Cecilia Mary (Hawk) Zemke

Cecilia Mary (Hawk) Zemke, age 88, took Jesus’ hand and went to her heavenly home on Sunday, October 14, 2018 at FHN Memorial Hospital, Freeport, Illinois.

Cecilia was born June 22, 1930, in Thomson, Illinois, the daughter of William and Mary (Halfman) Hawk. She attended grade schools at Thomson, Oil Valley and Daggerts. Cecilia graduated from Chadwick High School in 1948 and went to work as a telephone operator for Middle States Telephone Company (now Century Link). There she met the love of her life, Leo Zemke, who was a lineman for the company. They were married on April 28, 1952 in St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Savanna and made their home in Mt. Carroll. They celebrated 60 years of marriage until Leo’s death on October 4, 2012.

After their children Kathleen and Leo were in school, Cecilia went back to work. She was secretary/bookkeeper for the Carroll County Soil and Conservation District for 30 years and then secretary/bookkeeper for SS. John & Catherine Catholic Church for 17 years retiring in 2013. Cecilia was a faithful member of SS. John & Catherine Catholic Church where she served as Greeter and Eucharistic Minister.
She was a member of the Ladies Society and American Legion Auxiliary. She loved to spend time with her family and at the age of 85 took the Amtrak to Boston, MA to visit her daughter and granddaughter. Cecilia loved to bake cookies, read, sew, crochet, and work crossword puzzles. She also loved watching the squirrels, birds, and deer who fed at her feeders all year long.

Cecilia will be dearly missed by her daughter, Kathleen Zemke of Macomb, Illinois; her son Leo (Tina) Zemke of Mt. Carroll, Illinois; four grandchildren, Leo (Kimberly) Zemke of Jones, AL, Saul (Melissa Baker) Zemke of Freeport, Joshua Zemke of Mt. Carroll and Bethany Worrell of Queens, NY; and a step great-grandson, Dylan Cole of Jones, AL; six nieces, one nephew and their families; and two brothers, William (Jeanine) Hawk and Francis Hawk, both of Mt. Carroll. Cecilia is preceded in death by her parents; husband Leo; sister and brother-in-law, Barbara (Alvin) Schnitzler; and sister-in-law, Carol Hawk.

A Funeral Mass will be held 10:30 a.m. Thursday, October 18, 2018 at SS. John & Catherine Catholic Church, Mt. Carroll with burial in Oak Hill Cemetery, Mt. Carroll. Visitation will be held from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 17, 2018 at Law-Jones Funeral Home, Mt. Carroll, with a Wake Service and Rosary Service at 7:00 p.m. Family and friends are invited to share in Cecilia’s life at www.lawjonesfuneralhome.com .