Mary Ellen Isberg

Mary Ellen Isberg,age 93, of Elburn, formerly of Joliet, passed away Saturday, April 30, 2011 at Heritage Manor in Elgin, IL. BORN / EARLY YEARSShe was born March 1, 1918 in Kansas City, KS, the daughter of Charles and Hattie (Fox) Reise.EDUCATIONMary Ellen lived in both Kansas City and Chicago for time before the family moved to Joliet when she was nine. She attended Joliet Township High School.MARRIAGE & FAMILYShe met her husband George at a Halloween party but nothing could disguise the love that blossomed thereafter. Their love was strong and true but the etiquette at the time dictated that they would have to wait to get married until George turned 21. They were eventually married on May 11, 1937 and made their home in Joliet for a time. OCCUPATION / WORK HISTORY Following the birth of their daughter, Judy, the family moved to Aurora where they welcomed two sons, Donald and Alan. George passed away in 1994. In 1997 Mary Ellen moved to The Meadows Apartments in Elburn where she was one of the very first residents and had the honor of "cutting the ribbon" on opening day.LIFE NOTES Mary Ellen was a homemaker of the highest caliber. Her hands were never idle. She was always busy making handcrafted dolls, stuffed animals, needle point and crocheting that found homes with friends and family alike. It was not only her dolls that benefited from sewing skills, her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren all received clothes made with love in every stitch. The bountiful harvest of vegetables and beautiful flowers from her garden were always shared with everyone. In the kitchen Mary Ellen would make her favorite family recipes much to the delight of anyone coming in the door to visit or attend the many large family gatherings over the years. Mary Ellen gave of her heart as well, donating her time by volunteering at The Meadows through her "Chat ‘N Stitch" group who sewed on the new patches on shirts for the Elburn Fire Department. Her ancestry was a source of pride as well having traced back her family to North Wales in Great Britain where Dr. Griffith Owen found passage to America alongside the likes of William Penn in the 1600’s. Her legacy of unending love and strong moral character has been passed on to the next generations, along with a lifetime of memories that will be cherished forever. MEMBERSHIPSShe was a member of St. Olaf Lutheran Church in Montgomery and the Fox Valley Wildlife Center in Elburn. She was a founding member of the Church of the Good Shepherd in North Aurora where she played the organ for a time. Mary Ellen was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. FAMILY MEMBERSShe is survived by two children: Judy Ruffatti of Carpentersville, IL Alan (Julie) Isberg of Elburn;One daughter-in-law, Susan Isberg of Aurora andNine grandchildren: Anne Ruffatti (James) Szczebak of Cary, IL,Paul (Dawn) Ruffatti also of Cary, IL, Kathy (Joseph) Vingelis of Cary, IL,Simon (Kim) Isberg of Darien, IL,Tim (Nancy) Isberg of Montgomery, IL,Douglas Isberg of Naples, FL,John (Karima) Isberg of Savoy, IL, Kristin (Todd) Brennan of Chicago, IL andAmy (Marc) Shuflin of Caracas, Venezuela ;Ten great grandchildren: Sean Ruffatti,Jason Ruffatti, Brianna Szczebak, Brandon Isberg, Sierra Isberg, Griffin Isberg,Lucas Isberg,Quinn Isberg,Eve Isberg,Nicholas Vingelis;One sister:Donna (Frank) Miller of Mesa, AZ and Honolulu, HINumerous nieces and nephews and friends. PRECEDED She is preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Hattie (Fox) Reise; her husband of 57 years, George; two siblings, Madine Mason and Charles Reise and her son Donald Isberg. VISITATION / FUNERAL Visitation will be from 3-7 p.m. with a funeral service to celebrate her life to begin at 7:30 p.m. at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL , on Tuesday, May 3, 2011. Burial will follow Wednesday, May 4, at Woodlawn Memorial Park, in Joliet, beginning at 11 a.m. MEMORIAL In lieu of flowers, a memorial will be established in her name to benefit St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Montgomery, IL and other charities to be named later. Memorials checks may be made to the Mary Ellen Isberg 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 from 3-7PM with a service to celebrate her live to begin at 7:30 PM at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., on Tuesday, May 3, 2011.

Interment will follow Wednesday, May 4, at Woodlawn Memorial Park, in Joliet, beginning at 11:00 AM.