Mary Pfingsten

Mary Lou Pfingsten, 83, of Brainerd, passed away at Good Samaritan Village – Woodland Campus on Tuesday, June 27, 2017. Services for Mary Lou will be held at 11:00 AM, Friday, June 30 at Brenny Funeral Chapel in Baxter. Family and friends are invited to gather for one hour prior to services as well as stay for a luncheon to follow at Brenny Funeral Chapel Reception Room. She will be interred at Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Pfingsten, MN.

Born December 17, 1933 in Northfield, MN, Mary Lou was the daughter of Heinrich and Luella (Miller) Woyke. As a young girl she moved with her family to Minneapolis where she attended school and graduated from Vocational High School. She continued her education and earned her LPN Degree, a profession she loved and made her career for 45 years.

In 1956, she married Loren Pfingsten at Faith Baptist Church in Minneapolis, the same church she had been baptized at as a young girl. She was so proud of her family and enjoyed spending time with them – especially the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mary Lou was a loving spitfire and her pioneering spirit helped organize a Red Hat Ladies group and many events at The Center (formerly, Brainerd Lakes Area Senior Center), including the painting class she taught. She was also instrumental in the formation and success of the Rogers/Hassan Senior Center near Rogers, MN when she moved there to be near her daughters.

Mary Lou liked to travel, camp, sew and cook, but above all, she loved. And her family will miss her.

She is survived by her children, Thomas (Beth) Pfingsten, of Brainerd, Timothy (JoAnne) Pfingsten, of Burnsville, and Theresa Pfingsten, of Rogers; daughter-in-law, Patricia Pfingsten; sister, Patricia (Henry) Lang, of Peoria, IL; grandchildren, Jolene (Greg) Parks, Sarah (Wade) Petersen, Christine Criddle, Carla (Brad) Pfingsten, Kelsie (Kyle) Wix, Amanda (Calvin) Smith, Martin Bennett, Hannah Pfingsten, and Niccole Bishir; and great-grandchildren, Addison, McKenna, Isaak, Charlie, Silas, Beau, Henry, and Emily. She was preceded in death by her husband; daughter, Twila Bennett; son, Terrill Pfingsten; grandson, Jacob Pfingsten; and great-grandson, Mac Parks.