Colette (Fritz) Cheffer

Colette (Fritz) Cheffer 103, passed away on Sunday (November 19, 2023) at Watseka Heritage Woods where she was a resident. She lived majority of her life in Kankakee County before moving to Heritage Woods in 2022. Colette Fritz was born July 21, 1920, in Kankakee, the daughter of Carl and Mary (Heimburger) Fritz. Her great-grandfather, Adam Fritz arrived in Kankakee from Germany in 1854. She was raised on the family farm located in Pilot township Kankakee County. Colette attended a one room school down the road from family farm and graduated from Herscher High School class of 1938. She married Paul G. Cheffer on November 26, 1949 at St. Margaret Mary in Herscher. They moved to Marycrest in the early 1950’s and later to Sunnyside, living there for 55 years. Colette worked at Bear Brand Hosiery and retired from Belscot children’s department after 20 years. She was an active member of St. Teresa Catholic Church in Kankakee. In her later years she enjoyed reading, visiting friends and family, watching TV and keeping up with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Surviving are three sons and two daughters-in-law, Jim Cheffer of Bradley, Ron (Elizabeth) Cheffer of Omaha, Neb., and Marc (Vicki) Cheffer of Streator; her grandchildren, Stacey (Jim) Larson, Tina (Troy) Payne, Alina (Byron) Borkowski, Amari (Will) Thomsen, Ricky Cheffer, Jayne Jargese and Mary Cheffer; her great-grandchildren, Eva, Autumn, Eli, Aric Payne, Odette Thomsen, Oliver and Violet Robertson; and many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews. Preceding Colette in death were her husband, Paul; parents; all her aunts and uncles; brothers, Aloysius and Bernard Fritz; sisters, Anna Rita Durand, Mary Jane Inkster, Angela Beauchamp, and Sister Mary Carla; all her brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law; and one daughter-in-law Monica Cheffer. Visitation will be held from 8:30 a.m. until the time of the 9:30 a.m. Funeral Mass on Saturday, November 25, 2023 at Saint John Paul II – West Campus. Interment will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Kankakee. Memorials may be made to Saint John Paul II parish Kankakee. The family would like to thank the staff at Riverside Assisted Living (Kankakee) and especially the Watseka Heritage Woods Memory Care. Also, Iroquois Memorial Hospice for the care Colette received in her final days.

Colette (Fritz) Cheffer

July 21, 1920 - November 19, 2023