Dolores M. Shank

Dolores Martha Shank, 96, of Rockford, passed away on Sunday, Nov. 24 at Wesley Willows Senior Community, culminating what was a very rich and full life.

Dolores, the youngest of five siblings, was born on Dec. 29, 1927 in Mt. Morris, the daughter of George and Wilhelmina Crocker.

She excelled in school and graduated from Mt. Morris High School as valedictorian of the Class of 1945. She was very active at MMHS, serving on various student organizations and participating on the cheerleading squad.

On May 8, 1948, Dolores married her high school sweetheart, Richard “Dick” Shank, and the two remained in Mt. Morris to start their careers and family.

Dolores started working at Citizen State Bank in downtown Mt. Morris during her senior year of high school, and then went on to enjoy 25 years as a dedicated employee at the financial institution. In 1973, she took the position of secretary at Mt. Morris High School, working faithfully in the main office for 13 years until her retirement in 1986.

A few years later when her husband, Dick, retired, the couple relocated to Cambridge, Wisconsin, and also spent winters in Clearwater, Florida. Cambridge held a special place in their hearts as they spent many summer vacations at Lake Ripley with friends and family.

In 2002, Dolores and Dick, relocated to Rockford, living full-time in the Cloisters. After 60 years of marriage, Dick passed away in 2008, but Dolores spent several more years at the Cloisters until moving to Wesley Willows in the past few years.

Dolores was a member of Holy Family Church. She had very strong faith and is now reunited with her husband, parents, siblings and others in Heaven.

For many years she was an active member of the Mt. Morris Junior Women’s Club and the Ogle County Home Extension. She enjoyed cooking, reading, Red Hat Club activities, card games, ballroom dancing, Big Band music, and especially the Christmas season.

She made sure that family Christmas get-togethers were special occasions and always insisted on personally shopping for gifts and stocking stuffers for all her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren up until the last few years.

Dolores was a big sports fan with a strong competitive streak and spent many hours following and supporting the athletic activities of her husband, children and grandchildren. She was very proud of their accomplishments, often recounting details from her kids’ games that took place decades ago.

She split her allegiance between the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs, and was still complaining about their recent woes to family members just a couple of weeks ago.

Dolores always stayed active and on the go. In addition to bowling in leagues for years in Mt. Morris and Cambridge, she and Dick spent many nights out dancing and they enjoyed their regular potluck dinner and card parties with close friends.

Despite slowing down in the past couple of years, Dolores was still volunteering at the Wesley Willows gift shop just a few months ago, and in 2023 she was thrilled and honored to ride in the Mt. Morris Fourth of July parade as a MMHS alumni representative.

Her memories were vivid and lasting and she often shared from her past, including life growing up in Mt. Morris during the Great Depression in the 1930s, World War II in the 1940s, polio scares of the 1950s and major political events of the 1960s.

Dolores’ life spanned quite a unique time period as she witnessed and experienced so much in her glorious 96 years. Recently, she would occasionally lament that all of her classmates, siblings and most of her close friends had passed, but her fond memories kept her zest for life solid. She will be greatly missed by her family, but her loving spirit will live on in their hearts and minds.

Dolores is survived by one daughter, Deanna (John) Martin, of Sycamore; three sons, Doug (Julie) Shank, of Huntley, Rick Shank, of Mt. Morris, and John (Maria) Shank of Nokomis, Florida; seven grandchildren, Micki Shank, Ryan (Kelly) Martin, Josy (Korey) Weyers, Megan (Matt) Mecum, Jonathan (Sara) Ritchie, Benjamin (Morgan) Shank and Brady (Gabrielle Ellstrom) Shank; nine great-grandchildren, Brad and Josh Mecum, Bryce Martin, Owen, Ethan and Aiden Weyers, Ella and Otto Ritchie and Isla Conley-Shank.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dick; her parents; three sisters, Rosalie Garrison, Dorothy Winebrenner and Ruth Blecker; one brother, Leo Crocker; and nephews, Norman Garrison and Casey Crocker.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, Nov. 30 from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM at Farrell Holland Gale in Oregon followed by funeral Mass services at 12:00 PM at St. Mary Catholic Church in Oregon, with Rev. Bernard Sehr officiating.

Burial will be at St. Mary Cemetery on Pines Road in Oregon. Following the graveside services a funeral luncheon will be held at one of her favorite places; the White Pines in Mt. Morris.

Memorials may be made to St. Croix Hospice or The Let Freedom Ring Committee.