Edna May "Mert" Klawsnik, 85, a Carson City resident for the past 55 years, died Dec. 30, 2003, at Manor Care in Reno. She was born April 27, 1918, in Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada, to Robert and Rosina E. Smee Fawcett.
Before moving to Carson City, she lived in Inglewood, Calif. She and her husband, Tony, and his business partner, Eddie Brunell, opened and operated the first Dairy Queen in Carson City in August 1952. The Dairy Queen later became the Dairy Kone, which ultimately became The Penguin in 1956. The three of them also opened and operated The Hunger Hut in 1956.
After retiring, Mrs. Klawsnik and her husband loved traveling in their motorhome to most of the United States.
Among her survivors are her daughter, Linda of Long Beach, Calif.; sons Doug and Mike of Carson City; sister, Pearl Elmer of California; granddaughters Cara Lee Long of Carson City and Dana of Junction City, Ore.; six great-grandchildren; great-great-grandchild Alexia; and many nieces and nephews.
A celebration of life will be at a later date.
Cremation will be at FitzHenry's Crematory. FitzHenry's Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.