnn as mannequins. She also did upholstering, draperies and new doll clothes every Christmas. Gardening was another of her passions which included everything from vegetables to flowers which she put to good use for the local flower shows which she was president of.
In 1977 with the retirement of Ernie from the Duluth Ore Docks, they sold their house and moved to Mesa AR, where they enjoyed a life of golf, dancing, bridge and so much more. When Ernie passed away in 1990, she continued to live in Arizona until the age of 83 when she moved back to MN to be closer to her children.
She is survived by her son, Louie Carpentier of Mpls. MN; daughters, Margaret Rose (Dave) Koski of Westminster CO; JoAnn (Stanley) Iskierka of Rush City, MN; Daughter-in-law Janet Carpentier of Farmington, MN; grandsons, Daniel (Kristine) Iskierka of Andover, MN; Gerald (Sarah) Carpentier of Cameron, WI; Kevin Koski of Bremerton, WA; granddaughters, Colleen (Mark) Buchholtz of Ladysmith, WI; Denise (Charles) Webb of Maple Lake, MN; Kelli (Eric) Glaser of Littleton, CO; Lisa Carpentier of Farmington, MN; Nikki (Dave) Akehurst of Rosemont, MN; nine great-grandchildren; and sister, Alice (Jim) England of Rapid City, SD and many nieces and nephews.
Mary is preceded in death by her husband, Ernest Carpentier and son, Joseph (Janet) Carpentier.
Heartfelt thanks to Grace Pointe Crossing West for their kind and compassionate care.