Penner, Luella Esther Tieszen (1923-2009)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2009 Mar 16 p. 8

Birth date: 1923 Jan 12

text of obituary:

LUELLA E. PENNER

Luella Esther Penner, 86, of Freeman, S.D., died Feb. 28, 2009. She was born Jan. 12, 1923 to Dr. Henry P. and Aganetha (Ewert) Tieszen on a farm west of Marion.

She graduated from Marion High School in 1941 and Freeman Junior College in 1943. She continued at Bethel Deaconess Hospital School of Nursing, Newton, Kan., earning a Registered Nurse degree in 1946.

Occupationally, she spent her entire life as a medical record librarian. She was employed in Kansas and Wisconsin hospitals and worked at regional nursing homes as a self-employed consultant. She retired in 1988. She had been a member of the American Association of Medical Record Librarians, as well as the Wisconsin Association of Medical Record Librarians. She served as president of the latter association.

She married Randy Penner on Dec. 29, 1946, at Bethesda Mennonite Church of rural Marion. They first lived in Kansas, then moved to Hudson, Wis., in 1953. In 1999 they bought a home near Freeman to be nearer her nieces. Randy died on Christmas Eve in 2002, so she moved to Salem Mennonite Home in Freeman in April 2003.

Her vocation related to medicine, but her avocation related to food: cooking, trying new recipes and entertaining. Other hobbies she enjoyed were bird-watching, letter writing, embroidery and knitting.

She was raised in a conservative Mennonite home and was baptized as a teenager. They were members of First Presbyterian Church in Hudson, Wis., then House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, Minn. She became a member of Salem Mennonite Church of Freeman in 2004.

Survivors include seven nieces and nephews: Florence Miller of Freeman; Joanne Hamre of Baltic; Elaine Doell of Elfrida, Ariz.; Judy Glanzer of Bridgewater; LeRoy Tschetter of Chattanooga, Tenn.; Charles Tschetter of Mentor, Ohio; and John Tschetter of Wichita, Kan.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Randy; two siblings in infancy, Albert and Nettie; and three sisters, Ida Rose Hofer, Arpa Tschetter and Johanna Hofer.