Mariana Jo McDonald, 73, of Kenyon died peacefully at home surrounded by her family, on April 27, 2025. She was born on March 30, 1952 in Red Wing, the daughter of LeRoy and Shirley (Holmes) Foss. Mariana graduated from Kenyon High School in 1970. She married Mike “Big Mac” McDonald on December 15th, 1973 at First Evangelical Lutheran Church in Kenyon.
Mariana could be found all around Kenyon working various jobs. She worked at Foldcraft, Johnson's Grocery Store, Great Lakes Hybrid and Motor Mart. She worked for Helds and drove school bus #2, lovingly known as Matilda, for many years and spent summer days with her hands in the dirt working at outdoor flower shops and raising her two children. Mariana began subbing for the Kenyon Post Office as a rural mail carrier for a number of years before she eventually was rewarded with a full time position. Her postal patrons loved her, leaving gifts regularly in mailboxes. She equally loved them, leaving cards, notes and gifts in their mailboxes, and always traveling with a bag of dog treats for her fur friends. Mariana was known to all as the “lefse lady” and spent many late nights and early mornings fulfilling requests for her Christmas bakings of lefse, rosettes and krumkake! Mariana enjoyed golfing, bowling, fishing, playing cribbage and euchre, and reading in her free time. When her first grandchild was born, all attention and spare time transitioned to being the best Granny Mac to her and the three more that would follow.
She is survived by her loving husband of 51 years, Mike, children Mandi (Sheldon) Lunde of Kenyon, Sam (JeanAnne) McDonald of Cannon Falls; four grandchildren, Arin Kyllo and Adlee Lunde, Amanda and Coram McDonald; sisters Christine Foss, Julie (Bob) Miller, Theron Foss, and Ramona (Ken) Djernes; brothers and sisters in law Irene McDonald, Dan McDonald, David McDonald, John (Sherry) McDonald, Billy (Marsha) McDonald, Anne (Kelly) Mulford and Charlie Beatty. She is also survived by aunts and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives. Mariana is preceded in death by her parents, LeRoy and Shirley Foss, brothers Bill, Paul, Ted and Eric Foss; in laws Francis and Margaret McDonald, brother in law Paul Losen and sister in law Mary Beatty.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Michaelson Funeral Home in Kenyon. A celebration of Mariana's life will follow the service at the Kenyon VFW, 601 2nd Street A, Kenyon, MN, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that considerations be given to various Kenyon community organizations of choice.
