Lynn Marie Palenik

Lynn was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and grew up in Hastings, Minnesota. She attended St. Boniface Catholic School and Hastings High School. She then went on to get her teaching degree from St. Teresa’s College. She met her future groom, Charles “Chuck” Palenik, at a freshman mixer, with St Mary’s College. They married in 1970. They settled into living in Speedway, Indiana while Chuck finished graduate school at the IU School of Dentistry. They later moved to the northeast side of Indianapolis. They had a daughter, Sarah, in 1971, and a son, Steve, in 1974.

Lynn taught at numerous Indianapolis schools, some of which include Christ the King Catholic School, Crispus Attucks High School, John Marshall High School, Perry Meridian Middle School, Harshman Middle School, and as a Title One teacher in many parochial schools. Lynn obtained her master’s degree in education from IUPUI in order be classified as a Reading Specialist. She was very active at her church, St. Matthew’s Catholic Church. She served on various committees like the Haiti Committee, as a CCD teacher, as a reader, and as a money counter. She actively volunteered in many organizations, most recently in the Assistance League in the School Bell program and volunteering at North Capitol Nursing Home.

She had many interests especially reading and knitting. She knitted baby blankets and sweaters for numerous family and friends. She also often donated her knitting to those in need. Lynn and Chuck traveled extensively, visiting Mexico, Canada, the Bahamas, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, and most countries in Europe. Some of her favorite trips were to Russia, Norway, Croatia and Malta. She was a very social person with a huge heart. She had friends from all walks of life and highly enjoyed spending time with her family.

Lynn is survived by her daughter, Sarah (Freddie) Harris, and son, Steve (Mercedes) Palenik; her mother, Rosemarie (Ruhr) Sontag; her grandchildren; Eric Harris, Alexa Harris, Justin (Paloma) Walker and Alexa Davis (Sarah Kennedy); her great-grandchildren, Kerah and Avalon Walker; her siblings, Gail Jambois, Jim Sontag (Teri Witzany) and Tom (Janet) Sontag; siblings-in-law, John (Sue) Palenik and Annette Giometti; and many other beloved relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Chuck Palenik; her father, Benjamin Sontag; her sister, Carol Lindahl; her brother-in-law, Dave Jambois; her nephew, Eric Giometti and her brother-in-law, Tom Giometti.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 10 a.m. at St Matthew’s Catholic Church in Indianapolis with visitation from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. A peace meal at St. Matthew’s Church and internment at Our Lady of Peace Cemetery will follow. Memorials in Lynn’s name can be made to The Assistance League of Indianapolis.