Mary "Kathy" Schiefelbein

Mary Katherine “Kathy” Schiefelbein, age 75, of Ely, passed away on July 29, 2024, at the Solvay House in Duluth.

Kathy was born April 19, 1949 in Independence, Kansas to Betty Lou (Campbell) Horton and Hubert Jones Horton.

She grew up in Wayside, Kansas and graduated from Wayside High School.

Kathy went to Pittsburgh State University and graduated with a business major.

After college she was a flight attendant for Braniff Airways and then went to work as an assistant comptroller for a small three plane airline that later became Southwest Airlines. Had she known, she would’ve chosen the employee stock options.

She was hired in Tulsa by IBM and then moved to Kansas City where she met John Schiefelbein. They were united in marriage on September 4, 1976. They later had two children, Alison Elizabeth and Andrew Christian.

On John and Kathy’s first anniversary they went on a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Eight years later the couple would own an outfitting business.

The couple moved to Ely in March of 1984 and opened North Country Canoe Outfitters in May of 1984.

Kathy ran the office and worked with John to make North Country a successful business for over 40 years.

She loved to travel worldwide and was addicted to walking and to the treadmill at the gym. Everyone knew and liked her so a trip to Zup’s, the Post Office or the hardware store would take several hours. She also enjoyed a small circle of very close friends.

In addition to her family survivors, over the 40 years of North Country, there have been almost 300 high school and college staffers that she treated as her own kids. Years later, a few still refer to her as their “North Country” or “summer” mom. She liked that a lot.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother John “Jack” Hubert Horton.

Kathy is survived by her husband John, her daughter Alison Elizabeth (Schiefelbein) Hall and her husband Andrew Luther Hall and their children Kensington Elizabeth Hall and Harrison Andrew James Hall; son Andrew Christian Schiefelbein and Jamie Ahrdt and their children Bella Marette and Finnley Marette; sisters Susan Veith and husband Lee, Ruth McKee and husband Philip; brother-in-law Scott William Schiefelbein,  sister-in-law Susan Elizabeth Schiefelbein, sister-in-law Patty Horton; along with many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on August 13, 2024 at Grace Lutheran Church in Ely. The service will be live streamed on Facebook at gracelutheranchurchely a few minutes prior to the service.

Family arrangements have been entrusted to Kerntz Funeral Home.

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