Obituaries

Mary Pudenz, age 72, of Carroll, died Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at her home in rural Carroll surrounded by her family.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 14, 2011 at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Mt. Carmel. The Celebrant will be Fr. Joe Dillinger, assisted by Deacon Gary Schon. Con-Celebrant will be Fr. Michael McCabe. Mass Servers will be Miriah Masching and Megan Pudenz. Music will be by Denise Nieland and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Choir. Soloist will be Marty Tigges. Lectors for the funeral mass will be Mary’s granddaughters: Katie Toms and Leah DeFreece. Gift Bearers will be Mary’s grandchildren: Carter Pudenz, Colby Pudenz, Mariah Clausen, and Rebekah Pudenz. Eucharistic Minister will be Mary’s brother, Don Masching. Casket Bearers will be Mary’s grandsons: Jeremy Behrens, Tyler Behrens, Mark Toms, Sam Pudenz, Joel Pudenz, Christopher Pudenz, Frank Tigges, Nick Tigges, Jackson Tigges, Jameson DeFreece, and Jacob Schultes. Burial will be at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Mt. Carmel.
Friends may call at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll after 2:30 p.m., Friday where there will be a rosary at 3 p.m. by the Mt. Carmel Altar Society and a Christian Wake Service at 6:30 p.m.
Born on February 14, 1939 in Carroll, Iowa, Mary was the daughter of Clarence and Catherine (Gehling) Masching. She spent her entire lifetime in the Carroll area and attended Sts. Peter and Paul School, St. Angela Academy, and Kuemper High School, graduating with the class of 1957. Following her formal education Mary worked at the Clerk’s office in Carroll. On August 22, 1959, she married Jim Pudenz at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Carroll. Jim and Mary made their home on the Pudenz home place north of Carroll. Mary’s life was devoted as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and sister. In August of 2009 Jim and Mary celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. Mary enjoyed watching Iowa State basketball, watching game shows and also following the St. Louis Cardinals. For nearly fifty years she was active in a monthly Pinnacle Card Club and was an avid card player. In the summer months she enjoyed spending time with her family at Lake Okoboji. Mary was devoted to her faith, and was active in the Mt. Carmel Parish throughout the years with the Parish Choir and Altar Society.
Survivors include her husband Jim Pudenz of Carroll; her children: Cheryl Onken and her husband Tracy of Carroll, Doug Pudenz and his wife DeAnn of Carroll, Joni Tigges and her husband Greg of DeWitt, Kay DeFreece and her husband Dan of Nebraska, City, NE, Greg Pudenz and his wife Daphne of Carroll, Curt Pudenz and his wife Jill of Carroll, Renee Coughlin and her husband Matt of Council Bluffs, and Jay Pudenz and his wife Elizabeth of Chicago, IL; 26 grandchildren; 1 great-granddaughter; her sisters: Evie (Donald) Wieland of Carroll, Rainy (Paul) Wieland of Carroll, Edna (Orville) Ludwig of Carroll, Lois (Chuck) Neumayer of Rancho Murieta, CA; her brothers: Don (Barb) Masching of Breda, and Jim (Joyce) Masching of Carroll; brothers in-law and sisters in-law: Leo Schon of Carroll, Betty Masching of Carroll, Julitta O’Tool of Lake City, Wilma Boes of Breda, Edna Knobbe of Rose Creek, MN, Rita (John) Hoebing of Columbus, NE, Edwin (Leota) Pudenz of Carroll, Richard (Bea) Pudenz of Carroll, Clarice Pudenz of Carroll, Jean Pudenz of Carroll, and Bernice Pudenz of Carroll; as well as many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Rosemary Schon, and a sister in infancy Leona Masching; her brothers: Louis Masching and Edwin Masching, and a brother in infancy, Robert Masching.