Patricia A Slaback

Patricia “Pat” Slaback-Hengst, 79 of Onalaska passed away peacefully at home with her children by her side on Wednesday, August 29, 2018 after battling pancreatic cancer for more than a year.

She was born in Racine, WI on March 6, 1939 to Arthur and Josephine James. She graduated from Park High School in Racine and one year later married Fred A. Hengst, also of Racine. They raised three children; son Fred (Peggy) Hengst of La Crosse, son Andy (Geri) Hengst of La Crosse and daughter Kathy (David) Wedlake of Charleston, SC.

In September of 1982 husband Fred passed away suddenly. She remarried Robert Slaback in 1989 and they enjoyed 19 years of marriage until his passing in August of 2009.

The family moved from Racine to the La Crosse area in 1974. She then went to work at St. Francis Hospital for 27 years until her retirement. She was known as a busy energetic lady whose faith, family and friends meant a lot to her. She enjoyed reading, gardening, morning walks and going out to eat with family and friends.

Pat is survived by the three children previously mentioned; three granddaughters, Ashley, Abby and Molly Wedlake and a great-granddaughter, Aubrey Brit all of Charleston, SC; she is further survived by life-long friends, Bruce and Dana Blatti, Lois Hanson, Sharon Schafer and Joyce Kammel. She was preceded in death by husband, Fred A. Hengst; grandson, Neil P. Hengst; husband, Robert Slaback; sister, Betty Miskinis; mother, Josephine Tennyck and step-father, Peter Tennyck.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 A.M. Friday, September 7 ^th at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Onalaska with Msgr. Steven Kachel officiating. Burial will follow in Crucifixion Cemetery, La Crescent, MN. Visitation will be held at the church on Friday from 9:30 A.M. until the time of Mass. In leu of flowers memorials are preferred to the La Crosse Chapter of the Red Cross Blood Drive or Gundersen Medical Foundation for Cancer Research.