Lillian (Ciontea) Seegers

Lillian Seegers, gracefully walked the path of the Lord and reached his home after a long contest with vascular dementia.

Lillian was born in Chicago on December 19, 1934 to Constantin and Helen Ciontea. The family eventually moved from the city and settled in Cary, Illinois, where they lived on the Fox River. Lillian attended and graduated from Crystal Lake Central High School in 1953. That is where she met her eventual husband Bob Seegers Sr. and the two of them proceeded to relish in a 64-year marriage, residing on the family’s land in Crystal Lake, until Bob’s death in 2018.

Lill had many passions besides her 5 children, but first and foremost in her mind was her love, faith and trust in following God’s wishes.

Lill and Bob started Seegers Grain Company circa 1958. In the beginning, Lill drove a truck to haul customers grain into their facility as well as keeping the books of the company. As the company grew, Lill’s bookkeeping obligation kept her in the office. She was instrumental in leading the company’s accounting system into the computerized world becoming one of the first country grain companies to accomplish such an unheard-of feat.

In addition to operating the family business, Lill was generous with her time for others. She taught religious education classes at Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Cary, IL, was a past president of Prairie Grove Elementary School Activities Club, a Girl Scout leader, a board member for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois, founding member of the Crystal Lake Snow Tigers Snowmobile Club, board member and President of McHenry County Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADs-now called WACM – Woodstock Area Community Ministries). She also paneled numerous Grain Industry accounting seminars on converting to digital accounting throughout the Midwest. Ministries at Ss. Peter and Paul church included Eucharistic Minister, Mass coordinator, and the Liturgy board.

In addition to her love for God, she also cherished her family, attending hundreds of children and grandchildren’s sporting events, band concerts, graduations, birthdays as well as comforting and navigating them through everyday life.

Lillian is survived by her children including her daughter, Susan Zbierski, and sons Mark (Julie), Russ (Cathy), Bob Jr (Jennifer), and Phil (Marianne) Seegers; Grandchildren, Robert (Kate), Randy (Sarah), Ryan Zbierski, Christopher (Taylor) Seegers, Jannelle (Nick) Bonner, Kyle (Whitney), Lauren, Brett, Cade, Kelsey, Blake, Lucas Seegers; Great grandchildren, Charlie & Effie Zbierski, Aeric Walls, Olivia Zesati, Weston Bonner, Asher, Caleb and Joanna Seegers; all of her beloved nieces and nephews of the Ciontea and Neumann Families.

Her personal caregivers, Sonia Rivera and Noelia Salazar Contreras will always be loved by Lillian and her family for the compassion they bestowed upon her while in their care.

Lillian was preceded in death by her parents Constantin and Helen Ciontea, husband Bob, brother Joseph Ciontea and great grandchild Layne Worden.

Visitation will be 1pm – 4pm, Sunday, February 14 at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 419 E. Terra Cotta Ave (Route 176), Crystal Lake.

Funeral Services will be at 10:30am Monday February 15, at Ss. Peter & Paul Church, 410 First St. in Cary, IL. The Church requires names and phone number of attendees in advance to comply with state COVID mandates. Please call the funeral home to register for the mass, 815-459-3411. Burial will follow in McHenry County Memorial Park in Woodstock, IL.

The family sincerely thanks the staff of Bickford Senior Living in Crystal Lake for their care and dedication to our mother’s well-being.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to either WACM (Woodstock Area Community Ministries, Formerly PADS) or Ss. Peter & Paul Catholic Church-Cary or Alzheimer’s Association.