February
24,
1924
24,
1924
May
04,
2024
04,
2024
Isabelle Virginia "Ginny" Hann of Somonauk passed away Saturday, May 4, 2024 at her home,
with family by her side. Ginny was born on February 24, 1924 to parents, John and Grace (Gletty) Hann, in Adams Township on their family farm south of Somonauk.
After starting her education at the Coultrip Grade School, she graduated, along with
her 18 classmates, from Somonauk High School in 1942. She then completed courses at
Ritchie Secretarial School in Aurora. And after taking evening extension courses, while
working in Washington D.C., Colorado and Illinois, she went on to earn her bachelor's degree
from Aurora College in 1974.
Ginny's first job out of high school was at the James Knights Company in Sandwich, then Fowler
Equipment Company in Aurora and then back to Sandwich at New Idea Farm Equipment Company. While sitting at her desk one day, she asked herself "Is this all there is"? It was then that she saw an ad in a women's magazine asking for "Government Secretaries Overseas". She applied and was accepted. In January of 1951 her dad took her and her footlocker to the Somonauk Depot in the bobsled. She reported to O'Hare for her physical, flew to NY, then left on a troop ship to Wiesbaden Germany to start her career as a Civilian Secretary to the United States Air Force. While in Germany she told of weekend adventures; trips to Paris, or skiing or sightseeing. She collected many fun, special and interesting souvenirs on those adventures. From Germany she came back to the U.S. and worked for the Office of the Secretary of Defense at The Pentagon. Soon after, her friend, Edie, invited her to come out to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. There she worked for the engineers who were building the academy at the time. It was in 1965 that she returned home to help her mom care for her dad till his death in 1967. She then went to work for the Department of Energy's Atomic Energy Commission at Argonne National Laboratory, retiring in 1979.
Ginny had a deep interest in local history and especially in our family genealogy. She traveled
extensively in the U.S. and abroad to search for records, names and graves. She was a member
of the LaSalle County Genealogical Society, The DeKalb Co. Historical & Genealogy Society and the Illinois State Genealogical Society. She published Tombstone Transcriptions for St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery; also contributing to cemetery transcriptions in Adams, Northville, Mission, Serena, Victor and Somonauk Townships.
Besides her interest in genealogy, she had a great love and talent for China painting. It started
in 1972 when she saw beautifully painted pieces at the Sandwich Fair and contacted the artist.
She started taking lessons and became an award-winning artist herself. She continued to paint
till she was 98 yrs. old. She enjoyed traveling with the Friends of Alsace and had been to 6 of
the 7 continents. She also enjoyed auctions, bowling, golf, skiing and her time working
for the Sandwich Fair Association, at the Secretary's Office, for many years.
Ginny was a faithful servant her entire life. She was baptized, received First Communion,
and Confirmation at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. She was involved in the Young Ladies Sodality, The Altar and Rosary Society and Cemetery Committee. She still drove herself to daily mass, having proudly passed her last drivers test at age 100. She also enjoyed being a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church for the 35 yrs. she lived in Sandwich.
Ginny lived a long and amazing life ~ one that many of us can only dream about. She was healthy, adventurous, brave, independent, kind, loving and had a wonderful sense of humor. She was a matriarch, a sister, an aunt, a great aunt, a great great aunt, a great great great aunt
and a dear friend to many. She will be deeply missed and remembered often.
She is survived by her brothers, John Ronald "Ron" Hann of Somonauk IL and James Richard
"Rick" (Betty) Hann of Sarasota FL, 27 nieces and nephews ~ Jan, Roberta, Pat, Joe and Kay (Bob's); Margaret, Reita, Shirley, Janet and Linda (Maggie's); Sheila, Cindy, Mike and Lynn (Bill's); Debby, Susan, Bruce, Jim, Dean, Vanessa and Christy (Jerry's); Steve, Tim and Mary (Marian's) and Patti, Rick and Tony (Rick's). She is also survived by many great, great great and great great great nieces and nephews and her dedicated and loyal caregiver, Lana Shelest.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings and their spouses ~ Bob (2003) & Jeanette
(2005) Hann; Magdalene (2005) & Harvey (1978) Haas; Lawrence "Bill" (2002) & Marian (1999) Hann; Jerry (2022) & Evelyn (2021) Hann; Marian (2019) & Larry (2012) Griswold and sister-in-law Barbara (2000) Hann. Also preceded in death by nephews David & Don Hann; Chuck, Tom & Paul Haas and nieces Teresa (Hann) Iles and Jennifer (Hann) Reiss.
Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Somonauk with Father Kevin Butler officiating. Burial will follow at St. John Catholic Cemetery in Somonauk. Visitation will be from 3:00 -7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at Eighner Funeral Home in Somonauk with the Rosary being recited at 7:00 p.m. Memorials may be directed to memorial masses or to the charity of one's choice. For more information or to sign the online guestbook, go to www.EighnerFuneralHomes.com
Eighner Funeral Homes
13160 W. Rt. 34 - P.O. Box 404
Somonauk, IL 60552
(815) 498-2363
with family by her side. Ginny was born on February 24, 1924 to parents, John and Grace (Gletty) Hann, in Adams Township on their family farm south of Somonauk.
After starting her education at the Coultrip Grade School, she graduated, along with
her 18 classmates, from Somonauk High School in 1942. She then completed courses at
Ritchie Secretarial School in Aurora. And after taking evening extension courses, while
working in Washington D.C., Colorado and Illinois, she went on to earn her bachelor's degree
from Aurora College in 1974.
Ginny's first job out of high school was at the James Knights Company in Sandwich, then Fowler
Equipment Company in Aurora and then back to Sandwich at New Idea Farm Equipment Company. While sitting at her desk one day, she asked herself "Is this all there is"? It was then that she saw an ad in a women's magazine asking for "Government Secretaries Overseas". She applied and was accepted. In January of 1951 her dad took her and her footlocker to the Somonauk Depot in the bobsled. She reported to O'Hare for her physical, flew to NY, then left on a troop ship to Wiesbaden Germany to start her career as a Civilian Secretary to the United States Air Force. While in Germany she told of weekend adventures; trips to Paris, or skiing or sightseeing. She collected many fun, special and interesting souvenirs on those adventures. From Germany she came back to the U.S. and worked for the Office of the Secretary of Defense at The Pentagon. Soon after, her friend, Edie, invited her to come out to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. There she worked for the engineers who were building the academy at the time. It was in 1965 that she returned home to help her mom care for her dad till his death in 1967. She then went to work for the Department of Energy's Atomic Energy Commission at Argonne National Laboratory, retiring in 1979.
Ginny had a deep interest in local history and especially in our family genealogy. She traveled
extensively in the U.S. and abroad to search for records, names and graves. She was a member
of the LaSalle County Genealogical Society, The DeKalb Co. Historical & Genealogy Society and the Illinois State Genealogical Society. She published Tombstone Transcriptions for St. John the Baptist Catholic Cemetery; also contributing to cemetery transcriptions in Adams, Northville, Mission, Serena, Victor and Somonauk Townships.
Besides her interest in genealogy, she had a great love and talent for China painting. It started
in 1972 when she saw beautifully painted pieces at the Sandwich Fair and contacted the artist.
She started taking lessons and became an award-winning artist herself. She continued to paint
till she was 98 yrs. old. She enjoyed traveling with the Friends of Alsace and had been to 6 of
the 7 continents. She also enjoyed auctions, bowling, golf, skiing and her time working
for the Sandwich Fair Association, at the Secretary's Office, for many years.
Ginny was a faithful servant her entire life. She was baptized, received First Communion,
and Confirmation at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. She was involved in the Young Ladies Sodality, The Altar and Rosary Society and Cemetery Committee. She still drove herself to daily mass, having proudly passed her last drivers test at age 100. She also enjoyed being a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church for the 35 yrs. she lived in Sandwich.
Ginny lived a long and amazing life ~ one that many of us can only dream about. She was healthy, adventurous, brave, independent, kind, loving and had a wonderful sense of humor. She was a matriarch, a sister, an aunt, a great aunt, a great great aunt, a great great great aunt
and a dear friend to many. She will be deeply missed and remembered often.
She is survived by her brothers, John Ronald "Ron" Hann of Somonauk IL and James Richard
"Rick" (Betty) Hann of Sarasota FL, 27 nieces and nephews ~ Jan, Roberta, Pat, Joe and Kay (Bob's); Margaret, Reita, Shirley, Janet and Linda (Maggie's); Sheila, Cindy, Mike and Lynn (Bill's); Debby, Susan, Bruce, Jim, Dean, Vanessa and Christy (Jerry's); Steve, Tim and Mary (Marian's) and Patti, Rick and Tony (Rick's). She is also survived by many great, great great and great great great nieces and nephews and her dedicated and loyal caregiver, Lana Shelest.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings and their spouses ~ Bob (2003) & Jeanette
(2005) Hann; Magdalene (2005) & Harvey (1978) Haas; Lawrence "Bill" (2002) & Marian (1999) Hann; Jerry (2022) & Evelyn (2021) Hann; Marian (2019) & Larry (2012) Griswold and sister-in-law Barbara (2000) Hann. Also preceded in death by nephews David & Don Hann; Chuck, Tom & Paul Haas and nieces Teresa (Hann) Iles and Jennifer (Hann) Reiss.
Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 9, 2024 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Somonauk with Father Kevin Butler officiating. Burial will follow at St. John Catholic Cemetery in Somonauk. Visitation will be from 3:00 -7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 at Eighner Funeral Home in Somonauk with the Rosary being recited at 7:00 p.m. Memorials may be directed to memorial masses or to the charity of one's choice. For more information or to sign the online guestbook, go to www.EighnerFuneralHomes.com
Eighner Funeral Homes
13160 W. Rt. 34 - P.O. Box 404
Somonauk, IL 60552
(815) 498-2363
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