Memorial
Dorothy Schourek, nee’ O’Connell, 94, died on Wednesday April 13, 2022 at the Rehabilitation Center of Lisbon, Lisbon IA after a brief illness. She was born at home on November 25th, 1927 in Westmont IL, the daughter of Daniel and Nutris (Reiquam) O’Connell. Dorothy did many things to make her family smile and when we told others, they would smile too. She was a force of nature from a young age. A child of the Depression, she often spoke of the hobo camps near the railroad tracks, close to their home. Dorothy pitched such a ruckus when her older sister went to school that Dorothy, 4, also attended the Lutheran school with her sister.
Dorothy graduated from Marshall High School in Chicago IL in 1945. She did secretarial work in Chicago. Dorothy and her sister often spent their trolley fare on ice cream and would walk the 30 blocks home. She married Roy Schourek on December 16, 1950 in Chicago and they moved to Genoa IL and later to Beardstown IL for his work as a funeral director. In 1953, they moved to Moline IL where they raised their two girls and participated in numerous community organizations. She was a Sunday school teacher, a PTA member and Brownie troop leader. She moved to Cedar Rapids IA in 2013 to be closer to her daughter, Janet and family, and continued to live independently until 2020, still walking 4 miles each day.
Dorothy worked as a bank teller, a legal secretary, and was the cashier in the business office at Augustana College. After Roy died in 1987 she went to work as a docent at the Butterworth Center and Deere-Wiman House in Moline. Tours began on the hour, if you were still parking the car, too bad, you waited. She retired at age 82. She was a deft organizer and efficient scheduler and even the cat, Samantha, was on a petting schedule. She was a 60 year member of Salem Lutheran Church in Moline. She joined St. Stephens Church in Cedar Rapids, walking the 8 blocks to church each Sunday.
She is survived by her daughters, Janet Johnson (Don Hoskins), Marion IA and Louise (Scott) Stracke Miillville DE; grandchildren Maureen (Cameron) Mulloy, Falls Church VA and Paul (Clare) Stracke, Lorton VA, Matt (Robyn Ross) Hoskins, and Alexandra, Olivia, Cooper and Isabella , Marion IA ; Lisa (Matt) O’Donnell, and children Michaela and Kierian , Arnold CA; her sister Barbara Leimer, Walnut Creek CA, step-sisters, Patricia Rieken ,Crest Hill, IL and Judy Stuyvesant, Lockport IL ; Nieces, Marilyn Anderson, Reno NV, and Joyce ( Mark) Smith, Walnut Creek CA; nephews, Carl Leimer, Santa Rosa CA, and Gary Leimer, Arcadia CA ; niece Susan ( Steve) Mueller, Duluth MN, nephew Dan ( Gail) Schourek ,Hampshire IL, and niece Kris Raisanen Schourek, Atlantic Mine MI., as well as many great nieces and nephews and cousins. Her faithful dog, Molly was a treasured friend.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, her stepfather, Henry Larsen, a brother, Everett O’Connell, her in-laws, Lee Leimer, Edward R and Marilyn Schourek a nephew, Brad Schourek and a niece, Linda Leimer.
A memorial celebration service is pending at a later date. Inurnment at Rock Island Memorial Park, Rock Island IL.
Tributes in her memory are suggested to Salem Lutheran Church, https://salemmoline.org/ Moline IL; St. Stephens Lutheran Church, Cedar Rapids, ssluth.com; Butterworth Center Deere Wiman House https://www.butterworthcenter.com/ or an organization of choice.
Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.