Mary Ann Berning was born on August 10, 1934, in Graettinger, Iowa, the oldest of thirteen children to Adolph F. Kilian and Caroline Mary Garman.  Mary Ann passed away peacefully on Saturday morning, October 22, 2022, in Shenandoah, Iowa at the age of 88 years.

Mary Ann's early years were spent on farms in Minnesota.  She moved to Milford, Iowa in 1949 at the age of 15 and graduated from Milford High School in 1952.  She married William B. Berning on January 12, 1953, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Milford, Iowa.   After various moves, they settled in Shenandoah in the early 1960s.    To this union, five sons were born.

With her husband Bill, they owned and operated the Berning Café from 1961 to 1985.  With her outgoing and vibrant personality, Mary Ann worked in every capacity.  After leaving the restaurant she worked at Ladies Apparel and Mae Farmers until landing her dream job at Central Surveys where she could chat with people from various facets of life.

Mary Ann was active in the St. Mary's Catholic church guild and a member of the Business Professional Women (BPW).   Her hobbies were ceramics, being an avid reader, tandem biking with her husband, Bill; and flying with him on many trips from Iowa to South Dakota and Florida in their two-seated airplane named "Honey Bunny".

She was welcomed into heaven by her parents, Adolph and Caroline Kilian, and brothers Robert and Paul Kilian.  Those left to cherish her memory include her beloved husband Bill of 69 years of Shenandoah; sons Stephen (Nancy) of Shenandoah, Michael of Forest Hills, NY, Mark of New York City, James (Karen) of Omaha, and Paul (Deanna) of Shenandoah; nine grandchildren Jennifer, Nicholas, Lucas, Brooke, Cody, Jackson, Chris, Will, and Madison; ten great-grandchildren, other relatives, and friends.  Mary had a spirit for adventure and traveling and a deep love of family.  She will be deeply missed by those whose lives she touched.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m., Thursday, October 27, 2022 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Shenandoah.  Visitation with the family will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at the Hackett-Livingston Funeral Home with rosary to following at 6:30 p.m.  Burial will be held at Rose Hill Cemetery in Shenandoah.  In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to St. Mary's Catholic Church or Shenandoah Food Pantry.