Marilyn Jean Spurgin

Marilyn Spurgin, age 85, of North Aurora, passed away, surrounded by the love and prayers of her family, on Sunday, December 9, 2019.
She was born February 4, 1934 in Aurora, IL, to proud parents, Earl and Mabel (Bornemann) Maier.
Marilyn grew up in Sugar Grove and attended local schools. She was well versed in farm life and lent a helping hand every morning and every night. It was a dairy farm and Marilyn was an expert in not only milking the cows but squirting milk at the others.
Marilyn caught the eye of a certain Gene Spurgin at Carlson’s, a local and infamous restaurant in Elburn. It didn’t take long for her to catch his heart as well, eventually walking down the aisle on October 27, 1953. It didn’t take long for the family to grow as Marilyn and Gene welcomed Roger the following year. Three other sons joined the family, dubbed the Ridgewood Warriors, all of whom helped make their house in a home. A few years later they moved to Elburn, making memories with every new day. Grief came to call when Gene passed away in 1992. Marilyn continued to make her home in Elburn for several years.
Early in her working career, Marilyn was employed as part of the second shift at Chicago Rawhide in Elgin for several years. Burgess Norton was the next stop where she worked as a machine and furnace operator until she transferred to the main office. She spent five years working as clerk and administrator for a local apartment complex in Batavia. No one really knows when she actually “retired” because she never stopped moving, but it was official by the time she moved from Elburn to North Aurora around 2000.
Marilyn was a 50 year member of the Elburn American Legion Auxiliary, Post 630.
You couldn’t find a bigger Cubs fan and no one cheered louder for James Harden of the Houston Rockets than Marilyn. When she wasn’t watching or cheering, Marilyn’s hands were rarely idle. Knitting kept her out of trouble (as far as anyone knows). She loved playing cards with family and friends. Pinochle was a religion in her family and one strictly adhered to and Heaven help you if Marilyn lost. She played hard but she also played fast and loose with the rules, bending or breaking them depending on the situation. Marilyn and Gene travelled in their motorhome, spending many a retired year driving to swap meets, towing a trailer full of a collection of parts that they sold at every stop. A determined spirit, Marilyn met every challenge with a gleam in her eye and a work ethic that was strong as oak. Everyone will remember the mark she made on their heart and she will not soon be forgotten.
She is survived by two children: Roger (Linda) Spurgin and Jeffrey Spurgin; eleven grandchildren; four siblings: Marcella Thomas, Glen “Jake” Maier, Margaret Heddin, and Betty McKean; many nieces and nephews and a community of friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Earl and Mabel Maier; her husband Gene Spurgin; two sons: Terry and Randy Spurgin; four brothers: Norman, Melvin, Robert, and Earl Maier Jr.; two sisters: Charlotte Maier and Rosemary Pavlovich and one daughter-in-law, Jane Spurgin.
Visitation will be Friday, December 13, 2019, from 9:30 – !0:15 a.m., with a funeral to celebrate her faith to follow at 10:30 a.m., Geneva United Methodist Church, 211 Hamilton St., Geneva, IL. Rev. Esther Lee, a pastor at the church, will officiate, with interment will follow at Blackberry Twp. Cemetery, Elburn.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in Marilyn’s name. Checks may be made to the “Marilyn Spurgin Memorial” and mailed in care of P.O. Box 66, Elburn, 60119. Tributes may also be forwarded to the same address, the Conley Funeral Home Facebook Page, or at www.conleycare.com.

Visitation will be Friday, December 13, 2019, from 9:30 - !0:15 a.m., with a funeral to celebrate her faith to follow at 10:30 a.m., Geneva United Methodist Church, 211 Hamilton St., Geneva, IL. Rev. Esther Lee, a pastor at the church, will officiate, with interment will follow at Blackberry Twp. Cemetery, Elburn.

Blackberry Twp. Cemetery