Mary R. Panek, 49, Avon

July 27, 1966 - April 26, 2016

Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday, April 29, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in St. Joseph for Mary R. Panek, age 49 of Avon who passed away on Tuesday, April 26, 2016. Reverend Jerome Tupa, OSB will officiate. Burial will take place in the parish cemetery.

Family and friends may call from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Thursday (TODAY) and after 9:30 a.m. on Friday at the St. Joseph’s parish center Heritage Hall. Parish prayers will be at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday (TODAY) at the Heritage Hall in St. Joseph. Arrangements were made by the Daniel Funeral Home, St. Joseph.
Mary was born July 27, 1966 in St. Cloud, Minnesota to Raymond and Rita (Theis) Schmitz. She graduated from St. Cloud Apollo High School in 1984 and the St. Cloud Vocational Technical College in 1985. Mary was employed by Polar Tank Trailer in Opole for nearly 30 years. She married Kenneth J. Panek on November 4, 1989 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in St. Joseph. They made their home in Avon. Their union was blessed with one daughter, Anna.

Mary treasured spending time with family and friends. She enjoyed helping people by painting, cleaning and keeping things orderly. She enjoyed scrapbooking family memories and helping her daughter, Anna, with school work.

Mary is survived by her husband, Ken; daughter, Anna; siblings, Martha of Waite Park, Marvin (Kim) of St. Joseph, Marlene of St. Joseph, Marcia (Ernest) Malisheske of St. Joseph, Mark (Lisa) of St. Joseph, and Myra (Wayne) Hansen of St. Cloud; mother-in-law, Dorothy Panek; sisters-in-law, Rita (David) Auer, Carol Pannek and Yvonne Panek all of St. Anna; and many nieces and nephews.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents and her father-in-law, Alois Panek.