Mary Lou Jarman

Mary Lou Jarman, age 84, of Milbank, SD, passed away on Sunday, December 22, 2024, at St. William's Care Center. 

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, January 3, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Milbank. Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 2, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at the church. A prayer vigil will be held at 6:00 p.m. Visitation will continue at the church on Friday, one hour prior to the Mass. Father Brian Eckrich will celebrate the Mass, and interment will be at St. Lawrence Cemetery in Milbank. 

The service will be live streamed, recorded and viewable below this obituary. 

Mary Lou Catherine McKernan was born on January 4, 1940, in Milbank, SD, to Emmett and Catherine (Huneger) McKernan. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Lawrence Catholic Church in Milbank. Mary Lou attended St. Lawrence School for her early education and graduated from Milbank High School in 1959. Following graduation, she moved to Minneapolis, MN, where she worked briefly before returning to South Dakota.

On October 14, 1961, Mary Lou married Gordon “Sam” Jarman at St. Lawrence Catholic Church. The couple settled on the family farm, where Mary Lou devoted herself to raising their two sons: Samuel and Wayne. Once her sons were older, she began working at Foss Café in the late 1970s. She later spent ten years working at Liebe Drug before joining State Auto Insurance, where she remained employed until her retirement. In August of 2017, they moved to Valley View Assisted Living, later becoming Darcie’s Homecare. Mary Lou resided there after Gordon passed away. In April of this year, she moved to St. William’s Care Center.

Mary Lou was an active member of the Catholic Daughters and the VFW Auxiliary. She cherished her children and grandchildren and had a passion for flowers and reading.

She will be forever loved and deeply missed by her two sons: Samuel “Rick” (Shoshana) Jarman of San Diego, CA; Wayne (Julie) Jarman of Wilmot, SD; one sister, Elizabeth “Betty” (Lloyd) Fenhaus of Milbank, SD; two sisters-in-law: Sharon McKernan of Bloomington, MN; and Sandra McKernan of Milbank, SD; four grandchildren: Ezri Jarman, Mackernan Jarman, Sam Jarman, and Sarah Jarman.

She was preceded in death by her parents: Emmett and Catherine; her beloved husband, Gordon “Sam” Jarman; three brothers, Gene, William “Bill”, and Joseph McKernan.