Ilene Mae Haefli

PEORIA – Ilene Mae Haefli, 93, of Peoria, passed away and into the arms of Jesus on April 12, 2021 at Apostolic Christian Skylines where she had resided since 2019. Ilene was born in Morton on July 6, 1927 to Victor and Mabel (Streitmatter) Kruse. In the summer of 1949, she met the love of her life, Robert “Bob” Haefli, and they married on April 16, 1950. He preceded her in death on March 1, 2019 in Peoria.

Ilene was also preceded in death by her parents; brother; four brothers-in-law; and three sisters-in-law. She is survived by her five children, Terry Bowen, Eric (Katrine) Haefli, Jeanne (Tim) Esterling, Nancy (Neil) Ritter, and Linda (Bill) Hoerr; 14 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; and one sister-in-law, Gladys Haefli.

Ilene grew up in Morton. Her younger brother, Vernon, passed away when she was 9 years old. Her mother passed away when she was 12 years old, and she then moved to Remington, IN where she lived with her mother’s sister Aunt “V” and Uncle Clyde Wood. After one year, she moved back to Morton with her father and new stepmother, Gertrude Clifton. Ilene graduated from Morton High School in 1945.

During her lifetime she was employed at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago, Interlocking Fence in Morton, and as a realtor for Kastle Realty and Chuck Hemmer Realty in Peoria.

Ilene gave her heart to Jesus in 1955 and was a member of the Peoria Apostolic Christian Church. She was an active volunteer in the Apostolic Christian Church, Apostolic Christian Skylines, Apostolic Christian World Relief, Sipp School, and 4-H. She was involved in many social clubs and enjoyed crafts, knitting, sewing, crocheting, games, cooking, ceramics, antiquing, camping, traveling, and spending time in Florida.

Ilene’s funeral service will take place at 10:00 a.m. Friday, April 16, 2021 at Peoria Apostolic Christian Church. Church ministers will officiate. Her visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. also on Friday at her church. Interment will take place in Apostolic Christian Church Cemetery in Edwards. Memorials may be made to Apostolic Christian Skylines. Davison-Fulton-Woolsey-Wilton Funeral Home in Peoria is handling the arrangements.

Online condolences may be left for Ilene’s family at www.woolsey-wilton.com.