Formerly of Kings, IL

Jean Irene (Gardner) Schiller, 90, passed away Sunday, December 18, 2016 in DeKalb, IL. Jean was born June 13, 1926 to Clifford and Nina (Covey) Gardner on a farm three miles northeast of Pittsville, WI. She attended Pittsville High School and graduated in 1944 in the same class with her later to be husband, Rupert Schiller. That same year, her sister, Marge came home for a visit from Atlantic City, New Jersey where she was working as a secretary for the Army Air Forces and talked Jean into going back to work with her as a clerk and typist for the AAF. After being in Atlantic City for six months, they were transferred to Louisville, Kentucky. After working for the AAF for a year, Jean came home to WI and worked for Gross Brothers Trucking Co. in their office in Wisconsin Rapids for a year. She then went to Milwaukee and attended Miss Brown's Business School and worked in the Boston Store credit department for several years. She then returned home to Pittsville and married Rupert Schiller on August 26, 1950. They lived and farmed on the Schiller Dairy Farm until September 28th, 1956 when they moved to Kings, IL. In 1967, Jean went to work at Northern Illinois University where she worked as a secretary for 30 years (22 of those years were in the Graduate History Office). She retired at the age of 70. She gathered some neighbor ladies together and went to Oregon, IL to the Senior Center to learn line dancing. There were called the Boot Scootin' Seniors. She enjoyed that for many years. Jean, Rupert and their three kids were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Rochelle but when they moved to Kings they changed their membership to the Kings Presbyterian Church, until the church closed in 2005. They transferred their membership back to First Presbyterian Church of Rochelle.

Jean was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She and her husband, Rupert, celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 2000. They were a week short of celebrating their 61st anniversary when Rupert passed away in 2011.

Jean is survived by her son, Doug (Nathalie) Schiller of Oregon, IL; two daughters: Deb Schiller of Holcomb, IL and Diane (Dean) Montgomery of Houston, MN; five grandchildren: Amy Rainwater of Davis Junction, IL, Lisa and Clint Tighe of Michigan and Sam and Becky Montgomery of Minnesota; three great grandchildren: Audrey and Anna Rainwater and Trevor Tighe; her older sister, Marge Lippert, of Pittsville, WI and brother, Jim (Carol) Gardner of West Bend, WI. She is preceded in death by her parents and two brothers: Chester and Bob.

The visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00, Wednesday, December 21, 2016 at the Unger-Horner Funeral Home, 400 N. 6th St., Rochelle. The funeral will be at 10:00, Thursday, December 22 at the First Presbyterian Church, 1100 Calvin Road, Rochelle with Pastor Jim Tilley officiating. Burial will follow the service at Trinity Memory Gardens in Rochelle. Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Rochelle or the activities department at DeKalb County Rehab. and Nursing Center. Visit www.ungerhorner.com to sign the online guest book.