Louise Anne Gilg

1923 - 2016

Louise Anne Gilg 1923—2016
Louise Anne Gilg, 92, of Rockford died Saturday, April 30, 2016, at Alden Debes. Born July 7, 1923, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, daughter of Gustav Adolf and Marie Rose "Hilda" (Carlstrom) Gilg. She lived all of her childhood in Haiti, her father being Swiss Consul there. After high school, she moved to Canada and studied at Alma College in Ontario and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. She then moved to Switzerland and entered the community of the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross. She taught piano and French. In 1953, she came to the United States to become a member of the American Province of the community in Merrill, WI. She continued to teach and further her education, graduating from St. Louis University in 1963. She studied and taught in Canada, Switzerland, Missouri, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Texas, Minnesota and New York City. She was a hospital chaplain at St. Luke's in Milwaukee and St. Mary's in Minneapolis. In 1984, she left the religious life, retired from teaching, and became a nanny living in New York City, close to her sister, Evelyn. There she did extensive research on family genealogy. In 1998, she moved to Rockford to be closer to her brother and his children. She became an active member of St. James Catholic Church and the Swedish Genealogical Society. She enjoyed watching tennis and growing flowers. She always carried a camera to capture important moments, a beautiful flower, tree or sky. Survivors include sister-in-law, Trudy Gilg; nephews, Gustave Christian (Felicia) Gilg, Ronald (JoMarie) Gilg, Norman (Tammie) Gilg, Vinton (Doris) Zwahlen, Michael (Janine) Zwahlen, Robert (Suzanne) Zwahlen; niece, Rosemarie Gilg-Winquist; great-nephew, Travis Winquist; great-nieces, Maggie (Jeff) DeWitt and son Sam, Katelyn Gilg and son Jared. Predeceased by brother, Gustave Gilg and sisters Florence Zwahlen, Evelyn Sparacino and Andre Gilg.
Funeral Mass will be 10 a.m. Saturday, May 7, 2016, at St. James Catholic Church. Private family interment at a later date. Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, Mulford Chapel, assisted the family. To express online condolences, please visit: www.fitzgeraldfh.com.