Teresa M. Pranger

PRANGER, OTOOLE, MCDONNELL, KOSTLE, BYERS, TIMMER, RICHARD, GANNA, PLACE

Posted By: Ruth Maring- Volunteer (email)
Date: 2/10/2007 at 12:34:58

The Clinton Herald
Published: February 05, 2007 02:03 pm

Teresa M. Pranger

After a life of caring for others, Teresa M. Pranger, age 71, of Clinton, is now in the care of The Lord. Teresa died Friday, February 2, 2007 at her home. Mass of a Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 6 at Prince of Peace Parish, Sacred Heart Church. The Rev. Thom Hennen will officiate. Visitation will be from 2-7 p.m. Monday at Pape Funeral Home in Clinton, where a vigil service will be held at 2:15 p.m. Visitation also will be from 9:30-10:30 a.m. before the Tuesday service at Sacred Heart Church. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Teresa’s grandchildren.

Teresa was born on October 1, 1935 in Charlotte, Iowa, the daughter of William O. and Mary G. (O’Toole) McDonnell. She graduated from St. Mary’s High School in 1953. Teresa married David S. Pranger on July 14, 1956 in St. Mary’s Church in Clinton. David died on March 18, 2006. Teresa was a medical transcriptionist at Mercy Medical Center, retiring in 2005. She was a member of Prince of Peace Parish and the Clinton Women’s Club. Teresa enjoyed arts and crafts, stamping, sewing and visiting lighthouses.

Teresa drew joy from selfless giving. After recovering from polio as a teenager, she spent many hours caring for her brother Thomas “Pinky” McDonnell, who also was afflicted with polio. Proving polio specialists wrong, Teresa gave birth to a baby girl in 1957. That was not “a fluke” as she and David had five more children. She showered love on her husband, children, mother, brothers, sisters, other relatives and friends. Even the day before passing she was concerned about what her children preferred to eat.

Before working mothers became the norm, Teresa worked part time as a soda jerk at Elmwood Dairy and later as a bookkeeping clerk at Wagner’s Pharmacy. With her youngest child in elementary school, she began working full time. At the age of 43, she attended Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, IL. Following her keen interest in medicine, Teresa took a job at Mercy Hospital. She transcribed medical records for Mercy’s pathology department for more than 25 years.

Teresa is survived by six children: Pamela (John) Kostle of Walford, IA, Kathryn Pranger of Pilot Point, TX, William (Lori) Pranger of Clinton, Matthew (Sharon) Pranger of Friday Harbor, WA, Lois Byers of Marion, Mark (Sandy) Pranger of Des Moines; 12 grandchildren, Matthew Kostle, Jacob Timmer, Nicholas Timmer, Sarah Timmer, Christopher Pranger, Jaclyn Pranger, Rachel Richard, Brooke Richard, Shane Byers, Samantha Byers, Kaitlin Pranger and Colin Pranger; two sisters, Lois Ganna of Washington, D.C. and Mary Joan Place of Sun City, CA. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and six brothers.

October 1, 1935 - February 2, 2007