Mary Kay Van Der Geest

Mary Kay Van Der Geest, 76 of Merrill, WI passed away peacefully at Aspirus Hospice House in Wausau late in the afternoon on Wednesday, January 1, 2025, after a courageous battle from internasal metastatic melanoma. 

Mary Kay Jacobson was born on March 14, 1948, in Merrill, WI to the late Norman (Jake) and Phyllis Jacobson of Irma. She graduated from Merrill High School in 1966, attended UW-Stevens Point and married the late Gary Van Der Geest on October 18, 1969. Gary was her true soulmate, and they enjoyed 31 years of marriage until his death on November 1, 2000. 

Mary Kay’s first job was a paper route in Irma, followed by the Dairy Queen in Merrill, where Gary used to frequent for ice cream. After attending UW-Stevens Point she worked at Wausau Insurance and held her WI Real Estate Brokers license for several years. However, her true passion was working in the dairy business alongside Gary. In 1969, Gary and Mary Kay, along with Gary’s parents, Gerrit “Chub” and Eleanor Van Der Geest, purchased their first farm consisting of 120 acres and 17 cows which was the start of Van Der Geest Dairy Cattle and today, 55 years and four generations later, it is has grown to over 3000 cows and 6000 acres. After Gary’s passing, Mary Kay was the sole owner and president of Van Der Geest Dairy Cattle Inc. until she sold it to her son, Lee Van Der Geest, and business partner Jason Mell in 2017. 

Mary Kay was a wonderful wife, mother, and grandma/nana first, but like her husband, Gary was very enthusiastic about agricultural and promoting the importance of our agricultural industry. Aside from the Dairy, she served as a director on the board of United FCS and later Ag Country Farm Credit Services for over 14 years, was a founding member of the WI River Pro Rodeo for over 35 years as a member and secretary, Merrill Rider’s Club secretary for several years, a member of the Northcentral Technical College (NTC) Foundation Board. She also served as a board member of the Dairyland State Academy which fundraised and formed what later became known as NTC’s Agriculture Center of Excellence. In addition, for 35 years she served on the board and was a member of the Partnership for Progressive Agriculture (PPA) in which time she participated on sub-committees such as the education & promotion committee which is instrumental in promoting agricultural. She was a lifetime member, elder and Sunday school teacher for First Presbyterian Church of Merrill, and after it disbanded, joined St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church of Wausau. 

Mary also enjoyed bowling, snowmobiling, downhill skiing, card club and being a horse show and rodeo mom and grandma. 

Mary Kay is survived by her children, daughter Amy (Jeff) Butler of Cosby, MO, son Lee (Katie) Van Der Geest of Merrill and daughter Beth (Gabe) Gwaltney of Willow Springs, MO. Brother David (Sandy) Jacobson of West Bend, WI, four adorable grandsons Koy and Kyan Van Der Geest of Merrill and Gunner and Gatlin Gwaltney of Willow Springs, MO. In addition, she is survived by her sister and brother in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and special friends. She is proceeded in death her parents, Jake and Phyllis Jacobson, her father and mother-in-law, Gerrit “Chub” and Eleanor Van Der Geest and husband, Gary.

Visitation will be held at Taylor-Stine-Waid Funeral Home (formerly Waid Funeral Home) at the 301 Eagle Drive location, from 4-8 p.m. on Monday, January 6, 2025, in Merrill. Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, January 7th, 2025, at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wausau at 11:00 a.m. with visitation starting at 10:00 a.m. Reverend Maggie Westaby will officiate. Burial will be held at the Maple Grove Cemetery in the village of Maine with a luncheon to follow at Willow Springs Garden in Wausau. 

The family would like to thank the wonderful care team of the Aspirus Hospice House, Wausau, as well as Rennes Health & Rehab, Weston and her special caregivers Marlin Kalafice, Monica and Carissa Howe. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting memorials to: Aspirus Comfort Care and Hospice Services Fund which has a non-profit foundation for the care of hospice patients. Checks payable to: Aspirus CCHS Fund or St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church of Wausau or the Merrill Rider’s Club of Merrill. 

Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting: www.stevensonandsons.com or www.taylorstinewaid.com.