Service Information
Eileen Ann Pulkrabek, age 83, wife of Ron, of Glencoe, Minnesota, passed away Monday, November 14, 2022, at GlenFields Living With Care in Glencoe, Minnesota.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, November 19, 2022, 12:00 P.M., at the Church of St. Pius X in Glencoe, Minnesota, with interment at a later date at the Glencoe Catholic Cemetery.
Gathering of Family & Friends will be held Saturday, November 19, 2022, from 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M, two hours prior to the service at the church.
Obituary
Eileen Ann (Urban) Pulkrabek was born to Rudolf and Myrtle (Ardolf) Urban on February 12, 1939, in Glencoe, MN. She was baptized on February 21, 1939, and later confirmed in her faith on May 30, 1947, at St. Joseph Church in Silver Lake, MN. She attended Silver Lake High School and graduated in 1956.
She met the love of her life, Ron, at a Silver Lake basketball game in high school. They were united in marriage on June 9th, 1959 in Silver Lake. They celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary at the Pla-Mor Ballroom with over 400 guests. The Wally Pikal Polka Band played on both occasions. They were happily married for 63 years and were blessed with two daughters, Rhonda and Rachelle.
Throughout her life, Eileen worked for Greyhound Bus Line, Green Giant and 3M for 13 years. She would give gifts of tape, notepads, and office supplies to friends and family for years to come.
Eileen and Ron’s traveling adventures took them to 42 states and 20+ countries. They traveled to Australia four times to visit her brother, visited Europe 20 times, and toured Russia, China, and Mexico. They always enjoyed trips to Czechoslovakia where they found the villages and relatives of their ancestors, the Urbans, Anderles, Ardolfs, Pulkrabeks, and Splichals.
Eileen took pride in having an immaculate yard and garden at her farmhouse. From her lush garden, she turned grapes into jam, cucumbers into pickles, and cabbage into sauerkraut. She enjoyed tending to her sprawling flower gardens and raspberry patch. She kept her yard perfectly manicured for 56 years. She wore out 6 riding lawnmowers and ten push mowers, never letting a single weed sneak its way through.
Eileen and Ron were always on the move. Their favorite thing to do together was dance. They went Polka dancing most weekends and when they weren’t dancing, they were listening to Polka music at home or watching Mollie B Polka Party on TV. Her calendar was always jam-packed as she also loved to bowl, bake, attend town festivals, volunteer at church with the CCW, throw parties, and shop. She always found the best deals!
Eileen cherished spending time with her daughters and three granddaughters, taking them on trips to DisneyWorld, Wisconsin Dells, South Dakota, and Branson, MO. She also loved hosting her grandchildren for sleepovers at the farm. She was incredibly proud of her granddaughters and never missed an occasion to celebrate them. Dr. Lindsay Penzel is a Pediatric Physician in Long Island, NY, and married Dr. Harry He in 2021. Taylor Penzel is in her fourth year of medical school in Philadelphia, PA. Jenna Zellmann is a User Experience designer at U.S. Bank and lives in Des Moines, IA.
Eileen passed away on Monday, November 14, 2022, at GlenFields Living with Care in Glencoe, MN, at the age of 83 years. Blessed be her memory.
Eileen is survived by her:
Husband, Ron Pulkrabek of Glencoe, MN;
Children, Rhonda (Rolf) Penzel of Carver, MN; Rachelle (Grant) Zellmann of Norwood, MN;
3 Granddaughters, Dr. Lindsay (Dr. Harry) He, Taylor Penzel, and Jenna Zellmann;
Sister, Marilyn (Bob) Schuette, of Glencoe, MN;
Brother, Ronald (Marilyn) Urban of New South Wales, Australia;
Sister-in-law, Evon (Pulkrabek) Anderson of Lakeville, MN;
Many nieces, nephews, and relatives.
Eileen was preceded in death by her parents, Rudolf and Myrtle (Ardolf) Urban; parents-in-law, Ted and Libby (Splichal) Pulkrabek; Brother-in-law, Terry Pulkrabek.
Mary Sellnow says
Ron & family,
Sorry to hear about Eileen. Send prayers and sympathy.
Sylvia Bunke says
Ron and family,
Sorry to hear of Eileen passing. You have my sympathy.
Tony Kadlec says
Dear Ron:
Peace and comfort to you and your family
The Kadlec Family
David & Karen Osmek says
Ron & Family
We were so very sorry to hear of Eileen’s passing. Prayers to you and your family.
David, Karen & Kyle
Donna (Ondracek) Engelen says
My sympathies Ron and family.
marjorie hemmann says
Ron and family: So sorry to hear of Eileen’s passing….what a great woman and always so friendly. Loved to see her dancing and enjoying life.
Evon Anderson says
Eileen was my dear sister-in-law for 63 years.
Here are some of the things I loved about her: She married my brother; She always took care of her family first; She was a strong and courageous woman and went after what she wanted; She always dressed to the “nines”; She loved an ice-cold beer anytime, anywhere; She had the best mowed lawn in McLeod County. She never forgot my birthday; She laughed at my jokes; She always loved a good polka; She always dressed for Halloween with the best costumes; She raised a husband and two wonderful daughters.
I will miss her dearly,
Larry+and+Kay+Husfeldt says
Our memories of Eileen, with her beloved husband, Ron, began with the common thread, 3M company, and the social functions they sponsored. We shared 3M picnics and steak fries for many years, meeting for fellowship and laughter with Ron’s continuous humor. In 1995, Kay surprised Larry for his 57th Birthday with a party at the Pulkrabek’s barn on their farm site. Eileen and Ron opened their barn and their hearts to celebrate with drinks, laughter, and old time dancing. Eileen loved old time music, she loved her weed free garden, and she loved riding her Snapper lawn mower. She was specific about the steering device on her Snapper mower! She loved to shop and she confided she bought clothes a size smaller to encourage her to loose weight. We both laughed at her secret. She will be missed very much, not only because Ron will be without her, but because she was a lovely lady who had a great pride about her life accomplishments. She was unselfish in her social volunteerism, and she had an infectious laugh.
We offer her family our sympathy and support in this time of their grief at her passing. God Bless Eileen, Ron and her beautiful family.
Larry and Kay Husfeldt
Diane and Franklin Vorlicek says
The world has lost a lady who was very dear to our family. She was a gem of a cousin to Maggie, Kathy, Roy and me. In good times and bad she and Ronnie would always send a card to let us know that they were thinking and praying for us. —She was a superior cook. At family gatherings, she would cook some delicious dishes, Her Czech kolaches and kobliki (sp) were great! At the last gathering, she brought a white cake with peanut butter frosting. This was a recipe that she had gotten from Grandma T,MMMMMMMMMMM!——She and I had many conversations about our flowers. They were almost human to us! And man could she swing out on the dance floor! Their trips–especially the trips too the native land were so very interesting to hear about, —-,”God be with you till we meet again.” “May the angels lead you into paradise….” Rest in peace cousin! Blessed be her memory!
Leroy and Darlene Karg says
Ron and family, we send our sincere sympathy at this very sad time. Loved watching the 2 of you dance in your matching outfits. Eileen had that infectious laugh that made people around her happy. She will be missed. May God give you peace and comfort during the coming days