MOUNTAIN LAKE - Lucille A. “Tootie” (Evers-Karschnik) Bennett, age 91, of Mountain Lake, MN, and formerly of Windom, passed away on Monday, August 17, 2026, at the Good Samaritan Society - Mountain Lake.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held for Lucille at 11:00 AM on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Mountain Lake (1418 2nd Avenue, Mountain Lake, MN 56159) with Rev. Rick Bremseth officiating. The service will be recorded and available at Lucille’s obituary page on www.sinnfuneralhome.com. Visitation will take one hour prior to the service at the church.

Lucille will be buried next to her husband, Alvin, at Mountain Lake City Cemetery.

Lucille was born on March 10, 1935, to Bert and Aleide (Junker) Evers, at their home in Brown County near Sanborn, Minnesota. She graduated from Comfrey High School in 1952.

Lucille was united in marriage to Alvin Karschnik in 1956, and together they were blessed with three children, Jeff, Steven, and Kurt. Alvin passed away on November 12, 2000. Lucille later married Wayne Bennett in 2003, and Wayne passed away on January 25, 2020.

Lucille's favorite memories were the births of her boys, the joy of raising them, and later the time she got to spend with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Sheworked at the Manor Inn for over 30 years, starting when her boys were in high school. She became known there as "the pie lady," and her pies were famous enough that people would decide whether to eat there based on whether or not she was working.

Lucille was neat, stubborn, and a hard worker. She was loving, steady, strong, and well liked, and never said a disparaging word about anybody. She saw the good in everyone. Lucille was always tidying up, whether it was emptying Alvin's ashtray the moment a cigarette ash fell, straightening the dishes at a restaurant table, or fixing the doilies in her room in her final days at Good Samaritan. She collected knick knacks, especially doilies and figurines, and cooking for others was one of her love languages.

Lucille stayed young at heart to the end, often referring to fellow residents at the nursing home as "that old man," even ones 15 years younger than her. She faced Parkinson's in her final years and remained strong through all of it.

Lucille will forever be remembered by her three sons, Jeff Karschnik, Steven (Ingrid Peyrefitte) Karschnik, and Kurt (Jude) Karschnik; grandchildren, Joly, Stephanie, Crystal, Dillon, Matt, Jed, and Noah; great-grandchildren, Jonathan, Ella, Mina, Maven, Walker, Waylon, and August; sister-in-law, Helen Evers; many cousins, nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.

Lucille was preceded in death by her first husband, Alvin Karschnik; second husband, Wayne Bennett; daughter-in-law, Marti Karschnik; parents, Bert and Aleide (Junker) Evers; siblings, Arlene (Earl) Karschnik, Ruth (Denny) Bernloehr, Lester Evers, and Larry (Terry) Evers; and other relatives and friends.