Marianne Dagmar Evelyn Kearns

Marianne Dagmar Evelyn Weiss-Steder Kearns gracefully passed beyond the veil on March 10, 2025, in Farmington, Utah. Born in Germany in 1936, she grew up during WWII. She and her family narrowly escaped from Russian occupied East Berlin to West Berlin after being forced from their home. British soldiers disguised in Russian uniforms smuggled them out onto a coal-filled railcar. She witnessed the devastation of WWII firsthand.

As a child and into adulthood, she struggled to distinguish her right hand from her left—a challenge that began when she mistakenly made the Nazi salute with the wrong hand and was repeatedly corrected with a sharp ruler in school. Though she rarely spoke of the war, its impact stayed with her. She always needed to sleep with her bedroom door open, a habit formed from nights spent listening for air raid sirens. She saw Adolf Hitler firsthand with her classmates as he paraded through the streets.

Marianne’s life changed forever when she met the love of her life, Jimmie Kearns, a young GI from Price, Utah. Jimmie was responsible for getting Latter-Day Saint servicemen to LDS youth dances. It was at one of these dances that he met Marianne. Their romance was built on the language of love—Mom spoke little English, and Dad spoke little German. When Dad first asked her to dance, she hesitated and walked away. The following week, she approached him and simply said, “Yes.” Confused, he asked, “Yes what?” She replied, “Yes, I will marry you.” The question that Dad originally asked was “would you like to dance”?

Their journey to America was not an easy one. While sailing across the Atlantic, Mom was deathly seasick and never left her cabin. Dad, unaffected, dined happily in the near-empty dining room, bringing her saltine crackers to ease her stomach. What should have been a two-week voyage stretched to three due to rough seas before they finally arrived in New York. From there, Dad bought a car and, in true Jimmie fashion, drove straight to Utah. They settled in the dusty town of Price—a stark contrast to the lush green countryside Mom once knew.

In Price, Marianne was warmly welcomed by her mother-in-law, Maxine, who became her best friend. Maxine taught her the ways of America, but it was soap operas that truly taught Mom how to speak English. Possibly why she was such a romantic. She carried a thick German accent throughout her life. As a result, she was never the best English teacher for her children, but they loved her for it.

After leaving Price, Dad attended the University of Utah while Mom stayed home with their two daughters, Cindy and Cherie. Once Dad graduated, they moved to Bountiful, where they had their third child, Scottie. Ten years later came the family surprise, Shawn. All four of her children married happily and remain active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a testament to the love and values she instilled.

Mom had a deep love for her children—but also wielded a wicked wooden spoon. When she wanted order, she would chase her kids, threatening a spanking. She was an incredible and resourceful cook, preparing the most amazing German meals and desserts, keeping her heritage alive through food. She also baked warm, homemade bread so often that her children hardly knew what store-bought bread tasted like.

Mom was also an incredible seamstress. It was not uncommon for her children to be dressed in outfits made from matching material. Living on a tight budget, she did what she could to help minimize expenses. She was also a talented knitter, making sweaters and blankets that were worn and used happily.

Mom was shockingly beautiful—both inside and out. She had a keen sense of style, always wearing the latest hairstyles, clothes, and shoes. She loved Lake Powell and even made waterskiing look elegant. Wearing a stylish swim cap and ski belt, she would gracefully slalom ski, letting go of the rope with ease and settling into the water without getting her face wet. She never considered herself old. Even at 88, she refused to use a cane, walker or wheelchair, insisting, “Those are for old people.” She remained beautiful until the day she passed, looking 15 years younger than her age—a trick she used on her dating apps. She’d say, “I’m young at heart, so I can say I’m 15 years younger than I really am.”

Mom’s laugh was infectious and easy to spark. As children, we loved listening to her speak with her siblings—where three-fourths of their conversations were belly laughs. She found humor in life but, most importantly, in herself. Many times, she laughed so hard she’d pee her pants—never embarrassed nor shy to tell you she did.

Mom loved people without judgment and rarely spoke ill of others, a gift she passed on to her children. In her final years, she was deeply grateful for her family’s efforts to keep her in her home. She often expressed her thanks with a soft, “Tell your family I love them.” 

The greatest gift Mom gave us was life itself. Beyond that, she taught us the power of forgiveness and the importance of speaking kindly of others. She leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and unwavering devotion to her family.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James Leigh Kearns, her parents Karl Adolf Steder and Elfriede Johanna Dorothea Semmler, and a brother-in-law Richard Maxeiner. 

She is survived by her sister Helga, and brother Peter (Sonngard), of Germany; her four children and their spouses: Cindy (Bill) Chalk, Cherie (Rick) Stapp, Scottie (Kristie) Kearns, and Shawn (Mary) Kearns; 22 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren; 2 nieces, 1 nephew, 2 great-nieces, and 2 great-nephews; and many beloved pets.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 22, 2025 at Russon Mortuary, 295 North Main Street, Bountiful, Utah, where family and friends are welcome to visit with the family from 9:00 -9:45 a.m. prior to the service.

Interment will follow at Lakeview Memorial Cemetery, 1640 Lakeview Drive, Bountiful, Utah.

Services will be streamed live on Russon Mortuary Live Facebook page and this obituary page.