Linda Hutmacher (80) of Teutopolis

Linda Hutmacher, of Teutopolis, IL, peacefully passed away on December 2, 2020. She wrote a biography of her life for her family and it began, “… World War II had just started, the world was in turmoil, and it was affecting everyone, but I was born anyway August 12, 1940.”

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, December 5, 2020, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Teutopolis. Please follow all social distancing and face-covering guidelines. Burial will be held in St. Francis Cemetery. Donations may be given to Catholic Charities or St. Jude's.

She is survived by her devoted husband of 61 years, Martin “Sonny” Hutmacher and her children Joseph Hutmacher, Sandra (Kevin Elliott) Ahten, Steven (Barb) Hutmacher, Angela (Jim) Patton and Carl Hutmacher, eight grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren, many nieces, and nephews, including Cindy Esch who thought of her as a second mother, as well as sister Lila Gebben and brother Roy (Sylvia) Hartke, brothers-in-law Clarence Willenborg and Randy Hutmacher.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Roman and Cecelia (Pals) Hartke, her brothers Gene Hartke, Floyd Hartke, and her triplet brothers Donald and Dale, who died as infants, as well as Thomas, whose passing at 25 was a sadness she carried with her. Her wedding to Sonny on October 12, 1960, was delayed by two weeks for Tom’s funeral. She was also preceded in death by her sisters-in-law Mary Willenborg and JoAnn Horn.

Being a stay-at-home mom she spent her time finding ways to stretch a dollar, including gardening, canning, and preparing most of their food. In addition to sewing the family’s clothes, she worked as a professional seamstress, daycare provider, and correspondent for the Effingham Daily News. She also volunteered for many organizations and served as one of the original founders and, often, the chairperson for the local Cancer Days festival, which raised thousands of dollars each year for cancer research. She was also a clown in the local parades! 

She raised her kids to embrace and love life as she did. As a family, they spent weekends camping all over Illinois and annually hitched up the pop-up camper to see the country or visit Sonny’s relatives in Canada. She supported her kids in exploring any interest. She was a scout and 4-H leader for their troops. She taught them to entertain themselves and in winter would join them in board games, building a blanket fort, or jigsaw puzzles. In summer she would send them outside until she rang the dinner bell. 

She was a devout Catholic and was proud of her early education from nuns at the small school associated with St. Aloysius Church near her home in Bishop Creek. She then went on to Dietrich grade school and both Teutopolis and Dietrich High School. She and Sonny worshiped and raised their children at St. Francis Church in Teutopolis. She played the organ, sang in the choir, was a member of the Women’s Sodality and C. D. of A., and took pride in her role as a Eucharistic Minister. She valued Wednesday morning prayer group beyond measure. 

When her youngest was in 7th grade she took a job as an office worker with Curtis Jansen Harvestor. Eight years later she broke new territory and became the first female car salesperson in Effingham. Despite naysayers, she became a top-earning salesperson at Russ Braunecker’s dealership due to her gregarious personality, organizational skills, and the fact that she never made an enemy. She lived her life guided by forgiveness, turning the other cheek and finding the good in everyone and everything. She loved her work family and they loved the meals she cooked in the work kitchen, especially her biscuits and gravy. 

Upon retirement at 63, she was a volunteer at Catholic Charities and Meals on Wheels. She took elderly neighbors under her wing and watched for any opportunity to lend a hand to a community member in need. In her younger days, she was an avid horsewoman, riding trails. She bowled on a team and enjoyed the antics of bowling trips. In retirement, she swam twice a week and walked for exercise.

She enjoyed traveling with Sonny to his Navy reunions, to Germany, and on trips with their card club friends. She loved her annual “girls trip” with her daughters, especially when they went to meet the child in Guatemala whom she sponsored through the Unbound organization. She relished her time with her grandchildren.

Sonny became her primary caregiver when, at 75, she began to be afflicted with Fronto Temporal Dementia (FTD). He and her children cared for her in her home until October 2020, when she moved to Urbana where Sandra and Kevin became her primary caretakers, with Sonny and others coming to assist. She would have been very proud of the loving care that was returned to her for all the love she so freely gave.

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