Hattie A. Oberg

Hattie A. Oberg 1930—2017
Former All American Girls Professional Baseball League player Hattie A. Oberg, 86, passed away March 30, 2017, surrounded by loved ones at her daughter's home in Mt. Morris, Illinois. Born April 17, 1930, in Winnebago, Illinois, she was one of nine children of Walter and Hattie LaTour Peterson. She played two seasons with the Rockford Peaches, immortalized by 1992's A League of Their Own, although she would say the movie "was nothing like the real thing". Her love of baseball was a lifelong passion and was capped when her beloved Cubs won the World Series in 2016. She also had a career in manufacturing until she retired from Motorola in the 1990s, while she was living in Phoenix, Arizona. She returned to the Rockford, Illinois, area in 2007, where she lived most of her life. An accomplished musician, she was active in accordion clubs and entertained fellow retirement home residents until a couple of years ago. She was proud of her Scandinavian heritage and passed down many holiday traditions and recipes to her children and grandchildren.She is survived by her daughter, Sandra (Sandy) Hayden of Mt. Morris; son, Randy Oberg of Mesa, Arizona; three grandchildren, Brittany Miller, Ryan Hayden and Stephanie Hayden; and two great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Ruth, Pauline, and Farrell and is also survived by her brother, Gilbert and sisters, Mary, Margaret, Doris, and Betty. The family gives special thanks to longtime friend, Cathy Wehmhoefer for loving care and assistance over the last few weeks, as well as to Serenity Hospice, her granddaughter, Brittany and sister, Mary.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. April 22, 2017, at the VFW of Oregon, IL, at 1310 W. Washington Street. In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Cancer Society are suggested.