Mary Ellen Isberg

ELBURN – Mary Ellen Isberg, 93, of Elburn and formerly of Joliet, passed away Saturday, April 30, 2011, at Heritage Manor in Elgin.
She was born March 1, 1918, in Kansas City, Kan., to Charles and Hattie (Fox) Reise.
She lived in both Kansas City and Chicago before the family moved to Joliet when she was nine. She attended Joliet Township High School.
She 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 eventually were married May 11, 1937, and made their home in Joliet.
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, she 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.
She was a homemaker of the highest caliber. Her hands were never idle. She always was 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 received clothes made with love in every stitch. The bountiful harvest of vegetables and beautiful flowers from her garden always were shared with everyone. In the kitchen, she 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 throughout the years. She gave her heart as well, donating her time by volunteering at The Meadows through her Chat 'N Stitch group that sewed on the new patches on shirts for the Elburn Fire Department. Her ancestry was a source of pride, 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 1600s.
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.
She 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. She also was a member of the daughters of the American Revolution.
She is survived by two children, Judy Ruffatti of Carpentersville and Alan (Julie) Isberg of Elburn; a daughter-in-law, Susan Isberg of Aurora; nine grandchildren, Anne Ruffatti (James) Szczebak of Cary, Paul (Dawn) Ruffatti of Cary, Kathy (Joseph) Vingelis of Cary, Simon (Kim) Isberg of Darien, Tim (Nancy) Isberg of Montgomery, Douglas Isberg of Naples, Fla., John (Karima) Isberg of Savoy, Kristin (Todd) Brennan of Chicago and Amy (Marc) Shuflin of Caracas, Venezuela; 10 great-grandchildren, Sean Ruffatti, Jason Ruffatti, Brianna Szczebak, Brandon Isberg, Sierra Isberg, Griffin Isberg, Lucas Isberg, Quinn Isberg, Eve Isberg and Nicholas Vingelis; a sister, Donna (Frank) Miller of Mesa, Ariz, and Honolulu; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
She was 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.
The visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 3, at Conley Funeral Home, 116 W. Pierce St., Elburn, with a funeral to celebrate her life at 7:30 p.m. Burial will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 4, in Woodlawn Memorial Park, Joliet.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial will be established in her name to benefit St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Montgomery, 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 also may be forwarded to the family at the same address or online at www.conleycare.com.
For information, call Conley Funeral Home at 630-365-6414.