Mary Ann (Pesch) Gardon, longtime editor and publisher of Peshtigo Times, died Monday, Feb. 1, in Peshtigo. She was 92.
A lifelong Peshtigo resident, she was born Oct. 6, 1928, to Leo J. (L.J.) and Anna M. (Smegoski) Pesch. With her father serving as owner and editor, the Times was the family business. Her brother, “Lucky Leo” Pesch, Jr., was a sports pages legend at the newspaper and is a member of the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame.
Mary Ann and Charles “Chuck” Gardon married March 31, 1951, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Peshtigo. Together they had 12 children.
Gardon started working at the Times at age nine and began helping with the bookkeeping at age 14. She continued working at the newspaper until after her 90th birthday. Following her father’s death in 1981, Gardon served as editor and publisher until her retirement.
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Visitation will be held Thursday, Feb. 11, and a funeral Mass will be held Friday, Feb. 12. Further details will be announced in Gardon’s full obituary, which will be published in the Feb. 10 edition of the Times.
