Audrey Rodgers Packard

Audrey Isabelle Rodgers Packard, of Bradley, passed away at age 91, Jan. 11, 2012, at Faith Place in Danforth. She was born Audrey Isabelle Priebe on April 14, 1920, in New Richmond, Ind., the daughter of Wilhelm and Effie Lindsley Priebe. She graduated from Wingate High School in Wingate, Ind., and while in high school, she sang in a trio called the Harmonettes over station WBAA on the campus of Purdue University in Lafayette, Ind. She played saxophone in the Farm Bureau Marching Band in Crawfordsville, Ind., and was the vocalist with a local dance band. Audrey married Marvin Robert Rodgers Sr., of Hoopeston, on April 23, 1939, in Wingate. After marrying Mr. Rodgers, they lived in Gibson City for a few months then moved to Hoopeston, where they owned and operated a restaurant and candy shop, called the H&H. Following World War II, they settled in Bradley, where Audrey joined the Bradley Methodist Church, sang in the choir and taught Sunday school. She was also the president of the Women's Society of Christian Service (WSCS). In the early 1950s, Audrey was the first female to ever serve on the Bradley Elementary District 61 School Board. She served when the decision was made to build East and West Bradley grade schools under Carl Hughes as principal and Ruel Hall as Kankakee County superintendent. She was a Girl Scout leader for her two daughters and a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader for her two sons. Audrey was an American Red Cross volunteer for many years. She was a "Gray Lady" serving St. Mary's Hospital and Dwight Veterans Hospital and was a Motor Corps chairwoman for the bloodmobile. She traveled within the USA and Canada with the barbershop chorus Bonnie Belles for many years. She also served on the Friends of the Library committee to build the Bradley Public Library. Audrey was an employee of First Midwest Bank, of Joliet, formerly Bradley State & Savings Bank, for 27 years and retired as a senior vice president. During her employment at the bank, she also served as an auditor for First Midwest Bank of Joliet. Audrey was a lifetime member of the Bradley American Legion Auxiliary and a former member of the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra fundraising committee. After her retirement, she was a volunteer in the emergency room at St. Mary's Hospital in Kankakee, and while wintering in Arizona, she volunteered at Boswell Memorial Hospital in Sun City, Ariz., in the records department. For several years after her retirement, Audrey was a caregiver and guardian for a close friend, who is now deceased. Surviving are her husband, Donald H. Packard, whom she married July 20, 1977, in Las Vegas, Nev.; two daughters and sons-in-law, Lee Ann and Jim Hollywood, of Bourbonnais, and Carol and Fred Schultz, of Sun City; two sons and daughters-in-law, Bob and Carol Rodgers, of Crystal Lake, and John and Jan Rodgers, of Bourbonnais; stepdaughter, Donna Montgomery, of Springfield; stepson and daughter-in-law, Chic and Audrey Packard, of Wilmington, Del.; ex-stepdaughter-in-law, Linda Packard, of Bear, Del.; 10 grandchildren and their spouses, Candice and Greg Brenneisen, of Bradley, Brett and Mary Hollywood, of Bloomington, Jeffrey and Yolanda Schultz, of Lucerne Valley, Calif., Paula and John Courtade, of Irvine, Calif., Jennifer and Brian Ball, of Surprise, Ariz., Matthew and Tara Rodgers, of McHenry, Holly and Andy Wilde, of Bayview, Wis., Julie and Marc Langer, of Bloomington, Jillian Rodgers, of Kankakee, Jamie and Matthew Budy, of Lombard; one stepgrandson and stepgranddaughter-in-law, Jonathon and Juliette Packard, of Townsend, Del; 13 great-grandchildren, Caitlin and Joshua Brenneisen, of Bradley, Keenan, Baileigh and Dylan Hollywood, all of Bloomington, Paul and Mike Lomeli, of Irvine, Lily and Macyn Rodgers, of McHenry, Jack Wilde, of Bayview, Alexis and Sean Langer, of Bloomington, and baby Budy, of Lombard, due in April 2012; one stepgreat-grandson, Gage Sand, of McHenry; one sister, Jean Cline, of Englewood, Fla.; one sister-in-law, Margaret Priebe, of Waunakee, Wis.; and several nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her parents, Wilhelm and Effie Priebe; her first husband, Marvin R. Rodgers Sr.; her two brothers, William Priebe and Lloyd Priebe; three sisters, Dorothy Keyes, Geraldine Cione and Ruth Cunningham; and her infant son, who died at 8 days old. Her interests were her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, being outdoors, gardening, her music, singing, playing her organ, reading, doing crossword puzzles, traveling, watching football, softball, tennis and volleyball games and she enjoyed watching her grandchildren participate in all these sports during grade school, high school and college. She loved the Chicago Bears and her Cubs. Memorials may be made to Faith Place, P.O. Box 4, Danforth, IL 60930 or to Hospice c/o Iroquois Memorial Hospital, 200 Fairman Ave., Watseka, IL 60970. A private wake and funeral were held Jan. 20 at the Clancy-Gernon Funeral Home in Bourbonnais. The Rev. Andrew Anthony officiated. Burial was in Kankakee Memorial Gardens, Aroma Township. Pallbearers were her eight grandsons, Jeffrey Schultz, Brett Hollywood, Matthew Rodgers, Greg Brenneisen, Jonathon Packard, Matthew Budy, Marc Langer and Andy Wilde. Audrey was a devoted mother, wife, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She was great fun to be around and had a marvelous sense of humor. She was loved so very much by all her family and friends, and she will be sadly missed by all who loved her. Her favorite saying was: When I am old, I shall wear my red hat and my purple dress and carry my big stick, so I can make noise on the neighbor's fence; so people who know me are not too shocked and surprised, when suddenly I am old and start to wear purple." And she did!

Audrey Rodgers Packard

April 14, 1920 - January 11, 2012