Mary Dressler (nee Kuehnke) age 79 of Lansing, Illinois, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 22, 2024. She is survived by her loving husband Paul Dressler and loving daughter Christine. Cherished grandmother of 4 and great grandmother of five. She was a loving aunt to many nieces and nephews and friend to all. Also surviving are 1 brother and three sisters. Mary was preceded in death by her parents Robert and Barbara (nee Sammons) Kuehnke, and two siblings.

Services for Mary will be private. Mary will be laid to rest at Homewood Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Homewood, Illinois. Mary was a loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt and friend.

Mary loved playing Bingo, and loved all kinds of animals. She truly enjoyed all of God's creatures. But most importantly to Mary was taking care of her beloved husband Paul and her family. She enjoyed spending time with them and always gave her heart to her family. Mary was loved by many and she will be truly missed. Schroeder-Lauer Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements and care of Mary. www.schroederlauer.com

She will be greatly missed by us all.  But take heart my brothers and sisters who are in Christ Jesus that our separation is only temporary.  The day will come when we will be reunited together with Jesus for ever and ever.

Mary was a faithful wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and good friend to all who were privileged to know her.  12-5-1964 was when Our Lord united them in marriage and they were blessed with 59 years together.

God sent Jesus to this earth to live a perfect life and to take upon himself our sins and to die on the cross, becoming our Savior. He conquered death for us, and because "He Lives"  we also can "chose" to live with Him for ever and ever.

John 14:6  Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."

2 Timothy 4:7-8  Paul said:  "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 26, 54-58  "Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the f irst fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.  For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.  But each in turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death.  When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."  "Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?"  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you Know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

2 Corinthians 1:3  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, The family is planning "THE CELEBRATION OF LIFE" SERVICE - The date will be announced later. ( We are considering the last week in June so please let us know if that works for you..)

Loving thoughts from Mary's beloved husband Paul:

Mary and I have been happily married for over 59 years. We have always loved and cared for each other very much. We did not always agree witrh each other, but we loved and respected each other enough to listen, talk and compromise.

Mary was a hard worker. She always kept a neat, clean house and was always on time. She loved to drive and was good at it. When my 2 partners and I purchased a machine shop business, she also worked cleaning our rental properties. She loved working at the Lansing Animal Hospital many years.

Mary was the oldest of 4 girls and 3 boys. Her parents sometimes struggled to care for them, causing her to be very economically minded. Mary was a good shopper. She clipped coupons and looked for bargains. She would often purchase things for Christine and I but little or nothing for herself. We both worked hard and invested our money in real estate to rent and sell. Mary has always been a loving, caring person who has often shared whatever she had to help anyone in need.

During the last 1/3 of our lives together, Mary became less mobile and unstable to do things she used to do so well. I gradually assumed many of her housekeeping jobs. I had to make decisions based on her needs to continue caring for her. Both Mary and I are forever grateful to her family for helping us with housework and cleaning her little birds that she loved so much.

We loved to work, travel, camp, plant flowers and garage sale together. Church, Family and raising our daughter was very important to us. As we grew older, our health, activities and priorities changed. Our love and concern for each other grew much stronger because we really needed each other.

Her incredible acute memory and strength in her legs has been fading for months. Mary never fully recovered from her surgery to remove a kidney stone.

I held her hand and arm as she looked at me as I prayed for her. God decided it was time for Mary to rest in peace and took Mary to her heavenly home, early Friday, morning, March 22, 2024.

I thanked God for all the many blessings he has given us for over 59 wonderful years together. I am truly grateful for the support of my Family and friends as I recover from the loss of my dear Wife. Mary. In return, I look forward to sharing with and helping them in any way I can.

My Brother, John Dressler, from MountAiry, Georgia, led the funeral service attended by many Family members and close friends March 25, 2024. Mary was buried the following day at Homewood Memorial Gardens, in Homewood, Illinois.