Mary Lynn “Onnie” Kiviko, 81, passed away peacefully in her home and was called to Heaven on November 13, 2025.
A Memorial Gathering will be held on Saturday, January 24, 2026 from 1:00–3:00 p.m. at the Maurina-Schilling Funeral Home in Owen.
Born on November 24, 1943, in Stanley, to Irene and Leonard Kiviko, Mary Lynn lived a life rich with purpose, curiosity, and conviction. Known affectionately by many as Onnie, she devoted her career to educating children in Fontana, nurturing young minds with patience, humor, and a genuine belief in the power of learning. Though she spent meaningful time in Milwaukee with family, Owen was always the place she called home.
Mary Lynn was a trailblazer ahead of her time—hunting alongside her father, earning her Bachelor of Science degree from UW–Eau Claire, and serving her community as an alderperson for the City of Owen. She is remembered as an independent thinker, a passionate political advocate, a lifelong champion of education, and an enthusiastic lover of cats. Her quick wit and understated humor brought warmth and laughter to all who knew her.
She was preceded in death by her parents: Irene (née Knight) and Leonard Kiviko; and her sister: Betty Kiviko-Wyler. She is lovingly remembered and deeply missed by her nieces: Kymm (Brian) Stafford and Lynda Decristoforo; her great-nieces and nephew: Sarah (Jacob) Johnson, Chanda Decristoforo, and Skyler Decristoforo; and by many treasured family members and friends whose lives she touched.
Her legacy lives on in the countless people she inspired with her strength, wit, and unwavering sense of self.
Family and friends may express condolences online at www.maurinaschilling.com.
