Signe Kanstrup

Date of Birth

Aug 31,1916

Date of Death

Jun 06,2016

Signe Kanstrup, age 100 (really only 99), of Elburn, passed into eternal life, Monday, June 6, 2016. She so badly wanted to make it to 100 that we are giving her an extra 86 days for good behavior.
Signe began life on August 31, 1916, on the island of Mors, Denmark and lived there until she immigrated with her parents and brother when she was four years old. Signe lived in Denmark until she was four years old and immigrated with her parents and brother. They passed through Ellis Island on their way to Iowa and then moved to Illinois Signe became a U.S. citizen at age 18.
She quit school as a young teenager after her freshman year in high school so she could help her family on their farm. Although she gave up school, Signe loved to read and passed that love on to her daughters and grandchildren.
Signe and Carl Kanstrup married in 1936.
Signe and Carl worked on a farm just north of Elburn until they moved into Elburn when they retired from farm life. Later, they rented an apartment next to their daughter and her family in Elburn. Later in life, Signe moved to The Meadows where she enjoyed playing cards, having coffee and visiting with friends. Most recently she lived at Rosewood Care Center in St. Charles.
As a young woman, Signe worked as a nanny and on the family farm until she married Carl. She would use her skills to help Carl as he worked on a farm, keeping house, raising their children and cooking for the “hired men.” When Signe and Carl left the farm for life in Elburn, Signe worked as a clerk in Cricket’s hardware store.
To celebrate her Danish heritage, Signe belonged to the Danish Sisterhood and enjoyed reading about other Danish immigrants and their accomplishments. Signe and Carl belonged to Grace Lutheran Church in Lily Lake.
Signe and Carl did get back to Denmark to visit family and childhood haunts, and Signe enjoyed traveling with Grace Lutheran Church and the Elburn Senior Citizens, especially if she could play the penny slots.
She is survived by two daughters: Marilyn (Bud) Wise and Gladys Adwell; two grandchildren: Carla and Doug Wise; two great-grandchildren; one brother, Magnus Bundgard; a sister Evelyn Olbrich and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her beloved husband Carl; a grandaughter Dianne and one son-in-law David Adwell.
Visitation will be from 1- 2p.m with a memorial service to celebrate her life to begin at 2 p.m., at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL, on Saturday, June 11, 2016. Private family burial will follow at a later date.
A memorial has been established in Signe’s name to benefit both Grace Lutheran Church and CNS Home Health and Hospice. Checks may be made to the “Signe Kanstrup 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 at www.conleycare.com.

Visitation will be from 1- 2p.m with a memorial service to celebrate her life to begin at 2 p.m., at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, IL, on Saturday, June 11, 2016.

Private family burial will follow at a later date.

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