Mary Lou Kust

Kust, Mary Lou (nee Honold)

Surrounded by family, Mary Lou passed away peacefully in her home in New Berlin on July 17, 2022 at age 93. She was much loved and will be greatly missed.

Born in Laurium, Michigan on December 24, 1928 to parents Wilbur and Bertha Honold, she enjoyed a wonderful childhood in the Copper Country.

After attending Valparaiso University for two years, she graduated from Michigan State Normal College (now Eastern Michigan University), in 1950 with a degree in Elementary Education.

She married Robert Kust on July 22, 1952, then placed her teaching career on pause in 1955 to raise four sons – Michael, David, Daniel and James Philip (Jeep). Once her youngest, Jeep, reached school age, she returned to the classroom in 1969 and retired from the West Allis-West Milwaukee School District in 1988.

She and her husband, Bob, certainly made the most of their retirement, spending many months each year at “The Camp,” the Kust family’s retreat on the shores of Lake Superior in the picturesque Keweenaw Peninsula.  They celebrated 59 years of marriage before Bob passed in April of 2011.

Through it all, she set aside plenty of time to care for her growing family, which grew to include four daughters-in-law, nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild. In addition to countless hours of grandbaby-sitting and cooking for big family meals, this meant attending hundreds of ball games, parades, concerts and theatrical productions.

She is survived by her four boys – Mike (Amy), Dave (Kay), Dan (Kari) and Jeep (Vickie); her grandchildren – Andy (Shad), Micah (Anna), Maddie, Erik (Jessica), Katie (Peter), Joseph (Morgan), Ellie, Kai and Nils; and her great-granddaughter, Ryker.

She was awed by all of God’s creation – quiet mornings, crashing waves and colorful sunsets. She loved animals, especially hummingbirds and cardinals, and was comforted by the companionship of her beloved cats. Music was also a big part of her life. She played piano and always enjoyed a majestic organ with brass. In passing her love of music onto her sons, she was instrumental in creating a “Kust brothers brass quartet,” always coaxing them to practice their horns and play during the holidays and for family celebrations.

Mary Lou was all about Faith and Family. Her strong faith served her well throughout life and her favorite moments were those spent in the midst of many, fun-filled family gatherings.  Her unassuming style and the unconditional love and support she provided each and every member of the extended family will be her lasting legacy.

A memorial service celebrating her life will be held on August 29, 2022 at 12:00 noon at Peace Lutheran Church, 17651 W. Small Rd., New Berlin, WI. A visitation will begin at 11:00am and we’ll gather for lunch following the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations to the family will be distributed to various charities in Mary’s honor.

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