Jewel M. Fritscher, age 93
November 18, 1927 – January 18, 2021
Jewel M. Fritscher age 93, of Des Plaines, Illinois, passed away at 1:15 AM – Monday, January 18, 2021, at Willowbrook Support Residence in Effingham, Illinois.
Graveside services will be held at Dieterich Village Cemetery in Dieterich, Illinois. Arrangements are under the care of the Meyer Funeral Home in Dieterich, Illinois. The obituary can be viewed and condolences left at www.meyerfh.com.
Jewel was born Nov. 18, 1927, in Jasper County, Illinois, the daughter of George F. and Clista (Coverstone) Clark. In August of 1931, when Jewel
was not quite 4 years old, her mother, Clista (age 29) unexpectedly died leaving Jewel and her siblings, Denver (8 years), Emma Jane (6 years) and George (18 months) to be raised by their widowed father. Fortunately for all, their mother’s sister, Dora (Coverstone) Myers was able to step in to help their father. Dora moved into the Clark home, living there for nearly 20 years until the youngest, George married in 1950. Jewel once commented, “What would we four little kids have done without Aunt Dora?”
Jewel attended grade school at Excelsior school, and graduated high school after attending both Jewett and Newton high schools; she then enrolled in beauty school becoming a licensed beautician and worked in Dieterich, Illinois.
On December 1, 1948, she married the late Thomas E. Fritscher of Dieterich, Illinois; they were the parents of two boys, Kurt and Karl. They lived in Dieterich until 1957, when the family moved to Des Plaines, Illinois, near Tom’s sister, Pat (Fritscher) and Wally Davis and their daughter.
In 1961, Jewel was divorced and she became a single mother of two. She worked tirelessly as a waitress first at Howard Johnson’s restaurant in Des Plaines, and then for over 20 years at the Des Plaines Elk’s Lodge #1526; she retired from Preform Parking Engineers in Chicago, Illinois, where she worked as a secretary.
Jewel visited her father and siblings often and her family in Dieterich and Effingham too; she was always there to celebrate at birthdays and holiday parties. Jewel loved garage sales and there weren’t too many that she would pass by! She had her own garage sale each year too which was just another reason to be with friends! She was always there to help out a friend in need and often dropped in for a quick hello, to bring food, or even to just drop off a newspaper article she thought they would enjoy! Jewel was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Jewel is survived by her son, Karl R. Fritscher of Des Plaines, Illinois; niece and nephew, Nancy (Davis) and husband Michael Reisner of Des
Plaines, Illinois; her great-nephew, Jeffrey Reisner (Mackenzie Crandall) of Highland Park, Illinois; niece, Patty (Reisner) (husband Ted) Kreke of
Teutopolis, Illinois; nephew, Robert (wife Vada) Reisner of Effingham, Illinois; nephew, Terry (wife Mary) Clark of Dade City, Florida; and niece,
Linda (husband Clyde “Bud”) Griffy of Cumming, Georgia; niece, Peggy (husband Danny) Bowers of Sullivan, Illinois; and nephews, Tom (wife
Nancy) Clark of Greenfield, Wisconsin and Tony (wife Mary) Clark of Iron Ridge, Wisconsin; nieces, Laura (Adams) Glover of Effingham, Illinois and Jan (Adams) (husband Jim) Williams of Lake Monticello, Virginia; nephews, Chuck (wife Lisa) Fritscher of Dieterich, Illinois; Steve Fritscher of Altamont, Illinois; Lewis “Monte” (wife Aileen) Anderson of Thornton, Colorado; and Robert Fritscher and niece JoLee Fritscher both of Las Vegas, Nevada; along with many great- and great-great nieces and nephews.
Jewel was preceded in death by her parents, son, Kurt W. Fritscher, and her siblings, Denver (wife Imogene Cox) Clark, Emma Jane (husband Gene) Reisner, and George (wife Evelyn Reisner) Clark.
