Elfrieda Marie Hurley

Age 100, passed away on Tuesday, February 20, 2007. Fritzi was born December 9, 1906 on her family's farm in rural Manawa. She was the youngest of eight children born to Fred and Emily (Stephan) Mengert. When Fritzi was nine months old, her mother passed away and her Pa later married her step-mother, Marie. Fritzi was thankful for having been born into a loving, Christian family. She was baptized and confirmed in German, just like all of her brothers and sisters at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Manawa. After Fritzi graduated from Little Wolf High School, in the class of 1924, she moved to Milwaukee to begin her career working for the John Deere Company. She was proud to be a Deere girl. When the company relocated to Moline, IL, Fritzi moved to Moline and lived there until her retirement. At the time of her retirement, she married William Hurley and moved back to Milwaukee. He preceded her in death in 1981. Fritzi continued to live in Milwaukee until she moved back to Manawa to make her home with her niece, Elaine and Alvern Ferg. Fritzi enjoyed traveling, playing bridge with her friends and was an avid reader. She was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Manawa. Fritzi is survived by her niece and nephews: Elaine and Alvern Ferg, Gerald Mengert, Wesley and Jean Mengert, Mayford and Mary Mengert, Bill and Joan Mengert, and also by great nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and step-mother, her husband William, her sisters and brothers: Martha (Frank) Schwanke, Ella Mengert, Otto (Laura) Mengert, Richard (Nora) Mengert, Clara (Arnold) Sturm, Fred (Anna) Mengert and Elsie (Len) Fasher, her nieces and nephews: Lucille, Naomi, Janice, Glendell and Donald. The funeral service for Fritzi will be held on Friday, February 23, 2007 at 1:00 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Manawa with Rev. H. William Jordan officiating. Burial will be in Little Wolf Cemetery, in the Town of Little Wolf. Friends may call directly at the church on Friday from noon until the time of the service.