Date of Birth
Feb 07,1921
Date of Death
Sep 24,2009
Marianne Erika Schafft, age 88, of St. Charles, formerly of DesPlaines, passed away peacefully in her sleep surrounded by the love and prayers of her family, Thursday, September 24, 2009 at Delnor Hospital, Geneva, IL. BORN: She was born February 7, 1921, the daughter of Thomas and Eide (Thiesen) Andresen in Westerland, Sylt, a German island in the North Sea near Denmark. EARLY YEARS:Marianne grew up in Westerland and attended local schools. She had further schooling to become a seamstress but her passion was gymnastics and before she would be able to realize that dream and become an Olympian, WWII intervened bringing her dreams to a halt. MARRIAGE: Marianne was married at the age of 20 to Karl Bossen who later fought in the war and lost his life on the Russian Front. Just before his passing, Marianne and Karl had a daughter, Anke "Anne". Marianne continued to live on the island and met Hugo Schafft, an electrical engineer, who worked for her father. A friendship turned into something more and they were united in marriage in 1946. RESIDENTIAL HISTORY: Later that same year they welcomed a son, Peter. The whole family would immigrate to Canada in 1951 and make their home in Toronto, Ontario. The family grew by two in the following years, Ingrid in 1955 and Tom in 1959. In 1960, the family moved to Des Plaines, IL where Hugo was offered a job at Motorola as Chief Engineer. Tragedy struck when the Marianne and Hugo were in a car accident in 1977. Hugo perished in the crash and Marianne lived alone until 1985 when she moved next door to her daughter Ingrid in Wasco, IL. Ingrid and her family moved to St. Charles and Marianne followed to live with them in 2001. LIFE NOTES: Marianne and Hugo came to Canada with very little and struggled through hardship during their first years. Her dedication to her family and her unshakable faith became a legacy not only to her children but to all the others who she helped before she would help herself. There were always words of wisdom, sometimes much to everyone’s chagrin. Story telling of past experiences always brought family and friends into fits of laughter. She loved to garden and tend to her flower beds full of natures beauty. Marianne’s sewing skills were unrivaled as she not only fixed and hemmed clothes but sewed a wedding dress for her daughter alongside many other projects in her sewing room. When the warm weather of summer came, countless trips to the beach followed. Never one to refuse anything sweet, Marianne’s sweet tooth craved licorice, pastry and chocolates. SURVIVORS: She now leaves four children:Anke (John) Roelle of Sharon, WI, Peter (Deborah) Schafft of Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada, Ingrid (Don) Blahut of St. Charles, IL and Tom (Linda) Schafft also of St. Charles;9 Grandchildren:Christine, Shelley, Jennifer, Erika, Danika, Derek, Lisa, Brianna and Caleb;11 great-grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter;One brother, Ernie (Helga) Andresen on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Several nieces and nephews, both here and abroad as well as a family of friends. PRECEDED:She now joins her parents, one sister Inge Rehse, and both husbands, Karl and Hugo who preceded her in death. MEMORIAL A memorial has been established in her name to benefit the American Heart Association and the National Kidney Foundation. Checks may be made to the "Marianne Schafft Memorial" and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, 60119. Tributes may also be forwarded to the same address or on the web at www.conleycare.com.
Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m., Monday, September 28, 2009 at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL. A memorial service to celebrate her life will follow the visitation at 8 p.m.