Date of Birth
February 22, 1936
Date of Death
August 22, 2023
Katherine “Katharina” Zegiel, age 87, passed away into the arms of her Savior, Tuesday, August 22, 2023.
She was born in Bruhl, West Germany, the daughter of loving parents, Hermann and Maria Krings.
Katherine grew up with a brother and sister in Bruhl, Germany. As a child, she lived through WWII. Eventually as a young lady in her teens, Katherine’s parents wanted a better life for her; they sent her to live with her aunt and uncle in Bensenville, IL, where she worked in the family bakery.
While working in the family bakery, she met Leonard Zegiel who worked as a baker for her uncle. They started to date, soon fell in love and married in 1955 in Bensenville, Illinois. Their family grew to include 10 children, which had their subsequent homes busting at the seams, but the love and laughter kept everyone together.
She was a homemaker by trade and made sure that each house became a home for her whole family. Katherine’s father was a botanist and that love of nature followed her the rest of her days. Flowers and plants made her smile, peace came from the banks of various creeks and rivers and the song birds brought her joy. She loved picking fruits and berries, making homemade jams and canned just about everything she could grow to feed her ever growing family. Katherine was an extremely good cook, making decadent meals for her family. Her hands were rarely idle as she knitted coats, mittens and hats for all of her children. She sewed and quilted to her hearts content; all of us over the years received handmade clothes and designed quilts. Katherine spent every available minute reading. It fed her mind and her vocabulary grew in leaps and bounds, which was put on display when she threw in a few “fancy words” into everyday conversation. With such a large family, Katherine was frugal. She had a great ability to make something new out of old things, except when it came to her shoes and then “rules were made to be broken”. The letters she wrote were from the heart and always sent with love to family and friends. Katherine’s life was filled with joy and sorrow, danger and safety, hearth and home. Through it all, her faith was her bedrock and her Savior was her constant companion. She shared her love of God with everyone and wanted nothing less than for them to share in that joy. Amen.
She now leaves 9 children: Albert Zegiel, Barbara Zegiel, Ronald Zegiel, Heidi (Mark) Anderson, Peggy Pennington, Mary Kyle, Leonard Zegiel, Joseph (Tracey) Zegiel and Daniel (Rie Takeuchi) Zegiel; 19 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; one sister, Elisabeth Winterscheid; niece Evilyn (Joerg) Gelath, and her dear friend, Darlene Biggs.
She is now reunited with her parents Hermann and Maria Krings; one brother, Heinz Krings, her son Eric Zegiel and the loving father of all their children, Leonard Zegiel.
Visitation will be from 10-11 a.m., followed by Public Mass, at St. Gall Catholic Church, Elburn, Tuesday, August 29, 2023. Interment will follow at Garfield Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Habitat For Humanity, https://foxvalleyhabitat.org. Memories and tributes may be left on the Conley Funeral Home Facebook Page, or at www.conleycare.com.
Private Family Visitation will be from 10-11 a.m., followed by Public Mass, at St. Gall Catholic Church, Elburn, Tuesday, August 29, 2023. Interment will follow at Garfield Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Habitat For Humanity, https://foxvalleyhabitat.org. Memories and tributes may be left on the Conley Funeral Home Facebook Page, or at www.conleycare.com.
I’m so sorry for your loss during this tough time.
To all of Katherine’s family, your mother became one of my dearest friends. We were like soul mates.
We would sit for hours talking about our lives and we would laugh and cry together. Her hugs and kisses warmed my heart. Her love for Jesus inspired me, strengthened me and when receiving Communion it was like I was experiencing a sacred moment between her and our Savior. I thank God for her love which she gave to me unconditionally.
She will forever be in my heart and on my mind. I wait for the day when I enter the presence of God and you beside Him.
Already missing you and our daily calls.
Shine for Jesus Katherine and send some of those sparkles to me.
“Amen. Alleluia and I Got You Babe!”
My dearest mom, ♥️
I will miss my best friend and mom. We knew each other inside out. All the long talks and prayers we shared over the last 66 years will be with me forever. I’m blessed to be your daughter. Rest is peace with your Lord and Savior, Jesus. He called you home and I’m so happy you are where you need to be. We will see each other again one day soon. Until then, I love you mommy!
Your mother is knitting and baking and cooking away in her heavenly bliss. May comforting moments and memories fill you all – My prayers to all of you, Trish
Katherine was not just my partner’s mother; she was also a true friend of mine and a source of inspiration. As our friendship developed through numerous letters and telephone conversations, I had the opportunity to learn more about her loving family, her hometown of Brühl, and many other things she cherished. Her beautiful smile and contagious laughter will always remain in my memory.