Lila Coleman

Lila Viola Coleman, 83, of Beach Park, IL, died on Saturday, December 23, 2006, at her home on Kenosha Road with her family at her side. Lila was born July 25, 1923, at home in Gile, WI, and came to Waukegan to help take care of her nieces and nephews. She was the last surviving sibling of seven children. Lila married Leonard Coleman in January of 1945, at St. Marks Lutheran Church in Waukegan in a Finnish ceremony. She worked during World War II in airplane manufacturing in Connecticut while her soon to be husband fought overseas. Following the war she married Leonard and her life totally revolved around her family. Lila was a former member of the Homemakers Association of the Farm Bureau, a room mother for all of her daughters in the Beach Park school system, a 4-H leader, and a former Beach Park Band Boosters President and PTA President. She also worked as a secretary at Johnson Motors in Waukegan in the late 1940's and 1960's. Lila loved traveling throughout the USA and visiting with all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Lila loved the outdoors and was an avid flower gardener and bird watcher. Her favorite bird was the Cardinal and she owned a collection of 100 Cardinal porcelain figurines. Her memory is cherished by three daughters, Connie Schlemmer of Flushing, MI, Sandy Sherwood of Beach Park, IL, and Wendy (Bill) Fischer of Zion, IL; six grandchildren, Heidi, Heather, Jonathan, David , Eric and Sarah; eight great-grandchildren, Shelby, Abigail, Andrew, Christopher, Emma, Caleb, Jack, and Benjamin. Lila was also God-Mother to many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years in 2003, Leonard Coleman, and her parents, Ivar and Alma Wicklund as well as her six siblings. A Funeral Service will be held on Friday, December 29, 2006, at 10:30 a.m. at Congdon Funeral Home, 3012 Sheridan Rd., Zion with Rev. Willard Blomquist of St. Marks Lutheran Church, Waukegan, officiating.( Willard visited Lila while she was bedridden at home) Interment will follow at Northshore Garden of Memories, North Chicago, IL. Visitation will be Thursday, December 28, 2006, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.