Cynthia "Cindy" Ann Pfannebecker

CYNTHIA “CINDY” ANN PFANNEBECKER, age 74 of Waseca, died peacefully at her home on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

Cindy was born in Minneapolis on March 8, 1951. When she was three years old, she was adopted by John and Erma Peterson. She went to school in Pipestone before attending college in Winona, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She began her teaching career in an elementary classroom in Albia, Iowa and later went on to teach adults with developmental disabilities in Hampton, Iowa as well as other communities. She was married to Richard Rupprecht and together they had one daughter, Kelli, before later divorcing. Cindy was remarried to Paul Pfannebecker on November 17, 1989. She held several jobs during her years in Waseca including substitute teaching, working with Elm Homes, and was the Program Coordinator for Jobs Plus for many years.

Cindy treasured her memories of roller skating and lifeguarding as a teenager, as well as visiting her family cabin at Lake Shetek State Park. Her family remembers that Cindy could find beauty in the simplest things. She loved antiquing, thrifting, and frequenting garage sales around the area. She was also incredibly organized - she enjoyed the process of thinking through and planning just about anything. She was never afraid to put in the hard work to get things done. She was Stephen King’s biggest fan and had collected every one of his hardcover books over the years. She and Paul also loved to travel to Mexico with their close friends, George and Terri Bell, and had visited sixteen times at their last count.

Cindy is survived by her husband, Paul of Waseca; her daughter, Kelli Rupprecht of Madison Lake; stepchildren, Audra (Jay) Connell of Eau Claire, WI, Maxwell Pfannebecker (Patti McGrath) of Williamsburg, VA, Paul Michael Pfannebecker (Kaci Brewer) of Iowa City, IA, and Danielle (Phil) Williams of Newton, IA; daughter-in-law Laurisa Pfannebecker of Superior, WI; twelve grandchildren; and a beloved cat, Jax. She was preceded in death by both of her parents, her brother Michael Peterson, stepson Alex Pfannebecker, and cat Missy.

A public visitation will be held from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, 2026, at the Third Street Chapel of Dennis-Steffel-Omtvedt Funeral and Cremation Service in Waseca and will end with a 3:00 p.m. closing service.