Good Neighbor award goes to Diana Pankonin

Diana Pankonin has been selected as the recipient of the good neighbor award for 2021.

Pankonin was born in Grant and graduated from Perkins County High School. 

She left the area when she headed to college.

She got married and moved to Wyoming, where she was heavily involved in foster care.

“We went from two kids to being licensed for 25, and we had a home-based foster care institution,” she said. 

“I had grand fun.”

They had 287 foster children come through their home, some whom they raised to adulthood and some that only stayed for a few days, Pankonin noted.

At Wind River Indian Reservation, she became very involved in the foster parent association, and even became president of the Wyoming foster parent association for several years.

When her parents retired, Pankonin returned to Nebraska, remarried, and raised four biological children, three step-children, and three adopted kids.

Since returning to the area, she has since been involved with the food pantry.

“That was back in the days when it was in the parts bins at Rex Burge’s body shop behind Poppe’s Posies,” she added.

She got so involved, she added, because all of the ministers had left around the same time, so the ministerial association was in need of help. 

She has been the community liaison ever since.

Pankonin said she now has the help of several people, making the job a lot easier than it used to be.

She has also been working with the food box distribution program, which she said started as a very small program and now they’re feeding around 450 family units per month.

She loves quilting, and belongs to the Quilt Guild, where she said she learns something new every time they meet.

Pankonin, who will be turning 77 this summer, has 10 kids, 22 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren and she is sure to make quilted baby blankets for all of them.

She is honored for being named Good Neighbor, as she feels there are so many people who also deserve the recognition.

For being selected Good Neighbor, Pankonin will receive a plaque and will ride in front of the Perkins County Fair Parade Saturday, July 24.