A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM on Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in St. Cloud for Margaret “Marty” (Merten) Ahles who passed away peacefully with her husband, a nurse, and a friend by her side on August 11 at the Annandale Care Center. Visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 19 at the Benson Funeral Home in St. Cloud and one hour before services at the church on Wednesday. A prayer service will be at 4:30 pm at the funeral home. Burial will be in the Calvary Cemetery, St. Cloud, Minnesota.
Margaret went by the name of Marty and was born August 5, 1947 in St. Cloud, Minnesota to Al and Leona (Ficker) Merten. As the fourth of 11 children she grew up in Marty (Pearl Lake), Minnesota and attended Holy Cross Grade School and then graduated from Kimball High School in 1965. She married Donald Sand in 1965 and they later divorced. Marty then married Robert Ahles on June 12, 1982. Marty worked for H&D Drug, the Ace Bar & Grill, and then the Bremer Bank until she suffered a severe stroke in March of 2000 after her doctor recommended hormone replacement. She was a member of St. Mary’s Cathedral and enjoyed church functions including helping with community meals, homeless sheltering, block parties and especially delivering meals on wheels with her loving husband Rob.
She lovingly raised, encouraged, and helped her two adopted children with their activities, education, and life in general. Marty enjoyed dancing before her stroke, going to the lake, family gatherings and especially shopping for good deals.
She had to use a wheelchair for more than 25 years but her disability did not define her. Marty had a spark for life, never complained about her disabilities, and was a shining light in the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her. Marty was extremely grateful and forever thankful for her caregivers and let them know it daily. She also was so very thankful for her girls’ night-out group that faithfully visited and shared meals with her over many years after her stroke (Cec, Pam & Tracy).
Marty leaves behind her loving husband, Rob Ahles of St. Cloud, MN; son Shawn Sand of St. Cloud, MN; siblings Gene (Georgian) Merten of Kimball, MN, Peter (Sandy) Merten of Kimball, MN, Mary Gertken of Cold Spring, MN, Lorraine Kotschevar of Sauk Rapids, MN, Patty Shellito of Weslaco, TX, Joann (Ken) Krueger of Watkins, MN; two grandsons, Tanner Freeman of Minneapolis, MN, and Nathan Freeman of St. Cloud, MN; and brothers and sisters-in-law Pat DeWenter of Adams, MA, Linda & Terry Pennaz of St. Cloud, MN, Sandy & Mick Justin of Nisswa, MN, Kari Ahles of St. Cloud, MN, and Pam Schlagheck of St. Cloud, MN. She also leaves behind her Girls Night Out Group and her good friends: Cec Strait of Foley, MN, Pam Wostrel of Sauk Rapids, MN, and Tracy Schwartz of St. Cloud, MN.
Marty was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Shelly Freeman; sisters, Dorothy Gustafson, Betty Merten, and Terry Berger; brother, James Merten; father and mother-in-law, Ted and Lorraine Ahles; and brothers-in-law, George Gustafson, Gary Ahles, Bob Berger, Bob DeWenter, Harris Shellito, and John Gertken.
A special thank you goes out to Linda and Terry Pennaz and Shelley and Tanner Freeman for essential caregiving assistance over many years, to the CNAs, shift nurses, case workers, and her friends at the Annandale Care Center, to her after-stroke care providers at the CentraCare Health Care System, to her girls-night-out gang, and especially to Joe and Mary Ackerman for praying with Marty frequently and bringing her holy communion during her three-year stay at the nursing home. Thank you also to everyone for the thoughts and prayers for Marty and her family, especially her next-door neighbor Val Kaz.
