Dorothy Panek

Dorothy A. Panek, age 93 of St. Anna, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Friday, June 28, 2024 at her home in St. Anna, Minnesota. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 3 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in St. Anna with Rev. Gregory Mastey. Interment will be at the parish cemetery. 

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and from 10 to 10:45 a.m. Wednesday at the church. Christian Mothers will pray at 4 p.m. followed by parish prayers at 6 p.m. Tuesday evening.

Dorothy Anna Panek was born December 31, 1930 in Avon Township, Stearns County, Minnesota to Anton and Bernice (Kozulla) Woitalla. She worked at the country school in St. Anna. On June 27, 1950 she was united in marriage to Alois Panek at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in St. Anna. The couple resided in Avon Township all their lives. Dorothy worked at the Landing as a cook. 

She was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church and the Christian Mothers. Dorothy enjoyed gardening, embroidering, cooking, and baking homemade bread and donuts. She always made fried chicken on Tuesdays for supper and Sundays for dinner. She enjoyed listening to KASM Radio, dancing to Old Tyme Music, and playing Bingo.

Survivors include her children, Rita (David) Auer of St. Anna, Carol Pannek of St. Anna, Yvonne Panek of St. Anna, and Ken Panek of Avon; seven grandchildren, Ervin, Annette, Greg, Marilyn, Stephen, Gary, and Anna; five great grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; two step grandchildren; and sisters, Bernadette Larkey of St. Anna and Hilda Kociemba of St. Anna. 

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Alois Panek on August 1, 1999; parents; daughter-in-law, Mary Rose Panek on April 26, 2016; and brothers-in-law, Lee Larkey and Alois Kociemba.