Frances Helen Dornbos

Frances is survived by her four children, Sharon, Robert (Irene), Kenneth (Jing), and Kathy Herwig (Timothy), her five grandchildren, Becca, Ben, Forrest, Gage, and Ryan, and many nieces and nephews.

Frances was preceded in death by her siblings Anna (Joseph) Tylka, Stanley (Maxine), John, Stephanie (Frank) Bleskin, Theodore (Barbara), Thaddeus (Patricia), and Rose (James) Palmer.

Frances was the youngest of eight children, born to Polish immigrants, Joseph Kulka and Mary Ruszel. She grew up in the Back of the Yards neighborhood in Chicago and continued to live in the Chicago area throughout her life.

As a young adult, Frances enjoyed going to the movies and was a fan of Grace Kelly and Natalie Wood. She and her sister Rose loved dressing up like movie stars and posing for photos. Her brother John was an aspiring photographer as evidenced by the many Hollywood photo session headshots that adorned the walls of her apartment.

Shortly after graduating from Gage Park High School Frances began working in the photo studio at United Airlines. In addition to her secretarial position, Frances was often called on to model for the United Airlines in-flight magazine.

Frances enjoyed the perks of working for the airline. She was able to travel and especially loved to reminisce about her visits to Las Vegas and California where she met movie stars like Vincent Price, Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner, and Don Rickles.

Frances soon met Wayne Dornbos whom she married. She loved being a mother to their four children. She happily sewed Halloween costumes for them, baked homemade birthday cakes, nursed them attentively when they were ill, and attended every school assembly—both morning and afternoon performances. She was proud of her children and she lovingly "doted" on her five grandchildren.

Frances was a talented cook. Her family enjoyed daily homemade meals—all made from scratch. She always had something delicious simmering on the stove or baking in the oven—oxtail soup, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken soup, corned beef and cabbage, stuffed peppers, lasagne, fried chicken, and always a side of mashed potatoes and gravy. Polish food was her specialty. Holidays were filled with platters of Polish sausage, sauerkraut, pierogies, and dumplings. She was an even more talented baker, spending nearly every afternoon baking in between lunch and dinner preparation. Her baked goods were always highly sought after at the PTA bake sale, and she eventually won a neighborhood baking contest for her classic chocolate cake.

The family took annual camping trips to Minnesota. Frances enjoyed fishing, even rowing her own boat out to her favorite fishing spot. She also loved collecting antiques and spent her later years driving from one estate sale to another with Wayne, who also enjoyed the pastime.

Wayne and Frances moved from Chicago to Berwyn, and eventually retired in Frankfort, Illinois. When Wayne passed away in 2016, Frances continued to live in Frankfort, not wanting to leave their home behind. Eventually, as it became evident that she was “becoming forgetful,” her children made the decision to move her to an independent living facility in Lincolnwood, IL.

Frances soon developed many friendships and looked forward to eating her meals with the same group of ladies every day. She also enjoyed playing bingo, dancing, watching Cubs games, and attending musical performances at the weekly happy hour.

As her disease progressed, she became dependent on her daughter, Kathy and a circle of wonderful caregivers who cared for her as if she were their own mother. We will always be grateful to each and every one of her caregivers.

During her last few days in hospice, a constant flow of visitors came to visit: friends, family, caregivers, and dozens of staff from the facility where she lived for the last six years. Everyone had a story to share—her favorite flavor of ice cream, how much she loved to dance, the cookies that she secretly stashed in her purse—but most of all, they came to share what a kind, sweet woman she was. She always had something kind to say to everyone she met and her smile brightened the halls of the Carrington.

Frances was truly one-of-a-kind and will be missed by all who knew her.

Visitation for Frances will be on Sunday, December 8th, 2024 from 1:00 PM. to 6:00 PM., Chapel Service at 4:00 PM., at Ridge Funeral Home, 6620 West Archer Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60638. Interment Private. For information call 773-586-7900 or visit www.ridgefh.com.

Fond memories and expression of sympathy may be shared at www.ridgefh.com for the Dornbos Family.