PHILADELPHIA - Mass of Christian Burial for Lois A. Semanko, 84, of Philadelphia, Pa., formerly of Trimont, will be 10:30 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9, 2009, at St. Luke's Catholic Church in Sherburn, with Father Peter Schuster as Celebrant. Burial will be in St. Luke's Catholic Cemetery in Sherburn with full military honors by the Foster-Bernhardt American Legion Post #373, Thomas P. Saxton American Legion Post #356 and the Sherburn Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #8261.
Lois died Saturday morning, Oct. 31, 2009, at Penn Hospice at Rittenhouse in Philadelphia, Pa. Visitation will be one hour prior to the services at St. Luke's Catholic Church in the Parish Center.
Messages of sympathy may be sent to the family online at www.kramerfuneralhome.com
Lois Ann Semanko was born on March 7, 1925, to John and Myrtle (Anderson) Semanko in Mankato, Minn. The family moved to Monterey and Lois attended Triumph-Monterey Public School where she enthusiastically engaged in academics, band, and class plays. After graduating high school in 1943, she attended the University of Minnesota for a time before enlisting in the U.S. Navy, serving at a naval hospital in Philadelphia until the war ended. Lois returned to Minnesota, attended Mankato Teachers College, taught at a local country school for a year, then returned to Philadelphia where she worked and lived the remainder of her life. Though Lois took classes at a variety of technical schools and colleges over the years, she was determined to earn a degree, so she began attending the University of Pennsylvania on a part-time basis and finally, after several years, received her BA, a deeply satisfying accomplishment. Lois lived in a 1,000-unit apartment building where she was very active in arranging outings and parties, teaching art classes, calling bingo games, and serving on the board of directors. She took time to maintain many long-term friendships and was long active in a little theater group. Lois loved to travel. Each summer, she went to visit one or more siblings as they moved around the country, or flew to Europe, Russia, Mexico, Hawaii, or Las Vegas. Lois really enjoyed Las Vegas, where she usually won big at video poker. Still, she never forgot Trimont, returning often to visit family and friends.
Survivors include her sisters, Marilyn Schurtz and Cynthia (Ted) Simon both of Holly, Colo.; brothers, Charles (Jane) Semanko of Coon Rapids, Minn., James (Harriet) Semanko of Farmington, Minn., and Bernard (Diane) Semanko of Trimont, Minn.; numerous nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews and friends.
Lois was preceded in death by her parents.