Shirley M. Eilenfeldt

SHIRLEY M. EILENFELDT (NEE WILKEN) HAMMOND, IN (FORMERLY OF CALUMET CITY, IL AND LAS VEGAS, NV) Beloved mother and special "Ema", Shirley Eilenfeldt, with her daughters at her side, took her last long breath of life at the William J. Riley Hospice, Munster, IN on Monday, December 7, 2009. Shirley was born on February 7, 1931 in Denham, IN to Rudolph and Elizabeth Wilken. During her early teen years, the family moved to the Southeast Side of Chicago. It was there that she met Thaddeus (Ted) Eilenfeldt, her best friend and loving husband, who preceded her in death in 1982. Survivors of that beautiful union are daughters: Pamela (Joseph) Putzell of Crown Point and Patricia Eilenfeldt (Larry Smith) of Orland Park, IL. Shirley was the amazing, devoted grandmother, our "Ema", to Lisa Gaal, Anthony Putzell and Nicholas Putzell; and the very enamored great grandmother to Cole Putzell. Also survived by brother, Eugene Wilken. She was preceded in death by a sister, Charlotte (Whitey) Sissel; and brothers: William (Betty) Wilken and infant brother, Raymond Wilken. Sister-in-law of Dorothy (Eugene) Norlock; beloved aunt of Steven Safstrom, Dawn (Wilken) Mack, Brian Sissel, Sue Norlock and Tom Norlock; special "Ema" to Jennifer Hubbard-Jones; and dearest companion to the late John Cawley, CPD. Shirley was a beautiful, independent, multi-talented lady with a wonderful, unique sense of humor. She enjoyed and excelled at homemaking, dancing, cooking, gardening and mothering. Her greatest pride was in her small close-knit family whom she taught to love freely and laugh often. As Shirley wished, there will be no visitation or memorial service. Shirley never forgot being "poor" as a young child, so it would honor her if donations were made to a local food bank or "Angel Tree" during this holiday season. Cremation services provided by the Solan-Pruzin Funeral Home and Crematory, Schererville, IN.