Frances Abbie Mason Penwell

Mrs. Penwell was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on September 16, 1925 to Florence Pray and Arthur H. Mason. She was married August 20, 1949 to Bruce V. Penwell, Jr. Abbie was educated at DePauw University, Greencastle, Indiana and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. She was an Alpha Phi member. She was in advertising in her younger years, and was a teacher for several years. A lifelong Episcopalian, she was a member of St Michael's Episcopal Church, Raleigh, NC. She was also a member of Alpha Phi International Sorority, The Women's Club of Raleigh, North Carolina Watercolor Society, National Museum of Women of the Arts, and Sertoma Park Artists. Over the years she did volunteer work in many organizations. Her recognized achievements include creating the historic Archives of St. Michael's Episcopal Church and proposing the idea of the Lex Mathews Scholarships Fund for Women, a mission of the Diocese of North Carolina.

Mrs. Penwell is survived by her husband Bruce V. Penwell, Jr., her son, Mark Mason Penwell and his wife Jean Ann (Heisner) Penwell, daughter, Amy Adele (Penwell) Reutlinger and her husband Jerry Reutlinger, a sister, Adele Mason Moore, sisters-in-law Janey Townsley and Carolyn Orwiler, brother-in-law Allan Penwell and a number of nieces and nephews.

The family of Mrs. Penwell thanks each of the staff of Rex Hospital in Raleigh and Hillcrest Raleigh at Crabtree Valley Rehabilitation & Healthcare, Transitions Lifecare (hospice), St. Michael's Episcopal Church of Raleigh, St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Cary for all their care, counsel and wonderful service for Mrs. Penwell and her family members during Mrs. Penwell's illness.

A celebration-of-life service will be held 2 pm Monday December 7, 2015 at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 1520 Canterbury, Raleigh, NC. There will be an hour reception at St. Michael's following the service.

Interment will be held at a later date at the Penwell Mausoleum in Pana, Illinois.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Michael's Episcopal Church, 1520 Canterbury Rd. Raleigh NC 27608 or the Lex Mathews Scholarships for Women @ Velma Bradshaw, Coordinator for LM Scholarship, 308 Cambridge Drive, Tarboro, NC 27886 (ecw-nc.org).

Arrangements are under the care of Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 300 Saint Mary’s St., Raleigh, NC 27605. www.brownwynne.com