Lou Ellen Grossen

Born March 7th, 1944, in Belvidere, IL to Marvin and June (Hansing) Sarbaugh. Lou Ellen was the first born of six siblings. She enjoyed finding the peace and solitude of nature and loved living out in the country. She was especially fond of hummingbirds, flowers, seashells, and wind chimes. She appreciated art and enjoyed sketching, cloud watching and dreaming.

In her early years, Lou Ellen was known for fantastic baton twirling skills with the Miss Nancy’s Twirlers Team. While her life wasn’t always easy, her hearty and infectious laugh was. In providing for her family, she was a dedicated employee at Warner Electric for 38 years and looked forward to going to work every day. Lou Ellen was known for piling her plate high at potlucks, which endearingly begged the question of where such a petite gal puts all that food?! Her own homemade German chocolate cake and lemon meringue pie were often requested items. Let it be known, a Michael Jordan poster hung in her living room, and she wore a favorite Chicago Bulls jacket. But most of all, she loved her friends and family with her entire heart.

Lou Ellen, a lifelong woman of faith, upon December 8th has gone to her much anticipated reward of joining her loved ones in heaven.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Jerry Grossen in 1968 (the absolute love of her life), and son Brett Boyd in 2020. She is survived by sons Doug Grossen and Lance Boyd both of Marengo, daughter Sherry Grossen of St Charles, grandchildren Morgan, Lauren, Jessica, Anthony, Justin, Rune, and great granddaughters Avery, Harper, Alice and Claire, sisters Mary (John) Widmayer, Judy (Jerry) Manke, Cindy (Greg) Arnold, brothers Bill (Janet) Sarbaugh and Tom (Shirley) Sarbaugh, along with many nieces, nephews, and cousins… she will be deeply missed.

Visitation will be at the Marengo-Union Funeral Home Sunday, December 17th from 2pm until 5pm, followed by shared moments of prayer. Interment will be in the Spring for a Celebration of Life and Grand Reunion with her husband Jerry.

Memorials can be made in her name to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.