Obit: Poncek, Mary Josephine (1926 - 2018)

Transcriber: Robert Lipprandt
bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Annala, Biermann, Bucher, Foley, Haider, Komarek, Poncek, Prisinski, Schellin

----Source: The Star News (Medford, WI) 9/17/2018

Poncek, Mary Josephine (Biermann) (20 DEC 1926 - 12 SEP2018)

Mary Josephine Poncek, 42, of Westboro, passed away Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018 at the Aspirus Medford Hospital.

A Memorial Mass was held on Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2018 at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Rib Lake. Father Otto Bucher and Deacon Mark Prisinski will officiate. Visitation was held at Good Shepherd Catholic Church from 10:00 a.m. until the time of Mass at 11:00 a.m.

Mary Jo was born Dec. 15, 1975 in Tomahawk, to Donald Wayne Jr. and Eileen Marie (Foley) Biermann. She is a 1994 graduate of Rib Lake High School. She married Thomas Poncek Sr., on Sept. 11, 1999 at St. Theresa Church in Westboro.

Mary Jo attended UW Marathon, where she played basketball. She then transferred to NTC Wausau where she graduated from the nursing program. She was a 3rd generation Registered Nurse, following in the footsteps of her grandmother, Louise Foley, and mother, Eileen Biermann. She passed on her passion of nursing to her son, Tommy, which makes them a 4th generation family of RNs. She worked at St. Josephs Hospital in Marshfield for 12 years and then went on to work at the Flambeau Hospital in Park Falls in the ER and ICU departments.

Mary Jo loved her five dogs, Lily, Duke, Jackson, Zeus and Freya. She treated each and every one of them like they were her children. She was very close with her family and cherished every moment spent with them, especially summer days swimming in her pool with everyone. She was of the Catholic Faith, and a member of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Rib Lake.

In addition to her husband, Tom, Mary Jo is further survived by her son Tommy Poncek Jr. of Westboro; mother Eileen Biermann (Verlyn Haider) of Rib Lake; sisters, Shannon (Marty) Annala of Athens, Sarah (Ray) Komarek of Ogema, nieces, Alyssa and Brianna Schellin of Ogema and Kellie Annala of Athens, nephews, Zachary and Jakob Annala of Athens, and many other extended family members including brothers and sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, cousins, and nieces and nephews in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Mary Jo is preceded in death by her father Donald, Jr., grandparents Donald (Wayne) and Sara (Sally) Biermann of Ogema, Francis and Louise Foley of Murdock, Minn., parents-in-law Joseph and Eleanor Poncek of Westboro, and several other brothers and sisters-in-law.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to her family for designation at a later date.
Hemer Funeral Service of Medford and Rib Lake has been entrusted with arrangements.

Online condolences can be left at www.hemerfuneralservice.com.