Mary Lou was born on August 13, 1932, in St. Olaf Township, Dalton, Minnesota to Ernest and Elsie (Robison) Searles. She grew up on the farm and attended country school. In 1939, the family moved to Rose City, Minnesota. Mary Lou started high school in Eagle Bend moving to Alexandria in November 1946 where she graduated in 1950. Then, she attended nurses training at Franklin Hospital in Minneapolis becoming an LPN. She worked at Glen Lake TB Sanitarium, Eitel, and Abbot Hospitals before coming back to Alexandria to work at Douglas County Hospital.

Mary Lou married Harvey B. Klug on September 1, 1956, at the Congregational Church in Alexandria. They lived on a farm south of Brandon. They had two sons: Robin and Scott. In 1961, they moved to Brooklyn Park, Minnesota and in 1962 to Amery, Wisconsin where Mary Lou worked at Apple River Valley Memorial Hospital. In November 1967, the family moved to Shakopee, Minnesota and in 1970 they welcomed a baby girl, Wendy, to their family.  Mary Lou worked at St. Francis Hospital and various other jobs including cleaning house, working at Valley Fair, and Secretary at Christ Lutheran Church where her and Harvey and the children were active members.

In May 1979, Harvey passed away. Mary Lou worked in a quilt shop in Shakopee for ten years. She loved quilting and every stitch was made with love sharing her pieces with family, friends, and others who purchased the lovely handmade items to have in their homes.

Mary Lou met J. Paul Schlefsky and they married on October 12, 1986. They lived in Chaska until 1996 when they moved to a lovely lake home in Alexandria, Minnesota. In November 2019, Paul passed away.

Mary Lou was involved in 4-H club for many years, church activities, craft shows, and of course spent much of her time quilting, which she truly enjoyed. Just being by the lake was a joy and the loves of her life were her grandchildren; Amy, Abby, Nick, Carson, Ally, Joe, Andy, and great grandchildren; Layla, Amelia, and Leland.

Mary Lou passed away on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 in Nelson Gables at the age of 89. She is survived by her children, Robin (Lynn) Klug, Scott (Kathy) Klug, and Wendy (Bob) Pritchard; step-children, Karen (Jim) Glowatzke and Linda (Larry) Jeurissen; grandchildren, Amy Klug (Corey Ehlert), Abby (Tim) Piver and Layla, Nicholas (Theresa Herring) Klug, Amelia, and Leland, Carson Klug, Alexandra Klug (Drew Reitz), Joseph and Andrew Pritchard, and Adam (Tabitha) Jeurissen, Andrew (Alyssa) and Theo Jeurissen. She is preceded in death by her parents, two infant brothers, sister, Juniel, and husbands, Harvey, and Paul.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, May 7, 2022, at 11:00 AM at Calvary Lutheran Church in Alexandria, MN. Visitation will be from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM prior to the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Knute Nelson Hospice.