Jean Eleanor Sieber

Jean Eleanor Sieber, age 79, of Mt. Carroll, died Monday, August 24, 2009 at FHN Hospital, Freeport. Jean Eleanor Trone was born May 23, 1930 in Browning Township, Schuyler County, the daughter of Carl A. and Bertha "Addie" (Kinnear) Trone. She attended Ridgeville Country School, was a graduate from the Rushville High School with the Class of 1947, and then attended Western Illinois University. She worked at the Savanna Army Depot where she and her best friend (Clairabelle Sack) met brothers and married. Jean married Richard "Dick" Sack October 11, 1952 in Rushville. He died May 3, 1969 in Mt. Carroll. Jean later married Bernard "Bernie" Sieber May 10, 1976. He died July 2, 1983.Jean was very community oriented and did all she could to promote Mt. Carroll. She was a member of the Mt. Carroll United Methodist Church where she also was a member of the Methodist Women and the Church Circle. Jean participated by calling people for the funeral luncheons and took great pride in the wonderful meals that the Church prepared for the loved ones family and friends. She was a member of the Mt. Carroll Chamber of Commerce and a past President and Secretary. Jean has been a life member of the Green Hills Girl Scout Council and a member of PEO. She helped organize Sink or Swim to raise funds for building the Mt. Carroll swimming pool. Jean worked for the Mirror-Democrat, the Savanna Army Depot, Mt. Carroll Insurance Agency, G& E Cleaners and of course Siebers Jewelry Store, where she worked side by side Where she worked side by side with Bernie, until she was forced to retire because of her health. She coined the phrase, “We Take the Tim e To Care” in the store and was so proud that the town of Mt. Carroll also adopted it as their slogan. Jean never met a stranger and never forgot the people she met. She was fortunate to be able to travel before her illness confined her to home. She traveled to Switzerland to locate the homestead of Bernie’s family. Jean and “travel buddy” Betty Harms made many trips together, their favorite being Alaska. She traveled to California to visit Mark and his family, taking wonderful side trips to Monterey and San Francisco, where she experienced a real west coast earthquake. That’s an adventure she never forgot! Jean traveled to Ohio to visit Beth’s family, ventured over to our nations capital, Washington D.C. Jean traveled with Laurie’s family to Alabama for Mark’s graduation from flight school and there were many trips to visit her family home in Browning, Illinois. Last but not least, she took a ride on board the Twilight Paddle Boat down the Mississippi river, piloted by her cousin Dennis Tronne. Family was most important to her; she dedicated herself to keeping in touch with siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, school friends, co-workers, neighbors and friends. One of her favorite quotes was, “When it’s time to die, let us not discover that we have never lived” by Henry David Thoreau. Jean will be dearly missed by two daughters, Beth Surrarrer of Freeport and Laurie (Jim) Foltz of Mt. Carroll; her son, Mark R. Sack of Mt. Carroll; six grandchildren, Pat (Keta) Foltz, Justin Foltz, Christopher Sack, Amy Sack, Laura Sack and Emma Surrarrer; three great grandchildren, Isabelle and Ellanore Foltz, and Cassidy Budimlija; two sisters, Madelyn Dunlap and Marcella (David) Taylor, both of Macomb; and her brother, Glen (Vivian) Trone of Walnut, IL. also survived by sisters in-law, Clare Sack, Shirley Trone and Gudrun Sack, her caregiver, Patty Derrickson and many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and many many friends who were just like family.She is preceded in death by both parents; both husbands; her granddaughter, Kristen in 1981; four sisters, Nancy Trone, Mary Stambaugh, Clarice Dickerson and Lois Jones; and four brothers, Virgil, Carl Jr., Donald and Howard Trone.