Florine (Wilde) Pankonien

Florine Marie (Wilde) Pankonien was born August 26, 1936 to Anton and Clara (Rabroker) Wilde in Westphalia TX. She spent her childhood helping on the family farm and attended Westphalia Elementary School being taught by nuns and graduated from Lott High in 1956. Her father’s family was part of the Buxkemper-Hoelscher family reunion and her mother’s ancestors helped established the Church of the Visitation of Westphalia Tx.

On June 2, 1956, she married Bennie Pankonien from Otto, Tx. They settled in the Riesel Tx area and raised 6 children, farming and ranching for the rest of their lives. Florine had a passion for gardening and canning. Every year she had a big vegetable garden to feed her family and kept up this tradition until her health declined. She was always busy taking care of something, if not her kids/family, it was her cats, dogs and many farm animals. She learned how to drive tractors and helped with the mowing, raking, baling hay and plowing other crops. She milked cows and goats for her family. She loved her country life and never entertained the idea of living in town.

After her children were grown, she went to work at M&M Mars retiring from there. For years, she volunteered at the Riesel Fair in the hamburger stand. She loved attending her grandkids ball games and cooking for all the holidays especially the family Christmas parties which she always hosted until COVID changed things. A young granddaughter still mentions the Christmas parties and all the fun they had playing with cousins and eating all the good food especially the German noodles Florine always made for them.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, 2 brothers (James and Eugene Wilde), her only sister, Rosalie Boyd and her husband Jack.

She is survived by her children. Sons: Billy (Marta), Charles, Marvin (Kelly), and Gene (Nanette).

Daughters: Mary Ann Cannon and Diann Smothers (Tom). Grandchildren: Travis Cannon, Becky Pankonien, Tori Pankonien, Matt Pankonien, Taylor Pankonien, Jamie Pankonien, Brandy Pankonien, Curtis Pankonien, Brandon Pankonien, Blaike Pankonien (Bailey), Emmali Stripling (Neil), Olivia Pankonien, and Christa McAlexander (Gerald). Great-Grand Children: Meagan, Jackson & Kailey Cannon, Zane Dillon, Adeline Ramirez, Gatlin Pankonien, Krista Moreland (Zach), Madison Benn (Justin), Christian, Briton, Chance, Broden, Chase and Mila McAlexander, and Xavier Judy. Great-Great-Grandchildren: Elana and Hailey Benn and Barrett Moreland. Brothers: Andrew Wilde (Jeannie) and Clarence Wilde. Sisters-in-law: Naomi Wilde, Ida Luedke, Ella Mae Neumann, and Helen Guinn.

Brothers-in-law: R.D. Pankonien and James Pankonien. And numerous nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Travis Cannon, Taylor Pankonien, Brandon Pankonien, Matt Pankonien, Larry Boyd and Lonnie Boyd. Honorary pallbearers are Zane Dillon, Jackson Cannon and Curtis Pankonien.

Florine will be greatly missed by her family.