Mary Ellen Laura Klein, 72, St. Cloud

August 31, 1944 - May 10, 2017

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:00AM on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in St. Cloud for Mary Ellen Klein, who died Wednesday at Quiet Oaks Hospice Home in St. Augusta. The Rev. Kevin Anderson will officiate. Burial will be at Assumption Cemetery in St. Cloud. Visitation will be from 4-8PM Friday at the Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home in St. Cloud and 1 hour prior to services Saturday at the church in St. Cloud. St. Michael’s Parish prayers will be at 5:00PM Friday at the funeral home in St. Cloud.

Mary Ellen was born in Anoka to Clarence C. & Ora E. (Beaudry) Wolff. She married Robert E. “Bob” Klein on August 2, 1969 at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in Anoka. The couple raised five children and Mary Ellen had such a passion for kids that she owned and operated a daycare in her home for 34 years. Prior to her work in child care, she taught math for six years. She is a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church where she was active and volunteered in many areas.

Mary Ellen enjoyed spending time playing games and cards, especially 500, Bridge, Cribbage, Scrabble, and Elysium. She belonged to a gourmet cooking club and enjoyed creating and making wonderful meals. Music was an important part of her life, celebrating it with her family. She touched many people’s lives through her involvement in BE (Beginning Experience) after the loss of Bob. She loved camping and making memories with her family, particularly camping trips to Ishnala, Sibley, and Crosslake. Family travels were very important to Mary Ellen, including trips to Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, Milan, IL, New Orleans, the Grand Canyon, the Canadian Rockies, and Bryce Canyon, Utah. One of her favorite memories was taking a trip with Bob and Laura to St. Louis and Branson. Her children valued her advice and insight. They appreciated her willingness to drop everything to help them in any way. Her impact will live on through the values she instilled in her children, as well as her daycare kids.

Mary Ellen had an uninhibited and contagious sense of joy and gratitude in celebrating most everything. She was known as a spitfire to her family and to the people around her. She always found reasons to smile, right up to the end.

Survivors include her children, Jason (Kim) of St. Cloud; Philip (Karen) of Minneapolis; Daniel (Sarah) of Minneapolis; Debra (Colin) of Minneapolis; Laura (Andrew Witkins) of Minneapolis; siblings, Elaine Stoffel of Anoka; Roger (Theresa) Wolff of Deer River; Eugene (Virginia) Wolff of Anoka; JoAnne (Ron) Schendel of Shoreview; David (Sue) Wolff of Ramsey; Jim (Cheryl) Wolff of Rogers; Steve (Mary) Wolff of Osage; and 14 grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents and husband Bob on May 28, 1998.