Vada J. Morhardt

Vada J. Morhardt, age 98, of Elizabeth, IL, passed away Wednesday, May 3, at Allure Nursing Home in Mt. Carroll, IL. Funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, at the Law Jones Funeral Home in Elizabeth. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. prior to the service at the funeral home. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery in Hanover, IL.

Vada was born in Redwood Falls, MN, on June 5, 1924, daughter of George and Clara (Miller) Miner. She married George Morhardt on September 17, 1941. They farmed in the Elizabeth area until his passing in 1969. She moved to Freeport, IL, in 1971, working in medical records at the Freeport Memorial Hospital by day, and then working at Emmert Drug Store in the evenings. Hard work was a long time theme in Vada’s life. She worked at the hospital for 15 years, retiring in 1986. Vada then moved to rural Woodbine, IL.

Vada always liked to keep busy. This means when she wasn’t working, she was doing something else, like crocheting or quilting gifts for her friends and family, or tending to her beautiful vegetable garden. Vada was known for her amazing pies and cookies. Her famed cookies always included walnuts, and were often in various shapes, cut out from the hundreds of cookie cutters she collected.

Vada and George raised two sons together. She was always a caring mother, who taught her sons the value of a hard days work. Vada took great pride in her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They always looked forward to overnights at grandma’s, where they would fish and ride snow mobiles. Vada was always available for family, and would drop anything to help in any way she could.

Vada will be dearly missed by her two sons, Kenneth (Deanna) Morhardt of Lake of the Hills, IL, and Keith (Joyce) Morhardt of Elizabeth; five grandsons, Bruce (Wendy) Morhardt of Roscoe, IL, Steve (Amy) Morhardt of South Elgin, IL, Peter Morhardt of Elizabeth, Isaac (Becky) Morhardt of Elizabeth, and Daniel (Ashley) Morhardt of Belleville, IL; eight great-grandchildren, Benjamin, Brandon, Hailey, Audrey, Wyatt, Faith, Christian, and Jonas; and one sister, Mary Rule of Monroe, WI.

Vada is preceded in death by her husband, George; her parents, George and Clara; four sisters, Dorothy Cromwell, Viola Heidenreich, Clara Belle Waltrip, and Ione Martin; and two brothers, Vere “Hack” Miner and Vernon Miner.

Vada’s family would like to thank the caring staffs at Allure of Mt. Carroll and the old Elizabeth Nursing Home, as well as Dr. Vandigo and a special CNA named Tina, for their care and support over the years.