Marianne Sondermann Carus

Marianne Sondermann Carus

Born: June 16, 1928; Dieringhausen, Germany

Died: March 3, 2021; Peru

PERU – Marianne Sondermann Carus, 92, of Peru, IL passed away in her sleep Wednesday, the third of March 2021, at her home.

Marianne was born 16 June, 1928 in Dieringhausen, Germany to Dr. Guenter and Elisabeth Gesell Sondermann. Marianne's father was an ophthalmologist, who was also the son of an ophthalmologist, famous for discovering an important part of the optical anatomy (the Sondermann "inner canaliculi"). Marianne was very proud of this family history. When World War II began in 1939, her father was drafted as a medical doctor, and in 1941 he was stationed on the eastern front in Russia. Towards the end of the war, Marianne was drafted along with their entire school class to work on the western front. When the war was over, Marianne helped her father in his medical practice and at the same time was able to finish high school. She was admitted to the University of Freiburg to study literature and began her studies in the fall of 1949. Within a few weeks of arriving in Freiburg, she met Blouke Carus, a graduate of Caltech, who had joined the University to study with Professor Staudinger, a Nobel-Prize-winning chemist. They were married on 3 March 1951 in Gummersbach, the small town where her parents lived and she had mostly grown up. They spent their honeymoon in Italy.

Marianne left her homeland for the US with Blouke, and they settled in LaSalle, where Blouke was soon heavily occupied in building up Carus Chemical Company, which his father had founded. Marianne raised their three children and studied literature at the University of Chicago with Professor Arnold Bergstraesser. She also became an American citizen. When Blouke's attention turned to education, Marianne put her literary skills to work and edited the first series of Open Court readers. When the reading program was to be supplemented with a literary magazine for children, Marianne became its founding editor, and Cricket: The Magazine for Children soon became a completely separate business that set the standards for children's literature and illustration worldwide. Other magazines for different age groups and interests followed: Ladybug, Babybug, Spider, Cicada, as well as nonfiction magazines. She continued as Editor-in-Chief for more than 35 years. Millions of children throughout the English-speaking world grew up with Cricket and its family of magazines; Marianne treasured the many enthusiastic letters from former readers, telling her that their interest in reading and other subjects had begun with Cricket. The Cricket Magazines are currently being introduced in China to help Chinese children learn English.

Marianne had many other interests that had been put on hold during her years of editing magazines. In her youth, and even after she came to the US, she had played violin, and was very pleased and proud when her grandson, Anton became such a skilled young violinist (he can be seen and heard on YouTube). She and Blouke went to concerts whenever they could. Marianne also loved to read, all kinds of things, and traveled worldwide. Until the pandemic made it impossible, she and Blouke were always in Germany at least once a year to visit family and friends. Marianne's favorite places were Freiburg, where she and Blouke met, and their summer home in Michigan, where she and Blouke would spend a month or two every summer, reading and relaxing. Marianne served on many boards, including that of the International Youth Library in Munich, and the International Board of Books for Young People (IBBY). She was also a member of the Illinois Valley Garden Club.

Survivors include her husband, Blouke; three children, André Carus (Tracy Dennison) of Pasadena, CA, Christine Ann Carus of St. Pete Beach, FL, and Inga Carus (Peter Limberger) of Ottawa, IL; as well as four grandchildren, Nicola, Marianna, Gustav and Anton.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Inge Storkebaum.

A memorial celebration will be held at a later date. Interment will be in Oakwood Cemetery in LaSalle. Arrangements are entrusted to the Mueller Funeral Home, Peru.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Hegeler Carus Foundation.

The online guestbook may be viewed and remembrances shared at www.MuellerFH.com.