Monna Mae O'Heron

Monna Mae O’Heron, age 97, of Savanna, Illinois, died Friday, December 30, 2016 at Big Meadows Nursing Home, Savanna. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, December 31, 2016 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Savanna, with Father Moises Apostol as Celebrant. Burial will take place in Savanna Township Cemetery, Savanna. A memorial fund has been established.
Monna was born October 23, 1919, the daughter of Elbert Lee and Hannah (Pfeiffer) Hungerford in Savanna. She attended Savanna High School and graduated with the Class of 1938. After high school, she attended beauty school in Madison, Wisconsin. Monna married Cornelius O’Heron on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941 in Savanna. They loved to travel, and visited Europe twice in the 1960’s. They celebrated 65 years of marriage until Cornelius’ death in 2007. Monna’s dream of returning to Europe was fulfilled in 2009 when she celebrated her 90th birthday in Paris and Munich with Jim and Carol Ballas. She said it was “my trip of a lifetime”.
Monna worked for the Savanna Telephone Company for 21 years. She also worked at the Savanna Army Depot for four years supporting the war effort. Monna was an active member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church and St. John’s Catholic Women’s Organization, and a member of the Savanna Ambulance Board for over 38 years, serving as Treasurer. Monna was an avid golfer. She was proud of her rose garden, and famous for her delicious pies and baked goods, which she shared with her beloved neighbors.
Monna will be dearly missed by her family, Jim and Carol Ballas of La Crosse, Wisconsin; her four godchildren, James Jr., Christopher, Kirsten, and Nicholas Ballas. She is preceded in death by her husband, Cornelius and her parents, Elbert and Hannah.