Margaret Fidler

MARGARET FIDLERAge 92 of Virgil, IL, passed away Sunday afternoon, August 14, 2005 at Provena Mercy Center Hospital, Aurora where she had recently been a patient. Claiming the long held promise of her faith, she went peacefully home to heaven and the company of her beloved husband, Joseph. Margaret was born April 9, 1913 in a farm house in a small town in Wisconsin called Random Lake, which is about 30 miles from Sheboygan. She was the only daughter and second child of Michael and Kathryn Schomer, both of primarily German decent. Michael, her dad, grew up in Aurora, IL while her mother Kathryn grew up in Random Lake.At four months old, lighting struck the family home while Margaret was sleeping and her mother was milking the cows. Miraculously, Margaret’s mother sprinted back to the house and rescued Margaret through the smoke and flames. The house burned to the ground and all was lost except Margaret and the kitchen sugar bowl!Although her father rebuilt a home for them, times were tough and within a few years, the family moved to Storm Lake, Iowa. Margaret often recalled wonderful years there. The farm had a stream running through its beautiful pastures and Margaret would ride through them each day, rounding up the cows for her parents. The images and feelings of those years were indelibly imprinted on her heart. The memory of them would always bring a sense of peace and comfort.Margaret attended country Iowa schools through the eighth grade when the family moved to Oswego, IL. She finished high school in Oswego and graduated Salutatorian of the class of 1931. In the fall of that year, she began college studies at NIU but with the financial pressures of Great Depression, she was forced to return home after her first semester. Not long afterward, Margaret met Joseph Nicholas Fidler at Sunday dinner at her brother’s house. The spark of romance caught fire that afternoon and on November 28, 1935 Margaret and Joseph were married and moved to the Fidler farm in Virgil. Like many farm wives of her generation, Margaret was a great cook, an ambitious gardener and an accomplished seamstress. She also raised both broiler chickens for meat and layer chickens for eggs, which supplemented her family’s income. Margaret was active in the local Altar and Rosary Society at S.S. Peter & Paul Church and the Mother’s Club. She cooked and served mountains of food for weddings and funerals at church and secretly looked forward to dances after the weddings. Margaret was an accomplished dancer and loved to polka, fox trot and do the two-step. She made sure her children had the best education that she could afford, sending all of them to college prep-high school, 25 miles from Virgil. Not unlike today’s mother’s, she was also the ever-ready chauffer to and from everything. Following Joseph’s death in 1993, life slowed down for Margaret as she took more time to read and do crossword puzzles. As health declined and the road "home" turned up-hill once more, Margaret’s faith, family and special friends including Dalia Danelente of Lithuania, Stevie Bateman and Vickie McGuire helped her through. In December of 2001, Margaret became a resident at the McAuley Manor, Aurora where devoted and faithful caregivers continued to look after Margaret until Tuesday, Aug. 9, when she was admitted to Provena Mercy Center. There, surrounded by her loving and devoted family, the Lord came Sunday afternoon to take Margaret home. At 4:35pm, as gently as a summer breeze, her life passed from time unto Eternity and the company of saints and loved one’s who awaited her on heaven’s shore. LIFE NOTES Living a life that spanned horse and buggy days to space travel and cell phones, Margaret took it all in stride but kept in her heart those timeless and transcending gifts of love and faith. She was devoted to her Catholic faith, but not far behind, you could trace a long suffering devotion to the Cubs, Bears and the Bulls. Margaret loved her big cars too, like the Buick Roadmaster, among others. She was a staunch Democrat in a family of Republicans but her patriotism waved a genuine (and non-partisan) "red, white and blue"! She was without question, a woman who lived with vision and virtue, passion for her family and country and devotion to her Lord. See complete survivors list next page….SURVIVORS She is survived by three children and their families:Mary Lee (Richard) Pitstick of rural Elburn, And their children: Steve (Merry) Pitstick and their family: [Scott, Dale and Traci]Michael (Melissa) Pitstick, and their family [Justine and Brianna]David (Lisa) Pitstick, and their family: [ Kristin, Karissa and Cody]John ( Pam) Pitstick and their family [Jenna and Jayci];,Laura (Richard) Hall,and their family: [Carson and Keegan]Deborah (Michael Johnson) PitstickBryan (Tiffany) Pitstick and their family: [Thomas and Nicole]Margaret is survived as well, by Six step great grandchildren and 1 step great great grandchild;James M. (Sandra) Fidler of Virgil And their familyMary beth (Kent) Peplow and their daughter, [Tara]Patrick (Dawn) Fidler and their family: [James and Michael]Jennifer Zitko and her family: [Jacob and Nathan]Angela FidlerLisa (Brian) Reidl and their son (Austin)And Paul (Gayla) Clark;Daniel J. (Connie) Fidler of Gurnee, ILAnd their family: Nicholas and Alicia. PRECEDED Margaret joins now her parents and her husband Joseph who preceded her in death. MEMORIAL Memorials in her memory will benefit Alzheimer’s and heart research as well as S.S. Peter & Paul Church and charities close to Margaret’s heart. Checks may be made to the Margaret Fidler Memorial and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, IL 60119. Tributes and memories may also be forwarded to the family at the same address or through her obituary at www.conleycare.com.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, August 16, 2005 at Conley Funeral Home, Elburn and Wednesday morning at S.S. Peter & Paul Church, Virgil, from 9:30 to 10:15 am. Her funeral mass will be celebrated at 10:30am. The Rev. Fr. Les Echevia, will officiate.

Interment will follow at S.S. Peter & Paul Cemetery, Virgil, IL.