09/17/1945 – 02/08/2023
Mary Lou McLeroy was born Mary Lou Cnudde to Maurice and Marie Cnudde on September 17, 1945 at St. Mary Hospital in Kankakee, Il. Mary Lou was a healthy baby girl making her appearance at 7:32 p.m. weighing in at 7lbs. 6ozs stretching 20 inches long. Mary Lou came from a very loving and close knit family with three older brothers(Marvin, Merton and Myron), two sets of grandparents (Fred and Corrine Collette on her mom’s side and Emile and Jennie Cnudde on her dad’s side) and many aunts, uncles and cousins, whom she kept in touch with her entire life and spoke of fondly.
Mary Lou grew up on a farm in rural Clifton, Il and was raised in an old 4-bedroom farmhouse. With three older brothers, Mary Lou’s Grand Mother Collette told her dad she was tired of making boys clothes and wished for a baby girl so she could make dresses. Grandma Collette got her wish and using beautifully patterned cotton feed sacks with flowers and other designs, she made Mary Lou gorgeous dresses. When she was seven, Mary Lou received her first store bought dress to commemorate her 1st Holy Communion. Growing up, Mary Lou’s favorite things to do were riding her tricycle around the farm, playing with dolls and watching I Love Lucy when the television was introduced.
Mary Lou stayed on the farm until she graduated in 1963 from Central High School in Clifton, Il. She moved to Kankakee, Il. where she rented a small downstairs bedroom with kitchen privileges to be closer to work. Her focus on business courses while in high school helped her secure her first job at Andrews and Green Insurance (which eventually became Andrews, Green, Malmer and Ferris) where she worked for the next 21 years. Mary Lou walked to work six blocks each morning and evening in the worst of Illinois weather. In 1968 she bought her first car - a brand-new red, 4-door Oldsmobile. No More walking to work!!!
During this time Mary Lou met the sister she never had – Penny Billerbeck Krueger. Mary Lou met Penny when Penny and her mom were having lunch at Little Vic’s and invited Mary Lou to join them. They became fast friends. In 1967, Mary Lou asked Penny to be her roommate and the two moved in together when the upstairs bedroom apartment with a full kitchen became available in the house she was living in. That was over 56 years ago and today Mary Lou and Penny are still best friends. They have been through life together as “sisters” and best friends, through husbands, vacations, bowling leagues, ups, downs and everything in between. It is Penny who brought Mary Lou to North Carolina – but more on that later….
Mary Lou met the first love of her life, Mike Malmer, at the insurance agency where she worked. On June 6, 1982 Mike and Mary Lou were married in a beautiful outdoor ceremony by the river with Penny Krueger as the Matron of Honor. Their co-workers and family were there to help them celebrate. Mike and Mary Lou honeymooned in Maui, Hawaii. Upon returning home, Mary Lou moved into Mike’s home at 5A Old Orchard Lane in Kankakee, Il. Mike bought it as a fixer upper because of the spectacular river view that was unlike any other. Mary Lou spoke of that river view to her last days, even when a huge storm caused the river to overflow its banks and splash water up onto her windows.
Mary Lou and Mike made a beautiful home together and Mary Lou became a “mother” to Mike’s two children Dan and Kara. When they all became a family, Mike had the idea of planting a tree in their new home and watching it grow along with the kids. They all went down to the Kankakee nursery and bought two trees, a Douglas Fir and a Blue Spruce, which they planted and decorated each Christmas. Eventually Kara moved to California to live with her mother and Dan stayed in Kankakee with Mary Lou and Mike. Mary Lou was a big animal lover and of course their home wouldn’t be complete without Bob (1981) the black and white mix who became Dan’s best friend, Sally (1983) the black lab, Lucy (1983) the grey tuxedo cat who kept Sally company, Bruno (1992) the husky malamute mix and Carrot (2005) the yellow tabby. Growing up Mary Lou even had a loving pet lamb named Susie.
During their marriage, Mike was plagued with back trouble from degenerative discs. The problems eventually became worse and Mary Lou left her job at the Insurance agency to care for Mike full time and take care of Dan and help him with his school activities. After Mike died in 1993, Mary Lou took a part-time job at a floral and antique store as she continued to care for Dan as well as take care of her dad who lived on the family farm.
Mary Lou’s best friend Penny and her husband Dennis had moved to Bolivia, NC and wanted her to move there also. Mary Lou told them she wasn’t ready because she felt her dad needed her help as he lived alone on the family farm. During the years though, Mary Lou would often fly down to NC and spend a week with Penny and Dennis at their home. Mary Lou always commented on how pretty the area was. In 2008, after a harsh Illinois winter and huge spring thaw flood that overflowed the river banks bringing water splashing up onto her windows, Mary Lou decided the river house was just too much to take care of. Her dad had since passed and so she decided to sell the river house and move to NC. At the suggestion of her real estate broker and best friend Penny Krueger, Mary Lou settled on #2 Villas townhome in Palmetto Creek and brought Carrot her cat with her. Mary Lou loved living in North Carolina and was quick to make new and long-lasting friends.
Mary Lou’s manicurist (who by-the-way was also Floyd’s neighbor) set Mary Lou and Floyd McLeroy up on a blind date. They went to Tai Pepper in Southport, NC for lunch and spent over 2 hours talking when they eventually noticed they were they only two people left in the restaurant. They both later commented that they knew there was a connection between them. Their second date was to a Civil War reenactment in Fort Fisher, NC. That date lasted over 10 hours when they missed the ferry twice as well as the reenactment and ended up having dinner in Little River, SC by the way of Wilmington, NC, which is quite a distance apart. Mary Lou would always say “After I met Floyd, my life was never the same!!!”
Floyd became the second love of Mary Lou’s life. They both had a zest for living and enjoyed shag dancing, boating on Floyd’s pontoon boat, traveling with friends, long walks, movies, dinner parties, entertaining in their home and visiting family. Mary Lou and Floyd knew their relationship was going to be something special and on June 11, 2011 they were married in Mary Lou’s Palmetto Creek townhome in Bolivia, NC with Penny Kreuger as her Matron of Honor. They had a beautiful reception in the Palmetto Creek clubhouse and cabana with family and many of their closest friends from near and far. Floyd sold his home in Boiling Spring Lakes, NC and he and his cat Fluffy moved in with Mary Lou and her cat Carrot. Both bringing large extensive families to the marriage, Mary Lou and Floyd began traveling to meet everyone and their love of traveling together was born. Mary Lou and Floyd never ceased traveling the globe and visited many, many places together. They especially enjoyed large ship cruises with some Palmetto Creek friends as well as their family. The most important thing in Mary Lou and Floyds life was family. They always took time to visit, call and write their family of 7 children (one deceased), 13 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren not including brothers, sisters, cousins and close “family” friends. Mary Lou would always tell you with excitement and jubilance how her family was doing.
Mary Lou and Floyd’s delighted in having friends over for small gatherings, especially at Christmas. Mary Lou made everyone feel special and loved with the way she tended to everyone. She also enjoyed going to other people’s homes for dinners and parties where she would laugh, enjoy herself and tell wonderful stories of her childhood, family, friends and travels with Floyd.
You would never see Mary Lou without the giant beautiful smile she always had on her face. She was a beautiful soul who touched many lives and her place can never be filled, but instead will be forever remembered as a person who touched all of our lives in the best way possible. Until we meet again dear friend, Rest in Peace….
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.peacocknewnamwhite.com for the McLeroy family.
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