Florence Margaret Pocta

Florence was born to Adolph and Rose (Basta) Pavek on a farm east of Beroun. She attended Shady Oak School District #25. On August 25, 1938, she married William (Bill) Pocta at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Beroun, MN. They were married for 66 years. Together they farmed on the land purchased from William’s parents. In 1969 she and Bill built a house in Pine City and lived there through their retirement years. While on the farm or in the city, Florence loved gardening, both vegetables and flowers. She canned and froze many quarts of vegetables, fruits and meats. Both she and Bill enjoyed picking wild blueberries. They also joined friends and neighbors for lots of card games. In the winter, Florence usually could be found doing a variety of craft work, such as crocheting and embroidering. She will be remembered for making quilts, which she enjoyed giving to her children and grandchildren. Florence was a great collector of buttons, stamps, spoons, dolls and teddy bears. She also made scrapbooks of newspaper articles and recipes, as well as embroidering pillow cases and dish towels, which she shared with her family. Florence spent considerable time in the kitchen baking cookies for everyone. This included Czech delicacies such as kolache, rohliky, strudel and more. She was preceded in death by her husband, William and brother Leonard Pavek. Florence died March 3, 2011, at the Lakesdie Medical Center in Pine City, MN at the age of 92 years. She is survived by her sons Roger (Sue) of Maple Grove, MN; Duane (Carol) of Underwood, MN; Myron of Woodbury, MN; 8 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; sister Mildred Zemek of New Brighton, MN; and sister-in-law Sr. Lea Pocta of Duluth, MN. Memorials are preferred to the St. Scholastica Priory in Duluth, MN. Father Michael Sullivan and Deacon Gene Biever will celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial; 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 1, 2011 at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Pine City. A time of visitation and reviewal is planned for one hour prior to the service in the St. Anthony Commons area at Immaculate Conception Church. Music will be provided by Paul and Tina Bacagalupi. The interment will be in Calvary Cemetey of Pine City with acting casket bearers: JJ Bartels, Hector Peloquin, Darcy Pocta, Chris Pocta, Galen Pocta and Nate Koepsell. Honorary casket bearers include Janet Bartels, Jessa Peloquin, Leslie Pocta, Beth Pocta, David Pocta, Krista Pocta, Antonia Pocta, Julie Koepsell, Stacy Oberg and Neal Oberg.