Marilyn Strobert

MARILYN G. STROBERT, age 85, of DeKalb, formerly of Aurora, passed away Thursday, July 18, 2013, surrounded by the love and prayers of her family.She was born June 18, 1928, in Aurora, IL, the daughter of Leo and Edna (Hall) Ryan. Marilyn grew up in Elburn and attended local schools. Her secondary education came from a private boarding school in Iowa where she played basketball. She graduated in 1946. Marilyn briefly pursued a career in nursing before finding the love of her life, Harley Strobert, whose courtship and eventual proposal swept her off her feet. They were united in marriage on May 18, 1947, at St. Gall Catholic Church. They began their new life in Aurora and were blessed with six children. She worked hard to raise them right and instilled in them a work ethic by her jobs at the Fruit Juice House, a checker at Eagle Foods and at Reuland’s Nuts & Candies in Aurora. While Harley worked as a tool and die maker, he eschewed a machinist career when he opened The DeKalb Pet Shop and ran it side by side with Marilyn for over twenty years. Two years after Harley’s passing in 1992, Marilyn sold the business and enjoyed all the fruits of her labor in retirement. Marilyn was a faithful member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in DeKalb. Beyond the pet shop, Marilyn dedicated her life to her family. Her home was filled with love and laughter that grew with each person who crossed her threshold. As the children grew and she had more free time, Marilyn dedicated Thursday nights to Bingo at the Elks Club in DeKalb and chatting with her friends Helen Johnson, Louise Nickels, Audrey Gleamza, Carrie Petrie and others while playing game after rousing game of dominoes. During election time, Marilyn helped register folks to vote but when it came time to take flight, her favorite destination was The Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas to test her luck on the slot machines. When schedules didn’t permit her to fly off into the sunset, she settled for the gambling boat in Aurora arm in arm with her closest friends. Her luck extended to the local parks as well where she, with a metal detector in hand, searched for lost treasure. Her love for family trumped all and it was their loved that kept a smile on her face and a "skip" in her step until the end. She is survived by five children:Vickie (Mark) Rupprecht,Barbara (Peter) Schafer,David (Andrea) Strobert, Denise Brown and Richard Strobert;Eleven grandchildren, Thirteen great-grandchildren, One sister, Rose Rooney;Two brothers, Eugene (Joan) Ryan and Ralph (Lois) Ryan;Many nieces, nephews and a countryside of friends. She is preceded in death by her husband Harley, one daughter Karen Sunderlege, one grandson, Michael Strobert.and best friend and cousin Geraldine Peterson. A memorial visitation will be held at St. Gall Catholic Church, 120 W. Shannon St., Elburn, from 12:30-1:30PM., with a memorial mass to conclude visitation on Friday, July 26, 2013. Fr. Tim Seigel, pastor of the church , will officiate and interment will follow at St. Gall Catholic Cemetery, Elburn. MEMORIAL In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in their name to benefit her favorite charities. Checks may be made to the "Marilyn Strobert 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 where you can find her full life story.

A memorial visitation will be held at St. Gall Catholic Church, 120 W. Shannon St., Elburn, from 12:30-1:30PM., with a memorial mass to conclude visitation on Friday, July 26, 2013. Fr. Tim Seigel, pastor of the church , will officiate and interment will follow at St. Gall Catholic Cemetery, Elburn.