Mary C. Zink

Mary C. Zink, age 48, of Freeport, Illinois, died Thursday, March 26, 2015, at her home surrounded by her family. A funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, March 29, 2015, at Law-Jones Funeral Home, Mt. Carroll, Illinois. Burial take place in Oak Hill Cemetery, Mt. Carroll. A visitation will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. A memorial fund has been established in Mary’s memory.
Mary Catherine Zink was born October 22, 1966 in Arlington Heights, Illinois, the second daughter of Donald and Connie Gruszka. When Mary was ten, the family moved to the southern Illinois town of Galconda where her father accepted a position as a Grade School Principal. As a youth, Mary loved to be outside enjoying nature and spending time with her beloved horse, Sandy Ann.
After high school, Mary attended Southeastern Illinois College where she earned an Associate’s Degree in Nursing. In 1987 Mary returned to the Sterling area working at CGH Medical Center for a short time. After moving to Pearl City that same year, she accepted a position at Freeport Memorial Hospital in the Pediatrics Department. During her 27 year career at the hospital, she worked in several different departments, including the ER and as a Nursing Supervisor. Her final position was in the Cardiac Services Department. While at the hospital, she earned a reputation as a knowledgeable, dependable, efficient and caring nurse. In a crisis you wanted Mary by your side. Besides her nursing duties, in 1998 Mary took on the role of Secretary/Treasurer of Z Team Pest Control, her husband and brother-in-law’s business. She was an integral part of the “team” to say the least.
In 1991 she married Jeffery Zink in Freeport, Illinois. They have one son, Adam. In 1996 the family moved to Shannon, Illinois. They recently moved back to the Freeport area.
In her free time, Mary enjoyed going out to eat. She enjoyed going to thrift, antique and second-hand stores. She loved a good bargain. She also enjoyed reading religious and spiritual literature and taking long walks. She loved to go on day trips with her husband, son and son’s girlfriend, Heather. She also loved to shop for purses, but hated to have to carry a purse. This is just one of the quirks that made Mary so special and so loved. She even laughed at herself over that one.
Mary’s favorite charity was St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, and she was affiliated with the Van Brocklin United Methodist Church of Freeport.
The greatest joy in Mary’s life was her family, especially her son. She was a loving, devoted and protective wife and mother. If the family needed her, she was always there no matter what. Even when health issues caused hospitalizations, she fought hard to get back home because she knew the love she had for her son, husband and family would give her the strength she needed to carry on. Being home with her loved ones was always her number one goal, and the best medicine.
Mary will be remembered by those who love her as a kind and gentle woman with a wicked funny sense of humor, a beautiful smile and an iron will. Even though she had endured many painful surgeries and procedures over the years, and numerous long hospitalizations, her light flickered a few times but never dimmed. She never let her illnesses rule her life. She was in charge of her life and didn’t let anyone get in her way, much to the dismay of a few of her doctors. Mary’s love for Jesus and her deep faith in God and his plan and the love of family and friends pulled her through many a dark time. In the end, she said that she was not afraid because she knew she was being called home and her reward was waiting. Her family can think of no one else who deserves a reward more than Mary.
The world was a better place while this dear soul walked among us, and now we notice the emptiness since she has gone.
Mary is survived and lovingly remembered by her husband, Jeffery of Freeport; her son, Adam (Heather Hall) of Lanark; her father, Donald Gruszka of Freeport; mother Connie Gruszka of Freeport; two sisters, Jeanne Parke of Freeport and Katie (Charles) Buzzell of Freeport; mother-in-law, Karen Zink of Mt. Carroll; brother-in-law, Troy (Brenda) Zink of Mt. Carroll; two nieces, Sophie and Emily Buzzell of Freeport, and her three nephews, Jeffrey Parke of Roy, Utah, Kyle Zink of Savanna and Tyler Zink of Mt. Carroll.
Mary was preceded in death by her grandparents, her uncle Russ McCowan of Prophetstown and her father-in-law, Larry Zink of Mt. Carroll.