Frances Johnson Zayec

Frances Johnson Zayec, 82, of Bradley, passed away Thursday, August 14, 2014, at Riverside Medical Center.

She was born December 6, 1931, in Bradley, the daughter of Raymond and Frances (Mathews) Sanor. She married William Johnson on June 3, 1950 and after his passing she later married Rudy Zayec on May 18, 1994.

Franny was a mother and a homemaker. She belonged to St. Joseph Catholic Church for almost 83 years. Franny loved volunteering and caring for people. She was a member of the Ladies of the Moose and the American Legion Auxiliary where she chaired various programs including those to honor Gold Star mothers. She enjoyed playing cards and dominos, and belonged to several clubs throughout the years. She loved talking on the phone and keeping in touch with people. Franny had youthful spirit and loved life, and loved to surround herself with family and friends. She traveled all over the world and enjoyed winters in Lake Alfred, FL since 1987.

Frances is survived by her children Christine and (Thomas) Anthony of Kankakee, Stephen and (Beth) Johnson of New Port Ritchie, FL, Bruce and (Beth) Johnson of Bourbonnais, Jill Baker of Monticello, IN, Julie and (Jeff) Gindy of Bourbonnais and Jeff and (Tami) Johnson of Bradley and grandchildren Andrew (Karly) Senesac, Stephanie (Mike) Stremp, Christi (Josh) Vignona, Mike (Megan) Johnson, Melissa (Eric) Perkins, Justin (Clarissa Hoover) Johnson, Aimee (DJ) Jones, Drue (Cayla Wiegele) Johnson, Terra (Kyle) Kline, Megan (Joe) Vought, Christa (Grant Fisher) Baker, Haley Baker, Jillian (Mike Van Dorpe) Gindy, Katie Gindy, Cody Gindy, Austin Johnson and Keaton Johnson. She also has 17 great grandchildren and is survived by her brother, Arthur Sanor of Bourbonnais, and one sister-in-law Bea(Raymond) Sanor of Bourbonnais.

She was preceded in death by both husbands and her brother, Raymond Sanor.

A gathering for family and friends will begin with a rosary at 3:30 and continue with visitation from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday August 17th at the Schreffler Life Story Funeral Home in Bourbonnais. A celebration of Frances’ life will be on Tuesday August 18th at 10:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Bradley. Burial will immediately follow at All Saints Cemetery, Bourbonnais.

Memorials may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Grade School.

One day a man was driving down the highway and happened to be following a large truck full of pigs and one of the pigs fell out. The man quickly stopped and put the pig in his car and sped down the highway trying to catch the truck. A policeman pulled the man over and asked why he had a pig in his car. The man explained the situation, knowing it was to late to catch the truck the officer said take the pig to the zoo and let the man go on his way. The next day the policeman saw the same man with the pig still in his car he pulled him over and said I thought I told you to take that pig to the zoo. I did replied the man and we had so much fun we are going to the circus today we think this is the only joke mom knew but still enjoyed it every time we heard it.

I don’t know if you know this but my Mom liked to talk. Growing up she single handedly slowed our social lives to a crawl by never getting off the phone. We would all hear..well I tried to call you but it was busy. I even hear she slowed some euchre games down recently with her continual conversations and if you were to watch a movie with her well I hope you had seen it before. It could be the avon lady or the mail girl or the handyman it didn’t matter they better settle in it could be a while. My brother was lucky enough to be introduced to complete strangers at a rest area in Tennessee with Mom saying this is my son he is bringing me home from Florida. I don’t think they were as excited as she was, neither was my brother. We may not of always realized it but it was truly a gift. We got so much pleasure listening to her stories and of her memories growing up. Whether it was the live thanksgiving turkey on her porch as a little girl or her friend telling the bus driver Mom only put in 4 cents of the 5 cent fare.

Another early memory of moms was that her parents would give food to the Hobos that would ride the trains through Bradley. They would come to the back porch and her mother would make sandwiches for them and Mom would bring them to the men and they would be on their way. Word spread through the men and this became a pretty regular occurrence. Early on Mom learned compassion for people. She once gave a bunch of seniors a piece of her mind for being pushy getting on a tour bus and not letting a man in a walker on before them. She organized dinners for the Gold Star Mothers, would help the older people at her park in Florida and care for older relatives, through this I feel helped pass it on to all of us.

Mom loved to travel and knew she was very fortunate to do so. It didn’t matter if it was Southern Illinois to see friends, Florida or Australia she would get very excited. Once in Italy with her husband Rudy Mom was speaking to his cousin who speaks only Italian of course mom speaks only English but she didn’t let that stop her, they had a nice 10 minute conversation with neither knowing what the other was saying. There wasn’t a year go by growing up that my mom and dad didn’t take us on a family vacation. It didn’t always go well. I once got to sleep in a trailer at a gas station with a wolf tied up outside, or the time my Mom was pregnant and had a homemade terrycloth bathing suit on she went in the ocean and well that didn’t end very well. The memories we have from these times are irreplaceable.

If Mom had a hobby it was people. She had great friends that she still saw regularly many lifelong. She enjoyed her club, going to plays, getting her hair done on Fridays then going for breakfast with Katie or hanging out with her dear friend Dot, and of course she was still always on the phone. Word on the street is they still enjoyed an occasional old fashion.

When you stopped by moms you didn’t have to worry how you looked she would tell you. You look tired you look pale are you getting enough sleep. Oh you wore lipstick for a change it looks good (hint hint) or she would call and say I thought you would stop over tonight, ok mom see you tomorrow. she always got her message across. If we were all at her house we could never leave at the same time. She wanted to tell us good bye individually. It sure made for some long goodbyes.

Family was everything to Mom and she was very proud of hers. She knew all of the birthdays from kids to grandkids to great grandkids. We would sit and talk and she would want to know everything about the grandkids. Every one of us had a special place in her heart. We were just like every other family having our share of issues but you could always count on Mom to be there for you and help you through it. Mom was getting weaker this summer and we knew it she had some health issues but never complained and never let it define her.

Mom was so strong where it mattered, in her faith. She was truly a child of God and knew Jesus was her savior. A lifelong member of St Joseph’s, sending us kids to school there, only missing mass when her health prevented it. Mom always had prayer cards and other religious material by her side giving her strength as her body failed. Well she is in heaven now looking down on us. I feel Mom was God’s gift to our family.

Our lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions or even at their difficulty, as at the love which we do them….St Theresa