Catherine C. (Cardenas) Nilo

OTTAWA – Catherine C. Nilo, age 91, fell asleep with the Lord on Sunday morning, July 3, 2016.

Visitation will be held at Gladfelter Funeral Home on Wednesday, July 6, 2016 from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.  Mass of Christian Burial will be held Thursday, July 7, 2016 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church at 10:00 a.m. with Father Augustin Kassa officiating.  Burial will take place at Oakwood Memorial Park.  Pallbearers will be Richard Nilo, Tom Vandervort, James Ortiz, Michael Ortiz, Aaron Lopez, and Carl Herzog.

Catherine was born May 1, 1925 in Ottawa, the daughter of Michael and Mary (Silva) Cardenas.  On November 6, 1943, she married the love of her life, Antonio G. Nilo.  He preceded her in death on July 16, 1987.  She leaves to cherish her memory her children, Richard (Cathy) Nilo of Elmhurst, Olivia “Libbie” (Thomas) Vandervort of Ottawa, and Corinne Nilo of Ottawa; her grandchildren, Jason (Sherry) Nilo, Brian Nilo, Carolyn (Brad) Broderson, Angela Lehmann, Catherine Jeannine (Chris) Kozak, and Laura (Simon) Fryer; and her great-grandchildren, Christopher Nilo, Kyle Nilo, Corey Nilo, Kevin Nilo, Ava Broderson, Reid Broderson, Lexie Lehmann, Ricky Lehmann, Gabrielle Kozak, Elizabeth Kozak, Justin Kozak, Lucy Fryer, and Andre Fryer; and her sister, Cora Gasca of Batavia.  She also leaves behind her dear friends and care providers, Terry Haws and Sandy Thacker.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Antonio Nilo, her son, George Nilo, her two brothers, Albert “Lupe” Cardenas and John Cardenas, and her two sisters, Carmen Ortiz and Josephine Melgoza.

Catherine was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Church and of the Guadalupana Society.  She was employed at Ryburn Memorial Hospital and the LaSalle County Nursing Home where she pursued her love of nursing and assisting the elderly until her retirement in 2000.

The cornerstone of Catherine’s life was her devotion to her family.  She was a most loving daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.  As a young lady, she left school to provide income to assist her widowed mother with supporting her siblings who were most appreciative of her sacrifice.  Postponing her own dream of becoming a nurse, she provided the necessary financial assistance for her sister, Carmen, to become a teacher, and for her sister, Cora, to become a nurse and for her sister, Josephine, to become a beautician.  When her four children were of school age, she earned her GED and her nursing degree from Illinois Valley Community College while caring for her husband who was receiving hemodialysis treatments.

She was a wonderful homemaker who created a home where love thrived.  Together, she and her husband built their first home entirely by their own hands.  It was truly a labor of love, with Catherine laying hardwood floors just a few weeks before the birth of her fourth child.

Her children, grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren were the treasures in her life.  Her love for each of them was limitless.  She was totally involved in her children’s educations, providing constant encouragement for each of them to reach their own goals in life.  She passed on her determination and strong work ethics to her children, along with her love of reading.  She was an excellent baker and cook.  Her children and grandchildren cherish their memories of cooking and baking with her over the years, especially while making tortillas, taffy apples, and Christmas cookies.  Catherine was an accomplished seamstress, sewing most of her daughters’ school clothes, maternity dresses for her daughter in-law, and special garments, including a beautiful First Communion dress, for her granddaughters.  Her daughters and granddaughters learned the beauty of crochet from her talented hands.

Prior to her failing health, she traveled extensively with her family members throughout the United States and to Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, and Mexico.  She enjoyed different aspects of culture, which included trips to the Chicago Art Institute to view works by Monet, Picasso, and other artists, and she enjoyed Chicago theatre performances such as Showboat, the Lion King, and Les Miserables.  On a beautiful summer eve, she accompanied her daughter to see the Rolling Stones.  She was an avid Bulls fan during the Michael Jordan era, and as a Christmas gift, she received excellent seat tickets to attend one of his games.  When she was diagnosed with Alzheimers, she was determined to live her life as normally and as completely as possible.  Through the assistance of the Ottawa Community Hospital Adult Day Center, she maintained a strong quality of life.  With her amazing inner strength, which was evident throughout her entire life, and the loving and dedicated care provided to her by her children, she achieved a comfortable and meaningful life.

Memorial contributions to the family would be most appreciated.