Dawn M. Wendel, age 59, St. Marys

Dawn M. Wendel, age 59, of Chestnut Street, St. Marys, PA, died unexpectedly on August 3, 2026 at Penn Highlands-DuBois. A daughter of the late Gail W. “Scat” and Lola (Wilson) Krieg, she was born on January 14, 1967 in St. Marys, PA.

Dawn is survived by her husband, Timothy A. Wendel of St. Marys; five children, Sheena (Jeremy Dwight) Wendel of Ridgway, Ti Wendel of St. Marys, Takira (Philippe Sayers) Wendel of Dagus Mines, Jarren Wendel of St. Marys and Timothy Wendel of St. Marys; eleven grandchildren; a brother, John C. Grabofski of Erie; two sisters, Tempest (Mike) Kellerman of Reynoldsville and Kandy Gnan of Ridgway; and devoted much of her time to her longtime companion, Mark Blair.

Besides her parents, Dawn was predeceased by two brothers, Brent Krieg and Gail W. Krieg, Jr.; one grandchild, Layla Anderson; two nephews, Brent Krieg, Jr. and Cory Gnan; a niece, Sheraya Gnan; and her lifelong best friend, Eileen Mecca.

She was a lifelong resident of the area and a graduate of St. Marys High School Class of 1985. She worked at Buehler Lumber Company for many years and went on to graduate from ITech with a certificate in metallurgy in 1999. After her certificate she worked at Metco. Dawn is Catholic by faith. She enjoyed listening to music, especially Bon Jovi and roller-skating in her younger years. Her kindness knew no bounds, and her quick wit could brighten even the darkest days. As the absolute glue of our family, she held us all together with unconditional love, warmth, and an infectious laughter that made every moment spent with her feel like home. She was truly the life of the party, lighting up every room she entered. Her vibrant spirit reminded us all not to take life too seriously, and her legacy will live on in every shared story and moment of laughter. She was our heart, our constant support, and our greatest source of joy.

There will be no visitation and services will be private.

The family will be accepting online condolences at the Ralph M. Geer Funeral Home website (www.nedzafamilyfuneralhomes.com).