Dolores O'Connor

Dolores H. (Spangler) O’Connor, 89, of Kankakee, died January 6 at Riverside Medical Center surrounded by family. Visitation will be from 4 pm to 8 pm on Monday, January 9 at the Clancy-Gernon-Hertz Funeral Home, Kankakee. A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 am Tuesday, January 10 at St. John Paul II Catholic Church, Kankakee. The Reverend Matthew Pratscher will officiate. Burial will be in St. James the Apostle Catholic Cemetery, Irwin. Memorials may be made to St. John Paul II Catholic Church, Kankakee. Mrs. O’Connor married Wayne O’Connor on August 18, 1956 at St. James the Apostle Catholic Church, Irwin, celebrating 55 years until his passing. She was a housewife, farmer, and formerly owner and operator of O’C Micro Systems. She also ran O’Connor Country Kennels for 20 years. She was born August 16, 1933, in Chicago, the daughter of Joseph and Stella Ignatowicz Spangler. She was salutatorian of the 1951 graduating class of Bradley Bourbonnais Community High School and also served as a reporter on the BBCHS newspaper staff. She was a very active mother of seven, grandmother of 22, and great-grandmother of 26. She was an involved member of St. John Paul II Catholic church where she served as a Eucharistic Minister, Lector, CCW Officer, Past Woman of the Year, and CCD teacher. She loved farm life, especially working with the crops and spending time with her Arabian horses. She spent 30 years as an Election Judge in Limestone Township and after retiring, she volunteered weekly for many years at Provena St. Mary’s Hospital. She had a passion for classic western movies and books, euchre and dominoes and could often be seen in the audience watching family members participate in sports, achieve honors or awards, reach special milestones, or receive sacraments of the Catholic Church. She was the “glue” that kept her children attending the summer O’Connor family reunion for 31 years. You could always count on her humor for telling jokes and sending funny birthday cards. Surviving are three sons and daughters-in-law, Shawn O’Connor of Limestone, Kevin and Deb O’Connor of Groveland, and Brandon and Kari O’Connor of Machesney Park; four daughters and sons-in-law, Sharon and Michael Butz of Westfield, IN, Kathleen and Larry Rieke of Zionsville, IN, Bridget and Stephen Berggren of Chebanse, and Barbara O’Connor of Limestone; 22 grandchildren, Kory (Lindsay) O’Connor, Benjamin (Michelle) O’Connor, Amy (Peter) Blackett, Rebecca Royal, Lucas (Alina) Butz, Sarah (Peter) Schlifke, Tyler (Natalie) Rieke, Connor (Julia) Rieke, Kaylee (Kyle) Gray, Kelsey (Alex) Cairns, Kenzie (Maks) Malec, Tony Souligne, Karen Slater, Dave (Adrianne), Jake, Angel, Nicholas, and Sabrina Souligne, Nathan and Samantha O’Connor, Elizabeth and Matthew O’Connor; 26 great grandchildren; sister Phyllis Bisaillon of Herscher; brother Wayne “Buzzy” (Donna) Spangler of Bradley; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and brother Spencer (Tommy) Spangler.

Dolores O'Connor

August 16, 1933 - January 6, 2023