Therese Ocepek

Memorial mass for Therese Loretta Ocepek, 88, of Gilbert will be 10 am Saturday, July 1, 2017 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Gilbert with Fr. Charles Flynn celebrating. Visitation will be one hour prior to the mass at the church. Inurnment will be in the Gilbert Cemetery. Arrangements are by the Ziemer-Moeglein-Shatava Funeral Home in Gilbert. Therese died Thursday, June 15, 2017 at Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth. She was born on October 4, 1928 to Patrick and Margaret (McLaughlin) Hogan in Gilbert. She grew up in Gilbert and attended Gilbert High School, graduating from the class of 1946. Following school, she moved to St. Paul where she had worked for Brown and Bigelow Publishing Company. Therese returned to Gilbert and on July 21, 1951 was united in marriage to Herbert Ocepek at the original St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. The couple made their home in Gilbert. Therese had been employed by the Cluett Peabody Shirt Factory until its closure. She returned to school at Eveleth Vocational College to pursue a clerical degree. Therese had been employed by Northern Electric Cooperative Association, AEOA, and St. Louis County from where she retired in 1990. She was a member of the St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Gilbert and the Gilbert VFW Ladies Auxiliary. Therese enjoyed gardening, maintaining her yard, and taking trips to the casino. She took great pleasure in spending time with her family and friends, especially being “Grammy” to grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She will be remembered for her love of animals, her lovely smile, and her kindness to all. Survivors include her four children: Herb Ocepek, Mary Olsen, Diane Ocepek all of Gilbert and Kathy (Gary) Salo of New York Mills; four grandchildren: Katie (Dan) Mastel of Fargo, Jill (Blaine Davis) Salo of New York Mills, Ben Salo of New England, ND, and Abby Salo of Grand Forks, ND; five great-grandchildren: Jackson, Cohen, and Natalie Mastel and Braysen and Aevyn Salo; as well as numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Herbert; great-granddaughter, Vayda Salo; siblings: Genevieve Donch, Patrick Hogan, Marion Bettendorf, Margaret Gilliam, Kathleen Magyar, and Donald Hogan; and her parents.