Obituary for Mary Saunders

Mary Jane (Plesa) Saunders, longtime resident of DeKalb, Illinois and a recent resident of Westerville, Ohio, went home to be with the Lord Jesus on Friday October 20, 2023, at the age of 96.

Mary was born on March 29, 1927, to Croatian immigrants, George, and Manda Plesa. Growing up with six other siblings during the great depression and World War II, Mary remained a devout Catholic and very diligent worker.

Mary graduated from DeKalb High School in 1945. While still attending high school, she held various jobs. Some of the positions she worked throughout her lifetime were as a corn detasseler at DeKalb AG, a piano tuner at The Wurlitzer Company, Lloyds Surplus in downtown Dekalb as a salesperson, a clerk at a local bank, assistant at a local dentist office, and as a mattress, pillow and bean bag manufacturer at her own business operation, Dreamland Sleep Shop, located in DeKalb. In her later working years, Mary spent time cleaning people’s homes.

Mary always had a huge smile and unforgettable laugh. She was an avid bowler and won the Illinois State Doubles Championship in 1978. Mary looked forward to attending Mass in DeKalb every Sunday at St. Mary Church and then enjoying breakfast afterwards with her girlfriends. And especially over the most recent years, she loved watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune every night, and never missed the Rosary and daily Mass on EWTN.

Mary always commented on how very blessed she was to be surrounded by a large family and the enjoyment of spending time with her many nieces and nephews. In turn, the family enjoyed the many stories Mary shared of her childhood and life growing up in DeKalb, from the neighborhood healers, to sleeping out in the yard during the sweltering summer nights.

In the fall of 2020, Mary had moved from DeKalb to Westerville, Ohio to live out her final days with her younger sister Joanie, who sadly and unexpectedly passed away shortly thereafter. After her sister’s passing, Mary looked forward each week to her visits with Michael Maxwell (of Westerville) who became an awfully close friend to her. Along with the genuine kindness and care he gave to Mary; the family is forever grateful to him for all the time he shared with her. 

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, George, and Manda (Jerbic) Plesa, brothers, Nicklaus Plesa, Paul Plesa, and Michael Plesa, sister, Anne (Plesa) Pooler, sisters and brothers-in-law, Katherine (Plesa) and Elmer Matekaitis, and Joanne (Plesa) and William Fuller. Nieces and nephews, Eileen Plesa, Jeffry Matekaitis, Bob Pooler, Gary Pooler, Mike Pooler, and Julie (Fuller) Foust.

She is survived by many, many nieces, and nephews.

Funeral services are entrusted to Hill Funeral Home, 220 S. State Street, Westerville, Ohio with a visitation and prayer for family and friends on Thursday, October 26^th, from 5 to 6 PM.

Mary will make the journey home to DeKalb where services are entrusted to Anderson Funeral Home, 2911 S. 4th Street, DeKalb, Illinois. The visitation will be Tuesday, October 31^st, from 9 to 9:30 AM. A Funeral Mass will follow in DeKalb at 10:00 AM at St. Mary Catholic Church, 329 Pine St. with a traditional interment ceremony immediately following Mass at St. Mary Cemetery, 531 Sycamore Rd. (Route 23).