Genevieve Marilyn Kick

Genevieve Marilyn Kick died unexpectedly at her home on May 20, 2022 at the age of 90. Gen was born March 30, 1932 at home, on the farm, west of Beroun, MN. She was the fifth of eight children born to John and Anna (Toman) Runa. Life was busy on the farm, picking beans and pickles to be sold in town, milking cows, making hay, and picking hay rack after hay rack of rock from the fields. Church was attended every Sunday at St. Joseph’s in Beroun.  She attended country school until the eighth grade, then attended Hinckley High School, graduating in 1950. In the fall of 1950, Gen boarded a bus bound for Minneapolis to find work. She found lodging at a girls club, and her first job at a candy store. Eventually, she found employment with Aetna Insurance Company as a claims processor.

On August 27, 1960 Gen married William Kick. They made their home in a small apartment in Minneapolis. In November 1962, they welcomed their first child, Timothy, followed by Patrick in February 1964, and Colleen in February 1965. The small apartment was getting crowded with the growing family, so Gen and William bought their first home in May 1965 in St. Louis Park. In August 1968 Bruce was born, completing the family.

In 1969 they purchased 10 acres belonging to the Kick family farm west of Pine City. A mobile home was moved onto the property and this became the family getaway from the city. Weekends and summers were spent in Pine City, gathering with family, planting and tending to the huge vegetable garden, canning and freezing the produce from the garden, mowing lawn, and picking wild berries. Swimming and fishing in the Snake River close by was enjoyed by the family.  Although Gen worked mostly outdoors during her growing up years, she quickly mastered all the domestic chores involved with running a household. She excelled at everything she did such as baking, cooking, canning, sewing, refinishing and upholstering furniture. She was frugal, and could really stretch a dollar, and yet was a very generous, giving person.

Gen also had a sense of adventure, traveling with the kids by car to Washington state and Oregon on one trip, and to the Canadian Rockies and Vancouver, British Columbia on another. She traveled to Ireland, twice. Gen had returned to work in 1975 with St. Louis Park Public Schools, in the kitchens, then moving on to the bakery, and lastly to the laundry at the Junior High. On April 30, 1994 William passed away after a long battle with cancer.  In 2001 Gen retired from her job at school. In 2002, she sold her home in St. Louis Park and moved to Pine City and built a new home.

Over the years Gen became Grandma to Tristan, Scott, William, Rachel, Samantha, and Christine. Gen loved her children, but she absolutely adored her grandchildren. In her spare time Gen was very active at Immaculate Conception Church, attending daily Mass, working funeral lunches, or baking cinnamon rolls for various fundraisers. She enjoyed her vegetable garden, flower gardens and feeding her birds, which sometimes led to feeding the bears.

Gen is survived by her children Timothy (Margie) Kick, Patrick Kick, Colleen (Douglas) Brown all of Pine City, and Bruce Kick of Alaska; grandchildren Tristan (Florence) Kick, Scott Brown, William Brown, Rachel Brown, Samantha (Jesse) Miller, Christine (Andrew) Pierce; great-grandchildren Weston and Maddie Miller, McKenzie and Jackson Pierce; sisters Agnes Kryzer, Kathryn Schlaeger; brother John (Alice) Runa; sister-in-law Vivian Kick; many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband William Kick; parents John and Anna Runa; stillborn baby sister; sisters and brothers-in-law Jim Huml, Francis Kryzer, Elsie (George) Cabak, Margaret (Joe) Ploub, Marcy (Jim) Pangerl, Carl Schlaeger, Caroline (Nick) Stoffel, Carl Kick, Florence (Charlie) Hoefler, Margaret (Carl) Peterson, Waldo (Irene) Kick, Bob (Hap) Kick, Glen Kick, Harold (Phyllis) Kick, Clark (Pat, Anda) Kick; nieces Karen Kluk, Eleanor Carlson, Delphine Belko; nephews Georgie Cabak, Tom Pangerl, Carl Stoffel.

Monsignor Aleksander Suchan will celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial for Genevieve: 10:30 AM Wednesday, June 29, 2022 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Pine City.  A time of visitation for family and friends will be held from 5:00-8:00 PM (6/28) at the Swanson Funeral Chapel in Pine City and also one hour prior to the Mass at the church.

Memorials in Genevieve’s memory may be directed to: St. Jude Medical Center, 1 Saint Jude Medical Drive, St. Paul, MN 55117 or the Alzheimer’s Association Minnesota-North Dakota, 4550 West 77th St. Suite 200, Minneapolis, MN 55435.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to: Funeral and Cremation Service of Pine City ~ Swanson Chapel
www.FuneralAndCremationService.com