Karla Kay James-Pentland

Daughter to the late Rudolph and Julia Irene Kummer, Karla was born and raised in Bemidji, Minnesota. She married and moved to Stillwater, Minnesota with her first husband, the late William (Bill) John James, a well known teacher in Stillwater. She was a homemaker and dedicated Mother to her two surviving children Heather Maas (James) and Bill James. Married for 15 years, her first husband tragically passed away in 1981 at the young age of 38.

In 1985, Karla married to her second husband, Carl E. Pentland. For 41 years the two shared a rich life together full of laughter and love.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her half sister Lorrene Pearson.

She is survived by her brother Paul Kummer, sister Marilyn Patnode, many nieces and nephews; Heather and Bill's spouses and children; Carl's children, John Pentland, Lisa Wykert (Pentland), Marc Pentland and Lori Swerine (Pentland) along with their spouses and children.

Karla was a free spirit. Youthful, immensely creative and kind to everyone. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls majoring in both fine art and psychology. A versatile, intuitive fine artist who was driven to create. Over her lifetime, she explored many creative mediums and her work is unmistakably complex and playful, just as she was.

Celebration of Life Service will be held Friday, September 4, 2026 at 11:00 AM at Bradshaw , 2800 Curve Crest Boulevard, Stillwater, MN 55082. Family and friends are invited to join a luncheon immediately following the service.