Esther E. Pannkuk

MASON CITY Esther E. Pannkuk, age 93, of Mason City, died Sunday, June 7, 2009, at the Good Shepherd Health Center in Mason City. Funeral services will be held 10:30 A.M. Friday (June 12, 2009) at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 419 North Delaware with the Rev. Mark Lavrenz officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be held 5:00 to 7:00 PM Thursday (June 11, 2009) at the Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Ave and also one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday. Memorials may be directed to the Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
Esther E. Pannkuk was born December 30, 1915 in Garner, the daughter of Carl and Mathilda (Wrede) Woiwod. She was baptized February 6, 1916 and was confirmed May 19, 1929 in St. Johns Lutheran Church. She attended and graduated from Garner schools and then attended La James Beauty School graduating in 1937. She was married to Ben Pannkuk on September 14, 1941 at St. Pauls Lutheran Church in Garner. Esther was a beautician and worked for a few shops until starting a shop in her home where she worked for 12 years.
Family was her top priority and she enjoyed caring and spending time with them. Esther enjoyed cooking, baking, gardening and socializing with friends. She was an active member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, where she served as a choir mother, and a member of several circles, the Altar guild, and the Christian Women
She is survived by her two children, Paul Pannkuk of New York City and Janice McGuire and husband Ignatius of Wheaton, IL; two grandchildren, Ryan and Kevin McGuire; sister, Vera Weiss of Mason City; brother, Orville Woiwod and wife Jackie of Dewey, AZ; several cousins, three nieces, seven nephews and great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Ben in 1988; brother, Marvin Woiwod.