Arvilla Rose Straub

Arvilla Rose Straub, age 84, of Chadwick, IL, passed away June 8, 2023 at Rock River Hospice and Home. Arvilla’s family wants to convey a special thank you to the people of Rock River Hospice for their care and devotion to Arvilla. A celebration of Arvilla’s life will be held Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at Law Jones Funeral Home, in Mt. Carroll, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Please come to enjoy some food and share your favorite memories.

Arvilla was born February 3, 1939, in Fairhaven, IL, the daughter of Alvin and Eugenia (Preston) Keller. She graduated from Mt. Carroll High School with the class of 1956, and only a few months later, on July 17, 1956, married John Straub. Arvilla settled into her role as homemaker and together they had 3 children. She assisted John with his construction business and worked for Good Samaritan nursing home as a nursing assistant. As the children grew a bit older, Arvilla enrolled in nursing school at the behest of her coworkers. During this time in her life she juggled school work, young children, a husband working many days and nights away from home, all while assisting him with the back end of the business. And the beautiful thing was that she did it all with a smile on her face.

After earning her nursing degree from Sauk Valley College in 1979, Arvilla worked as an OB nurse with CGH Medical Center in Sterling. She assisted in the delivery of many babies over the years, and even delivered one at home during a snowstorm. She was a full-time nurse for 25+ years, and worked an additional five years part-time.

As their kids left the nest, John and Arvilla began to travel, taking time to take a special trip every year. They visited 48 of the 50 states (Delaware and Hawaii were never graced with her presence). But these trips weren’t always vacations; many were “adventures.” Such as the time they visited northern Canada. They were in a bus driving over a rocky and uneven ice road. As some of the passengers were cowering in their seats, praying they wouldn’t become stranded or break through the ice, Arvilla and John were hanging out of the windows trying to get pictures of the majestic polar bears and icy landscape.

In her down time, Arvilla liked to listen to Alan Jackson and other country music, and loved to crochet and quilt. And if you brought her a chocolate shake with some French fries, you had a friend for life!

Arvilla will be dearly missed by her husband of nearly 67 years, John; children, Michael (Becky) Straub, of Rock Falls, IL, Christine Anderson, of Winnebago, IL, and Mark (Ann) Straub, of Hayward, WI; four grandchildren; four great grandchildren; and a sister, Arlene Crockett, of Thomson, IL. She is preceded in death by her parents, Alvin and Eugenia Keller and brother, Alvin (infant).