Katherine Mary Nyberg

On January 4th, 2024, Katherine Mary (Bugliosi) Nyberg was welcomed into heaven with open
arms by her beloved brother and father. Kathy was born on August 6th, 1959, the oldest of four
children born to Ramon and Joanne (Zlebnik) Bugliosi. Some of her fondest memories growing up were filled with big Italian meals surrounded by her cousins at her Nona and Nono’s house in Brooklyn. Known as “baby redhead,” Kathy was always special to her entire family. Her lifelong love of good food began at a young age–she often joked that she was always the last cousin to leave the dinner table. Being the oldest of four children, Kathy gained her planning and leadership skills and quickly became the boss of the whole gang. With her siblings, Jane, Michael and Patty, she most certainly had an idyllic childhood. Her many cousins played a huge part in her life, especially times together at Perch Lake with her Bugliosi cousins. Equally enjoyable were many weekends spent with her Marum cousins camping. Kathy attended Hibbing schools and graduated from Hibbing High School in 1977. It was her junior year in high school when she spotted a handsome young man, Bob Nyberg, on the ice at a Hibbing hockey game, and it didn’t take long for them to become high school sweethearts. She excelled in academics, tennis and synchronized swimming. Kathy went on to attend one year at Hibbing Community College, followed by one year at St. Catherine’s in St. Paul, and then graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1981 with a degree in Elementary Education. She taught in Houston, Texas, for one year before moving back to Minneapolis to begin a new career working for 3M.
Kathy and Bob were married on July 15th, 1983, in Hibbing. They lived in Roseville, MN, for the
next 12 years, and during this time she earned her Master’s Degree in Human Resources from
the U of M. After five adventurous and fun-filled years of marriage, Kathy and Bob decided to
start a family. They were blessed with three wonderful daughters, Nicole, Melissa (Weez) and
Christine. Kathy and Bob’s love for family pulled them back to Hibbing, where they settled down and raised their family in 1995. To quote from her own journal, raising her girls was her “most
important role in life.” In her daughters’ growing up years, the Nyberg household was a revolving
door for her daughters and their friends. It was truly “the place to be.”
She made sure everyone felt welcome by cooking the most delicious team dinners, throwing
exquisite birthday, Halloween and Christmas parties, and hosting endless sleepovers. Kathy
truly loved every minute of this, even hanging a sign that read “Grand Central Station” in her
kitchen. Kathy and her daughters’ close bond continued throughout her entire life.
When her daughters got married, she gained three sons-in-law, who she often referred to as the
“best guys in the world.” She loved them deeply. During the years of raising her girls, Kathy worked in HR at National Steel in Keewatin, and later at Hibbing Community College where she was a grant coordinator and taught Employment Skills. Kathy dedicated herself to the Hibbing community. She was currently serving on the Hibbing school board and on the Board of Directors for Guardian Angels and Heritage Manor nursing homes. Her love for Hibbing and its schools lead her to be involved in just about everything, most recently as a co-chair for the Hibbing High School 100th Anniversary Celebration coming up this summer. Kathy loved to travel and loved planning the trips too. She found happiness in giving her family “something to look forward to” all the time. Some memorable places Kathy and her family visited included numerous summer road trips across the country, camping trips, and annual winter trips to her favorite place in the world, Captiva Island. Kathy and Bob recently enjoyed the first of many planned Major League Baseball field road trips. Of all her travels, the ultimate thrill was finally visiting Italy with her mom and daughters, where it fulfilled and amplified her love for family history. Blessed with many talents, Kathy loved cooking, reading, gardening, doing artwork, writing, and planning family events. She had a great eye for decorating, and was known to cook a big family meal at the drop of a dime–always cooking enough for an army. Kathy liked playing Scrabble with her mom, watching old movies on TCM, spending quiet moments with her dog Beau, eating donuts for breakfast, doing the crossword, praying the rosary, swimming, enjoying a gin and tonic on her and Bob’s pontoon rides, and finding a good deal while shopping. Family was Kathy’s whole world. As happy as she was raising her three daughters, being “Nanny” to her 10 grandchildren (with one on the way) brought her the most happiness in life. Every single one of her grandchildren had a close bond with her. From teaching them, reading to them, singing with them, and feeding them, everything revolved around the grandkids. She was so proud of them and was looking forward to cheering them on as future Bluejackets. For the last year and a half, Kathy had many happy times at her new lake home with her family. It brought her so much pleasure to watch everyone enjoying the lake. She grew up surrounded by close-knit families on both sides, and was fortunate enough to have her daughters and their families live in Hibbing and watch the grandchildren grow up the same way that she did. To quote from her own journal, “I appreciate and am in awe of every bit of the world made by God. I have a happy heart and a positive outlook on life, and no gray hair”. Her sense of humor was like none other. She will be missed terribly by her family, friends, and community.
Kathy leaves behind her husband of 40 years, Bob Nyberg, of Side Lake, MN; three loving
daughters and their families, all of Hibbing, MN: Nicole (Matt) Anderson and children Harper,
Emmitt, McGuire and Briggs; Weez (Matt) Erickson and children Teddy, Henry, Rudy and baby
on the way; Christine (Alex) Gornick and children Jett, Elvie and Pippy; adored mother Joanne Bugliosi of Hibbing, MN; sisters Jane (Jeff) Valley of Forest Lake, MN, and children Cody, Jennifer and Elizabeth; Dr. Patricia Bugliosi (Dr. Andrew Thompson) of Duluth, MN, and children Oscar, Linus and Harvey; brother-in-law Bill (Theresa) Nyberg of Oakdale, MN, and children Michelle and Bryan; loving aunts and uncle; many treasured cousins and friends; and her precious Golden Retriever, Beau. Kathy was preceded in death by her father Ramon Bugliosi; brother Michael Bugliosi; in-laws Albert and Edna Nyberg; sister-in-law Alice Nyberg; and many aunts and uncles.
On Friday, January 12th, 2024, Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 12:00 noon at Blessed
Sacrament Church in Hibbing, MN. Father Anthony Craig will officiate. Visitation will be two
hours prior to the service at the church, beginning at 10:00 am until the service begins.
Pallbearers will be her three sons-in-law Matt Anderson, Matt Erickson and Alex Gornick; two
brothers-in-law Jeff Valley and Dr. Andrew Thompson; and nephew Cody Valley.