Obit: Parkel, Mary (1911 - 2006)

Contact: Audrey Roedl

Surnames: PARKEL DEMOVSEK PODELSEK BAIRD RAUGUTH BARNES BURGESS MULLINS KASTNER ARCH SHUDA

----Sources: Tribune-Record-Gleaner, Loyal, Wisconsin, 14 June 2006

Parkel, Mary (3 DEC 1911 - 5 JUN 2006)

Mary "Mits" Parkel, 94, Plover, entered eternal life on Monday, June 5, 2006, surrounded by her family and under the care of Ministry Hospice Home care. Funeral services were held on Thursday, June 8, at St. Bronislava Catholic Church, Plover. The Rev. James Trempe officiated. Burial was held at 4 p.m. at Holy Family Parish Cemetery, Willard.

Mary Dernovsek was born Dec. 3, 1911, in Witt, Ill., to Luka and Maria (nee Podelsek) Dernosek. Her mother died when she was 2 years old and the family moved to Sheldon, where she grew up and attended Arnold State Graded School. She graduated from Chippewa Falls High School. She began teaching in a 1-room schoolhouse at LaRose Grade School in the Blue Hills area, near Holcomb. She married Frank J. Parkel on Sept. 5, 1936, in Cornell. Together they owned and operated a dairy farm in Willard until retirement in 1964. At the age of 65, she earned her degree as a nursing assistant from Eau Claire Technical College and began working at the Neillsville Nursing Home. In Willard, she was very active in the Catholic community of Holy Family Church. She taught religion education and was a member of the Council of Catholic Women (CCW). She enjoyed decorating the church, and making banners and vestments. She was a devoted member of the Slovenian choir, the Slovenian folk dancers, the Druzba (Slovenian Heritage group), and the Willard Homemakers Club. After the Parkel’s moved to Plover in 1993, she became an involved member of St. Bronislava Parish. She was a member of the Rosary Society, Bible study group, sacristan, Grief Ministry Committee, a small faith group, and often helped prepare meals for the Place of Peace. Mary devoted countless hours to help the church picnic including numbering the Tootsie Rolls for the cherry tree. Last year she totaled more than 5,000 Rolls herself. Her interests outside the community service included gardening, creative stitchery, mending and hemming, baking, reading, theater and concerts. She also had the gift of ingenuity and creativity in sewing. She enjoyed supporting her great-grandsons in their sporting events.

Survivors include her daughter, Mary Ann Baird, Plover, her son Frank (Kathy) Parkel, Stoughton; five grandchildren, Susan (Joe) Baird-Rauguth, Amherst Junction, Mary Baird-Barnes, Plover, Brad (Amy) Parkel, Verona, Lisa (Harold) Burgess, Colombia, Md., and Sara Parkel, Long Island, N.Y.; four great-grandsons, Joshua, Jacob, Jonathan, and Caulden; four sisters, Anna Wright-Mullins, Seattle, Wash., Helen Kastner, Weyerhauser, Frances Arch, Huntington Beach, Calif., and Emma Shuda, Clovis, Calif.; and two brothers, Lucas (Marion) Dernovsek, Sheldon, and Felix (Mildred) Dernovsek, Sheldon. She is also syrvived by Kris, Lisa, Logan and Megan Wimme, all of Wisconsin Rapids; her dear friend Olive Verchay, Neillsville; and many nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Frank, in 1999; her parents; her step-mother, Frances; a daughter, Judy; a granddaughter, Patricia Baird-Wimme; a great-grandson, Matthew Baird-Wimme; a son-in-law, Jerry Baird; a sister, Vera; and three brothers, Frank, Andrew, and Lawrence.

Online condolences may be sent to maryparkel@shudafuneral.com

Shuda Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.