Lillian Salzman

When reflecting on the life of Lillian Salzman, there is one word that seems to be repeatedly woven throughout – the word love. She was blessed to share a love story with her beloved husband Bill that was complete with chemistry, adversity, and good old fashioned fate. Lillian was a woman of great honor and strength whose favorite motto was, “Enter to learn, go forth to serve,” a motto she applied in her own life. With her kind and generous heart, Lillian brought light and life to all those within her reach.

The decade of the 1920s was a time of dramatic change in America. Women had just gained the right to vote in 1919, and buying on credit was quickly becoming the nation’s favorite new discovery. It was in the year 1921 that in Kankakee, Illinois, Albert and Martha (Johnson) Stearman were pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Lillian Janet, on September 10th. Lillian was one of three children and was raised in the family home at 358 South Poplar Avenue in Kankakee. Her father supported his family as a typesetter for the Kankakee Republican newspaper. Lillian was very close to her grandmother, Lily Caroline, whom she loved visiting on their farm in Herscher. She graduated from Kankakee High School in 1939, and from the school of nursing at St. Mary’s Hospital, in 1942 as an RN. It was while completing her nurse’s training that a chance meeting would change her life a few years down the road.

In the spring of 1942, the St. Mary’s Nurses’ Alumni Association honored the graduating nurses with a dance at the local country club. It was while attending that dance that a young man spotted Lillian. He was immediately smitten. His name was William (Bill) Salzman, and he made sure that he was introduced to Lillian. In his own words, “The fire burned right away,” and the next day he told his mother that he had met the girl he was going to marry. However, after one date the times pulled them in different directions. Bill went back to the University of Illinois while Lillian traveled to Chicago to take her state boards.

During that very same trip to Chicago, Lillian enlisted in the Army Nurse Corp. She eventually arrived at the 279th Station Hospital in Abergavenny, Wales. During her time there Lillian’s hospital received some of the first wounded soldiers from the D-Day invasion. For the remainder of the war she served at the 135th and 137th General Hospitals in England. Lillian was honorably discharged in October, 1945 as a First Lieutenant. Her discharge papers state that she consistently received a proficiency rating of “excellent”. She was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, as well as the World War II Victory Medal. Her picture and service record are in the Women’s War Memorial in Washington D.C. After returning home she worked in both the operating room and the emergency room at St Mary’s Hospital.

When Bill returned from his military service in the Pacific, he was delighted to learn that a family named “Stearman” had moved in across the street from his grandparents during his absence. Hopeful to learn information about the young girl who had captured his heart four years before, he ventured across the street and was awestruck, and for the only time in his life, at a complete loss for words when Lillian answered the door! After a whirlwind romance, the couple was united in marriage just three months later on October 19, 1946. The bride wore a hand sewn wedding gown made from 20 yards of white silk Bill had purchased while he was in Japan in hopes of his true love wearing it one day.

The couple lived on the Salzman family farm in Peotone for 32 years where they were blessed to welcome five children. Lillian completely embraced her role as a mother, and was always in attendance at all of her children’s activities. Even though she wasn’t fond of driving, Lillian drove her kids into town for their various activities. Her children also fondly recall their mother nursing baby pigs with an eyedropper in their bathroom. Lillian loved baking for her family and was always trying new recipes, especially for cookies.

Her beloved Bill died at age 80 in 2001. From that point Lillian, who was legally blind, lived independently until her last year.

Lillian Salzman was an extraordinary woman who masterfully constructed a colorful mosaic of memories throughout her lifetime. Even though her family was always her greatest passion, there were other interests that Lillian enjoyed. She loved roses and tending her garden, playing the piano, usually hymns, painting mainly in oils and watercolors, and feeding the birds. She also enjoyed antiquing and collected antique handkerchiefs. She often listened to books on tape and remained abreast of current events and politics both nationally and internationally. Lillian was a member of Immanuel Baptist Church which played an important role in her life. She had great pride in country and was a member of the Peotone American Legion as well as the American Federation for the Blind. Always very professional and knowledgeable about nursing, Lillian maintained an interest in medicine throughout her life. She loved to travel with Bill, taking their camper to destinations such as the Michigan Dunes, the Gulf Coast of Florida, and to visit family in Alabama. The children remember one of her favorite expressions, “Oh, you kids,” but most importantly they remember the love she lavished upon her precious family.

Although Lillian’s family and friends say goodbye for now, they hold tightly to the many treasured moments they were given. Lillian was a beloved sister, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She will be dearly missed.

Lillian Janet Salzman died on Monday, October 5, 2009. Lillian’s family includes her children, Janis Salzman, Allen Salzman, Roger (Renee) Salzman, Laura Salzman, Lydia (Wayne) Thompson; her grandchildren, George Salzman, Harrison Salzman, Henry Salzman, Melanie (Derek) O’Sullivan, Joshua Mendoza, Erin Salzman, and Hannah Thompson; great-grandson, Brian O’Sullivan; also her sister, Barbara (Monte) Burnham of Baudette, MN. Lillian was preceded in death by her husband William, her infant granddaughter Amanda Salzman and her brother Glenn Stearman.

Visitation will be at our Kankakee location from 3-9 p.m. Friday, October 9, 2009, and for one hour prior to service Saturday, October 10, 2009 at the church. The funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. at Immanuel Baptist Church in Kankakee, IL. Burial will follow at the West Peotone Cemetery, in Peotone, IL, with military honors. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can leave a favorite memory or photo, or make a memorial contribution to the Nursing Scholarship fund at Olivet Nazarene University, Office of Development, One University Avenue, Bourbonnais, IL 60914; or the Medical and Dental Clinic at Pacific Garden Mission, 1458 S. Canal Street, Chicago, IL 60607.