Mary Kay Kulla

How do you let someone go?

How do you understand it's all right?

How do you feel good about life instead of breaking your heart?

The hardest thing you'll ever learn is how to say goodbye.

Those words meant enough to Mary Kay Kulla that she tucked them away years ago for this very day. Even now, she is still gently showing us the way.

Mary Kay peacefully entered heaven on June 26, 2026, surrounded by so many loved ones, and somehow—even in her final moments—she managed to teach one last lesson: that grace isn't only for the way we live. It's also for the way we leave.

Grace was, after all, her signature.

Her eternal true love, Don, often said, "Mary Kathryn, full of grace."

He wasn't quoting Scripture.

He was describing the woman he loved.

Born on October 7, 1947, in Hastings, Minnesota, Mary Kay built a life that never sought the spotlight but somehow became a light for those around her. She believed deeply in family, in faith, in service, in standing up for what mattered, and in living life on her own terms—with quiet confidence and unmistakable style.

And yes... she absolutely had her preferences. She knew the best table in every restaurant before the hostess even grabbed the menus. She could spot a garage-sale treasure from a hundred feet away. She wore colors and patterns that somehow looked perfectly, unmistakably Mary Kay. She wasn't especially fond of being cold. She always kept score when we played games, doing the math in her head, and nobody was more fair.

If she happened to see things another way? Well... she would let you know.

Lovingly.

Convincingly.

Usually correctly.

She never confused kindness with passivity. She believed you could be gracious and still have convictions. In a world that often mistakes loudness for strength, Mary Kay humbly demonstrated something better.

Her greatest joy, however, wasn't found in hobbies or possessions.

It was found in Don.

They met in 1962 when she was fourteen and he was sixteen. They married the following summer and spent the next sixty-two years writing one of those love stories that doesn't need grand gestures because it's built on thousands of ordinary moments done extraordinarily well.

Saturday morning donuts.

Never missing the Minnesota State Fair—except the year there wasn't one.

Bike rides.

Tennis matches.

Shuffleboard.

Cards.

Puzzles spread across the table.

A hammock shared so comfortably that the two of them could fall asleep together beneath the trees.

Theirs wasn't simply a long marriage.

It was a faithful one.

A joyful one.

A partnership that showed the rest of us what forever can look like.

Mary Kay also loved books—thousands of them over a lifetime after discovering her love of reading in second grade. She cross-stitched. She biked. She played tennis for years in leagues, with friends, and with family. She served others generously, giving her time and energy without ever needing recognition. Her faith was woven into her everyday life—not loudly, but faithfully.

Yet if you ask those who knew her best what they'll remember, it won't simply be what she did. It will be how she made them feel.

She made people feel like she truly wanted to know them by asking thoughtful questions.

She complimented freely.

She noticed people.

She encouraged independence while making everyone feel they belonged.

She celebrated uniqueness instead of trying to change it.

She loved fiercely without making a performance of it.

She had the remarkable ability to be the steady center of family gatherings—not because she demanded attention, but because love naturally gathered around her.

Strength looked different because of Mary Kay.

Grace looked different because of Mary Kay.

Family feels different because of Mary Kay.

She was preceded in death by the love of her life, Don Kulla; her parents, John and Hildegard (Molitor) Gerlach; her parents-in-law, Doris (LaFavor) Kulla and Emil "Ted" Kulla; her grandson Jared Davis; her brother Paul Gerlach; her brother-in-law Joe Breckner; and her infant sister, Maryann.

She is forever adored by her children Lisa Carlson-Kulla, Robert Kulla, Ann Rodriguez, and Jason Kulla; daughters-in-law Julie Carlson-Kulla, Sherry Kulla, and Stephanie Zollar; son-in-law Joe Rodriguez; her beloved grandchildren Kristin Salseg, Nicholas Moeller Robles (Paulina), Emily Russell (Ben), Molly Mundahl (Taylor), Liz Kulla, Kayla Kulla (Justin), Katie Petersen (CJ), Nicole Rodriguez, Joshua Rodriguez, Jeremiah Rodriguez (Jasmyn), and Jacob Rodriguez (Emma); her treasured great-grandchildren Parker and Rylee Salseg, Rowan Russell, Westin, Addison, Britton, and Collin Mundahl, Dejah and Laila Charles, Aniyah Campbell, Logan and Ryker Playle, Emalee Smith, Ryne Stewart, and Amara Rodriguez; her sisters Marlene Breckner and Carol Phillips (Steve); sister-in-law Suzanne Blackburn; brothers- and sisters-in-law Jim Kulla (Becky), Nancy Kulla, Joyce Kulla (Mick), Bill Kulla (Jennifer), Judy Kulla (David), Rick Kulla (Jo), Jerry King, Deb Sheehan (Ernie), and Mike Kulla (Jenna); along with many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, dear friends, and countless lives made better simply because she was part of them. Special thanks and recognition to Octavia Wright for the comfort, care, love, and companionship you provided so generously.

One of Mary Kay's favorite passages was John 14:27:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you... Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Today we imagine Don waiting with open arms.

Perhaps he's smiling and saying once again, "Mary Kathryn, full of grace."

And perhaps she's already found the best seat in heaven.

We will miss her laughter, her wisdom, her impeccable style, her gentle corrections, her unwavering love, and the steady grace that made our family stronger.

God has her in His keeping.

Don has her by his side.

We have her in our hearts.

Always.

The family warmly invites relatives and friends to gather in celebration of Mary Kay's life on Saturday, July 18, 2026, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at Starkson Family Life Celebration Chapel in Hastings. In true Mary Kay fashion, the morning will include donuts and mimosas, honoring one of her favorite Saturday morning traditions while sharing stories, laughter, and memories.

Following the gathering, family and friends are invited to Lakeside Cemetery, where Mary Kay and her beloved Don will be laid to rest together, reunited once again after a lifetime of love.