Iva Louise Spencer

Iva Louise Spencer, age 100, of Freeport, Illinois, formerly of Chadwick, Illinois, passed away on September, 21 2017 at Pearl Pavilion Rehab Center in Freeport, Illinois. A funeral service will be held 11:00 a.m., Friday, September 29, 2017 at Law-Jones Funeral Home, Mt. Carroll. Burial will take place in Chadwick Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 9:30-11:00 a.m., prior to the service at the funeral home. Memorials may be given in Iva’s memory to the First Lutheran Church, Chadwick.

Iva was born on September 14, 1917 in rural Polo, Illinois at home on the farmstead of the late Frank and Olive (Paul) Bowers. She grew up on a farm and lived through the Great Depression and had many fond memories and stories to tell. She knew how to stretch a dollar and was very giving to all who knew her. It was quite common to receive a generous care package from Iva if there was a need. She used to donate many of her clothes to shelters for battered women in the Quad Cities. Iva loved housework and was an immaculate house keeper. She graduated from Polo High School in 1935 and married Robert Spencer on September 15, 1935. Robert passed away on March 15, 1962. Iva was a long time member of First Lutheran Church in Chadwick and a past member of the Order of the Eastern Star. She moved to the Quad Cities as a widow in 1962 and worked as a bank teller in Silvis, Illinois for 23 years. She also moonlighted as a private care giver and a house sitter.

Iva made many new friends, and loved dancing, shopping, flea markets, traveling and crossword puzzles. Iva also loved visiting her grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews and other various relatives. Road trips were a joy to her as well. She moved to Freeport in 2002 to be closer to her family and later to assisted living in 2013 at Heritage Woods Living Center. She continued to drive a car until she was 94.

Iva is survived by eight grandchildren; Diana (Doug) Felmeten, Mike (Cathy) Spencer, Steve (Suzi) Spencer, Jeremy (Jami) Spencer, Andrew (Crystal) Spencer, Alexa (Arend) Johnson, Paul (Jill) Spencer, and Kristin Spencer; 14 Great-Grandchildren, Danielle (Joseph) Kohn, Shannon and Cheyenne Shager, Lucas Spencer, Taylor, Jennie, Rowan, Eva and Isaac Spencer, Nicholas, Megan , Blaine and Thomas Spencer, and Madison Felmeten; five Great-Great Grandchildren; Brendan, Gwen, Kristina Jamison, and Nicholas Kohn, and Nathan Schultz. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Robert Spencer; two sons, Jerry and Steven Spencer; four sisters, Ester, Arlene, Wilma, and Belva. She will be greatly missed by all.