Marjorie N Everett

Marjorie (Marge) Everett, age 88, of Peoria, IL, passed away on June 29, 2024. Marge Everett was born at West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park, the same hospital as her brother, sister, and her children, on 11-27-1935 to Helen Naden and Donald Irvin Naden She took great pride in her Austin neighborhood roots, where her family had lived for over 50 years. She attended Emmet Grade School and Austin High School, where she earned a letter as a member of the Austin Glee Club. After high school, she attended Carroll College (Carroll University) in Waukesha WI. She earned her BA in Education and went on to teach grade school in Maywood and Chicago until the early 70s. She met her husband, Steve, during his 48-hour leave from Great Lakes while he was visiting his aunt and uncle, who rented the first-floor apartment from her parents. As she described it, she was immediately smitten when she saw this strapping young man in his Navy whites walking up the sidewalk. They exchanged letters while he was on deployment, and after his discharge, he settled in Chicago. They married in April 1963. She supported Steve as he pursued his Master's in Teaching at the University of Chicago. While living in married student housing, they had a son, Andy. After Steve graduated from U of C, they returned to Austin to live in the first-floor apartment of her parents' two-flat. Two years after Andy's birth, their daughter, Anne, was born in 1967. Marge continued teaching through both births, relying heavily on her parents, who lived upstairs. In the late 60s, she became involved with the Chicago Women's Liberation Union. While with CWLU, she was one of the founders of the Black Maria Collective, publisher and editor of Black Maria, a feminist journal of art and politics. In the early 1970s, as her husband, Steve, stayed home with their children, Anne and Andy, she continued to teach. This "role reversal" was highlighted in articles in Women's Day and the Detroit Free Press, as well as an appearance on The Donahue Show. As the Austin neighborhood changed and many residents moved to the suburbs, Marge's parents sold their longtime home. Marge and her family moved just a mile away, within the Oak Park city limits. A few years later, Marge resigned from her teaching position to pursue a Master's in Social Work at the Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois Circle Campus. She graduated with her MSW in 1973 and joined a family counseling practice in Summit, IL. In the spirit of 'it takes a village,' but in this case a neighborhood in Oak Park, both Marge and Steve worked and relied on the local families to look after Anne and Andy while they were at work. The neighborhood became close-knit, and Marge was an integral part of that community. In the summer of 1977, the family moved to Urbana, where her husband Steve completed his in-residence coursework for his PhD. Marge found work with at-risk youth in Urbana. She also discovered a community of women there and developed an interest in Women's Music after attending the National Women's Music Festival. Marge later worked as a medical social worker at the Danville VA Hospital in Danville, IL, staying there until shortly before the family returned to Chicago in 1982. She joined Lakeside VA in Chicago in 1981, and a few years later, she found a job across the street at St. Joseph Hospital, working in discharge planning. In the 1980s, Marge was trained as a lay health worker at the Chicago Women's Health Center, dedicating many volunteer hours to the organization. After helping to establish St. Francis Hospice in Evanston, IL, Marge found her true calling as a hospice social worker at Chicago's oldest hospice, Horizon Hospice. She retired from Horizon in 2003 after 13 years of service, leaving behind many cherished stories." Upon her retirement in 2003, Marge joined her sister at the family lake house in Hayward, WI. N Marge volunteered with the Cable Hayward Area Arts Council, the Park Theater, and her favorite, the Weiss Community Library in Hayward. She could often be found paddling around in her kayak, relaxing on the beach, knitting, reading many books, and gazing out the window onto Round Lake. As her sister's health declined, Marge also took on the role of caregiver. After her sister's passing in 2020, Marge moved to Peoria, IL, to be closer to her daughter Anne, eventually residing at Buehler Home. She had a deep love for music, books, musicals, and reciting poetry to her children, with her favorite being "Rain" by Robert Louis Stevenson. Marge had a knack for free-associating words to songs and could sing at the mention of a word. She played the piano, with "Moonlight Sonata" being one of her favorite pieces. Although she moved on from professional teaching, Marge remained a teacher at heart, correcting grammar and singing first-grade songs like "I Heard Mr. Turkey Say." She is survived by her brother Robert Naden and her children, Andy Everett, Seattle , Washington and Anne (Mike) Schallmoser, Peoria, IL. She has two grandchildren, Conrad and Shyanne Schallmoser and one great grandchild Conrad Schallmoser Jr. Cremation rites have been accorded by Schmidt-Haller Burial & Cremation Services. A Memorial Mass will be held on July 27, 2024 at 12pm at St. Philomena Church. An additional service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers or gifts, Donations can be made to the following: Weiss Community Library, PO Box 917, 10788 State Hwy 27/77 Hayward WI 54843 Words of comfort can be shared with the Everett family at www.SchmidtHaller.com Previous Events Memorial Mass JUL 27. 12:00 PM (CT) St. Philomena Church 1000 West Albany Peoria, IL 61604

Marjorie N Everett

November 27, 1935 - June 29, 2024