Mary Louise Sitter
Mary Louise Sitter, 89, of Sterling, died on Sept. 9, 2018, in Sterling, with her family at her bedside.
Her final hours were spent with family and friends who stopped by and shared memorable stories of her life’s adventures.
She was born on Feb. 20, 1929, in Freeport, the daughter of Thomas E. and Florence Helen Rickert Flynn.
She married Delmar E. “Hughie” Sitter in Ottawa, Ill., on June 18, 1947. He preceded her in death on Feb. 18, 2010. Through the years, they made their home in Dixon, Franklin Grove, Rock Falls and Sterling.
She worked as a dietary aide at Dixon State School and then at Singer in Rockford.
After retirement she became a grandparent in the local school system, serving over 14 years at Franklin and Jefferson elementary schools.
She was a member of Sacred Heart Church in Sterling. She previously had been a Eucharistic minister to the shut-ins while at St. Mary’s Church in Sterling.
Through the years she was a caring wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. The highlight of her life was her family, five children, 13 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
She enjoyed watching them excel in sports, academic bowl competitions, Irish dancing and all the other events that occurred in their lives.
She had an interest in her family’s genealogy and was proud of her Irish heritage. She made trips to Ireland to explore her history and enjoyed meeting relatives.
She was proud of her family’s history during the Revolutionary War and was a member of the Rock River Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
She enjoyed cruises through the Panama Canal, the Caribbean and Nova Scotia, and other land trips with her children. She was an avid Chicago Bears fan and Newman High School football fan.
She is survived by her children, Karen (Joe) McKeown, Susan Whitemountain (Norma Lee Hackney), Mary (Mike) Papoccia, Randy (Concha) Sitter and Robin (Steve) Clancy; 13 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; one sister, Nora Bennett; and three brothers, Hughie Flynn, Kline (Casey) Flynn and Merle Flynn.
The Rosary was said at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, at McDonald Funeral Home in Sterling.
Mass of Christian Burial was at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Sterling, with the Rev. Bruce J. Ludeke as celebrant. Burial was in Calvary Cemetery in Sterling.
Memorials can be made to Sacred Heart Church or St. Mary Church for Mass intentions in her name or the Alzheimer’s Association or to the donor’s charity of choice. Condolences can be sent to www.mcdonaldfuneralhomes.com.