Karen Marie Bergner

Karen Marie Bergner, age 73, of Mankato, passed away peacefully on February 11th, 2024. 

A memorial service will be at 12:00pm on Friday, March 22nd, 2024, at Northview - North Mankato Mortuary with visitation one hour prior to the service. 

Karen was born on October 20th, 1950 to Eugene ”Duke” and Myrtle (Hatle) Tukua in Albert Lea, MN. She was raised in Hartland, Minnesota where she formed friendships that lasted long after graduation. Following high school, she attended the University of MN-Morris. Karen married Tom Bergner in December of 1969. Together they raised their four children; Jennifer, Marcus, Jay, and Abbie. They later divorced. Karen worked as an administrative assistant in healthcare for 22 years. She retired from the Andreas Cancer Center in Mankato in January of 2017. 

Karen was a fun loving friend, mother, and grandmother. Through the years she enjoyed spending time at the family cabin, visiting with her children and grandchildren, singing karaoke, bowling, going on trips with “the Divas”, and tubing down the river with friends. Karen could even make Sunday morning cleaning fun by dancing along to country music. Her favorite TV show was the Golden Girls and she made sure to tune in and cheer on the Twins during baseball season. Karen always saw the good in people and was friendly and welcoming to everyone she met. She will be missed and her memory cherished by all who knew her. 

Karen is survived by her children, Marcus Bergner, Jay (Dana) Bergner; grandchildren, Hannah Bergner, Ty Bergner, Cody Paulson, Nora Bergner; brother, Eugene (Karla) Tukua; sister Ellen (Richard) Chicos; several nieces and nephews, cousins, in-laws and friends. 

Karen was preceded in death by her daughters, Abbie Bergner and Jennifer Paulson; parents, Myrtle and Eugene “Duke” Tukua. 

The family would like to thank the staff of Moments Hospice and The Pillars of Mankato for being a source of comfort and support to Karen this past year. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Moments Hospice in memory of Karen.

The live stream link below is a complimentary service provided by

Mankato Mortuary.

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