Justine Schuller

Loving Mother of Manfred and Steven Schuller. The best Oma to Stephanie Schuller, Kristina Steffes (Chase Steffes), Stingray Schuller (Jessica Zalenski), and Br. Chicago Schuller, SM.

She was preceded in death by her husband Stefan Schuller; siblings Mathilda Schuller (Hans Schuller) and Hans Schmidt; nephew Klaus Schuller; and her parents John Schmidt and Justine Schmidt.

As visitation and service will take place on Saturday, January 17, 2026, visitation and service times will be announced soon at Drake and Son Funeral Home, 5303 N. Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625. Burial will follow at Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago, IL. For more information please call 773-561-6874.

Justine Schuller’s life was marked by resilience, sacrifice, and quiet determination. She came of age during World War II as a Transylvanian Saxon in Romania, enduring its tragedies and hardships while helping care for her younger sister and brother. Those early years shaped her strength and independence, traits that defined her throughout her life.

As she grew older, Justine married, started a family, and persevered under the challenges of life in communist Romania. In 1971, after years of hardship, she and her husband were granted visas to leave the country and immigrate to the United States in search of freedom and opportunity.

Upon arriving in the U.S., Justine and her husband began working as building janitors. While her husband remained in that role, Justine took on additional work, cleaning, painting, and preparing apartments for rental, including homes along Chicago’s lakefront. All while singing in the Saxon Choir, leading the Saxon dance group for a number of years, and relaxing on weekends in Wisconsin at the cottage with many other Saxon families and relatives. Through tireless effort and careful saving, they were eventually able to invest in real estate.

After the passing of her husband in 1991, Justine began a new chapter in South Texas. There, she continued building her life independently, acquiring multifamily properties and achieving success through sheer tenacity. With only a fourth grade education, Justine built something remarkable for herself, an extraordinary accomplishment for a woman who had survived war, communism, and immigration all while learning a new language.

Most importantly, she created opportunities for her sons and grandchildren that she herself never had. Known for her generosity and kindness, Justine was admired by many. She was strong, no-nonsense, and unafraid to stand her ground, yet at the same time, she was the sweet, loving Oma cherished by all who knew her.

Justine Schuller will be deeply missed and forever remembered.