Gertrude Mae Panknen, 14 Nov 1910 – 17 Aug 2010

PANKNEN, AHLGREN, KOPPENEN, NESHEIM, LEAMON, REID

Posted By: Sandy Ficken-whc (email)
Date: 10/14/2010 at 14:47:17

Memorial services for Gertrude M. Panknen, 99, Gainesville, Fla., were held at 11 a.m. Sept. 3 at First Lutheran Church, Gainesville. She died Aug. 17, 2010, in Florida.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Oct. 26 at the Marengo Cemetery.

Kloster Funeral Home, Marengo, is in charge of local arrangements.

Gertrude Mae Panknen was born Nov. 14, 1910, in Virginia, Minn., the second of 10 children born to Herman and Olga Koppenen Ahlgren. In 1935, she moved to Chicago, Ill. She worked as a professional waitress at several of Chicago’s business and country clubs, where she served the business and political elite of Chicago.

She married Robert E. Panknen, formerly of Marengo, June 12, 1940. In 1982, the couple moved to Stillwater, Okla., where her daughter and family were living. In 1987, she moved with her daughter and son-in-law to Gainesville, Fla.

She was a member of First Lutheran Church, Gainesville. She enjoyed entertaining and took great pride in setting a beautiful table. She was an accomplished seamstress.

Panknen is survived by one daughter, June Nesheim; one son-in-law, O. Norman Nesheim; grandchildren, Ellen (Scott) Leamon, Hixson, Tenn.; Jeffrey (Dawn) Nesheim, Littleton, Colo., and Kristen (Peter) Reid, Goffstown, N.H.; eight great-grandchildren and one brother, Clifford Ahlgren, Sun City West, Ariz.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, four sisters and four brothers.

Williamsburg Journal Tribune, Williamsburg, IA, 14 Oct 2010, pg 11