Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Virginia 'Virgie' Karvonen

SCHOFIELD, Wis. - Virginia "Virgie" Carol (Mazzon) Karvonen, 90, originally of Ironwood, Michigan, died peacefully Friday, July 22, 2022, at Copperleaf Assisted Living in Schofield.

Virgie was born on June 29, 1932, in Ironwood, daughter of the late Gioachino and Amelia (Forte)

Mazzon. She graduated from St. Ambrose High School in 1950.

On May 2, 1953, she married Donald Henry Karvonen at St. Ambrose Catholic Church in Ironwood. He preceded her in death on Oct. 6, 2017, after 64 years of marriage.

Virgie worked at the glove factory in Ironwood after high school before choosing to stay at home to raise her family. She loved gardening, reading, knitting, doing puzzles, playing cards, and taking trips to the casino. She always enjoyed spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a wonderful wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. She made friends no matter where she was or what she did, and she will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

Survivors include her two daughters, Lynn (Charles) Meister, Duluth, Minnesota, and Karen (Bill) Salvesen, Wausau; four grandchildren, Kristin (Kim Zach ) Meister, of Superior, Danny (Laura) Meister, Minnetonka, Minnesota, Nicole (Travis) Calvert, Muscatine, Iowa, and Danielle Karvonen, Superior; 2 great-grandchildren, Aiden and Kaylee Calvert; daughter-in-law, Debbie Karvonen, Superior; brother-in-law, Bob Carlson, Florida; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Besides her parents and husband, Virgie was preceded in death by her son, James (Jim) Karvonen on Jan. 27, 2014; and brothers and sisters-in-law, Verene and Tom Gardner, Eugene "Amy" Mary Mazzon, and Kay Carlson.

Out of respect for her wishes, cremation has taken place.

Memorial services will be held on Aug. 2, at 11 a.m., preceded by visitation at 10 a.m., at McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home, 305 N. Lowell St., in Ironwood, with Father Binu Joseph officiating. A Rite of Committal and interment will follow in Riverside Cemetery, Ironwood.

The family would like to thank the staff at Copperleaf Assisted Living in Schofield for the excellent care Virgie received while residing there for the past three years.

The family has chosen McKevitt-Patrick Funeral Home of Ironwood to honor Virgie's legacy of life. You can leave condolences or a tribute at mckevittpatrickfuneralhome.com.