Mary Louise Buckentin, 62, of Plato

Mary Buckentin, 62, of Plato, died Friday, Oct. 30, at her home. 

 

Memorial services will be held Friday, Nov. 6, at 11 a.m., at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Glencoe. The Rev. Roger Eng will officiate. Congregational hymns will be “Broken Vessel (Amazing Grace),” “You Alone” and “Good, Good Father.”

 

Mary Louise Buckentin was born Oct. 13, 1953, in Glencoe, the daughter of Ludwig and Margaret (Brelje) Beneke. She was a graduate of Glencoe High School, class of 1971. She furthered her education at the University of Minnesota, and later transferred to Bemidji State University, where she received her bachelor of science degree in education.

 

On Sept. 3, 1977, she was united in marriage to Donovan Buckentin at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Glencoe. Throughout their 38 years of marriage, she demonstrated a resilient and beautiful spirit as she overcame multiple battles with cancer. She was a faithful and loving wife to Donovan, and they were blessed with two beautiful children, Kate and Matt.

 

Mrs. Buckentin was a teacher in Faribault, spent time as a driver for UPS and worked at Gould’s Jewelry and the white Porch in Glencoe. She was most recently working for Gruenhagen Insurance Company. She was a well-recognized and accomplished gymnastics judge. She was able to travel the state judging competitions with a group of local ladies. She also coached volleyball for the Glencoe Eagles (now the Panthers), and was appointed to serve on the State Board of Dentistry, a position she held for nine years.

 

With an eye for interior design and a passion for making beautiful gardens spring to life, she poured her love for beauty into their home in Plato. She was the ultimate hostess and a genius in the kitchen, always going out of her way to make room at her table for friends and family.

 

Mrs. Buckentin’s love for people and relationships ran deep. Profoundly affected by her decision to follow Jesus Christ, she had a gift to see everyone she encountered as a child of God. She was part of the Living Rock Church family, where she faithfully served as a deaconess and gardener extraordinaire. One of her joys and passions was leading others through Bible studies. Through these studies, she loved developing community and challenging people to see God in a new and profound way.

 

Mrs. Buckentin loved being outside and was an accomplished quilter. With her nurturing nature, she and her husband hosted 10 exchange students through the years from across the world. She enjoyed life and loved to laugh. At family gatherings, one could find her laughing with her sisters or chasing one of her five grandchildren around the house. She loved loving people, and perhaps her greatest joy was the love she both gave and received from the little ones who called her “grammy.”

 

She is survived by her husband, Donovan Buckentin of Plato; daughter, Kate (Aaron) Freer of White Bear Lake; son, Matt Buckentin of Bingham Lake; grandchildren, Gracie and Mattie Buckentin and Nash, Mila and Knox Freer; sisters, Doris (David) Nordbye of Owatonna, Ruth Beneke of Glencoe and Carol (Kim) Haukos of Glencoe; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Charleen (Loren) Engelmann of Plato, Rodney (Charlene) Buckentin of Plato, Rob Kirkpatrick of Colorado Springs, Colo., Mary (Buddy) Parpart of Plato, Ruth (Jim) Harrison of Oakdale, Ivan (Cathy) Lilienthal of Delhi, Iowa, Bruce (Nelva) Lilienthal of Arlington, Kim (Jim) Baglien of Oregon, Gene (Cyndie) Lilienthal of Indiana, Kathy (Tony) Pulchaski of Corcoran and Mavis (Jeff) Lindstrom of Andover; nephews, nieces, other relatives and many friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ludwig and Margaret Beneke; father-in-law and mothers-in-law, Werner and Lena Buckentin and Lorraine Buckentin; and sister, Lee Kirkpatrick.

 

Arrangements are with the Johnson-McBride Funeral Chapel in Glencoe. Online obituaries and guest book are available at www.hantge.com.