Margaret Lois Kariesch

Margaret “Margie” Kariesch, age 93, her family’s Angel on Earth, a lifelong resident of Prescott, passed away on May 17, 2025 at United Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota following a brief illness.

Margie was born on September 18, 1931, in Prescott, Wisconsin, the daughter of Byron and Fay (French) Harris. She attended Prescott Elementary School and graduated from Prescott High School.

She attended a business secretarial school in St. Paul. While out walking with her girlfriends one day, there was a group of young Navy enlisted men that caught their attention. It was then that Margie met the man who would become her soulmate. On May 23, 1953, she joyfully exchanged vows with Leon Kariesch at the United Church of Christ in Prescott. Their marriage was blessed with five children: Michael, Jim, Nancy, Jack, and Debbie.

Margie worked for a number of years in the Prescott School District cafeteria. She loved working alongside her friends and found joy in the laughter and energy of the children. But her greatest calling was that of a devoted wife, mother, and matriarch. Her marriage to Leon was the foundation of a loving, nurturing, and faith-filled home where family always came first.

Margie took immense pride in her home and the flower beds that surrounded it, as well as the vegetable garden tucked in the back. She eagerly awaited the first rhubarb harvest each year to make her famous crisp and enjoyed canning pickles and stewed tomatoes and freezing sweet corn.

A woman of deep faith, Margie was a lifelong member of the Prescott United Church of Christ, just a few blocks from her home. She loved singing in the choir, helping with the annual church bazaar, and took special pride in her work with the church's “Cradle Roll” program, which welcomed newborns into the congregation and tracked their early growth.

Her kitchen was the heart of the home, always alive with the smells of hearty meals and sweet treats. Whether it was Leon making his trademark chili or Margie preparing tater tot hotdish or goulash, the oven was rarely at rest. She was especially known for her delicious cookies, baked with love and shared generously with those around her.

Margie embraced the simple joys of life. She had a wonderful sense of humor and the gift of laughing at herself. Nothing delighted her more than rehashing family stories that brought on tears of laughter and warm memories. Her grandchildren were her pride and joy, as shown by the countless photos that filled her home.

Margaret will forever remain a Guardian Angel of her children: Michael Kariesch of Prescott, Jim (fiancée Renee Gilles) Kariesch of Prescott, Nancy (Mike) Prochnow of Prescott, Jack Kariesch of Ellsworth, Debra (Randy) Diesing of Prescott; daughter-in-heart Debbie Huppert Kariesch of Prescott; her eleven grandchildren; thirteen great-grandchildren; and her extended Harris’ Nieces, nephews, cousins that we very dear to her. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband Leon and her brother Byron Jr. “Bubby” (Kathleen) Harris.

A funeral service for Margie Kariesch will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, May 23rd at Prescott United Church of Christ. She will be laid to rest at Leavitt Cemetery, rural Hastings. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday morning. Memorials are preferred to the discretion of the family.

Arrangements are entrusted to O’Connell Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Prescott. For more information or to share a memory, please visit www.oconnellfuneralhomes.com or call 715-262-5404.