Marion Gastreich

Mom was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 16, 1926, to German immigrants, Paul and Martha Jeroch. Her father, Paul, owned a butcher shop on the city’s south side and her mother, Martha, was a housewife. Mom was an only child. She grew up in a “nice bungalow” in a family neighborhood, where she could walk to school, come home for lunch, and take a streetcar to enjoy the city. In summer, she enjoyed swimming at the local pool and at Jackson Park beach. In the winter, she enjoyed skating at the local ice rink, where all the girls wanted to be like Sonja Henie.

As a small girl, Mom enjoyed family trips to the country for a break from the city life. In her late teens and early twenties, the family owned a cottage on Lake Michigan, where Mom enjoying swimming and sunbathing. She was a natural and gifted artist. In high school, she developed an interest in interior design. After graduating from Fenger High School in 1945, she attended Vogue School of Design and graduated in 1947. Her first job as an interior designer was at the Treasure Chest furniture store in downtown Chicago.

At the Treasure Chest, Mom met the boss’s son, Adrian Gastreich. They married in 1949 and moved to southwest Michigan where their first child, Louise, was born. They then moved back to Chicago, where their second child, Chuck, was born. And finally, they settled in northwest Indiana, where they had two more sons - Ray and John. She was a loving mother, and her children were the pride and focus of her life. As her children grew older, she went back to work part-time at Tina Marie Bakery. Her children fondly remember the treats she would bring back from the bakery. Later as she became a grandmother, she always welcomed babysitting her grandchildren. Also, she became a caregiver for her father and mother-in-law toward the end of their lives. Family was truly the center of her life.

By the time Mom and Dad reached retirement, their four children and now seven grandchildren were spread across Arizona, California, and Japan. So, they retired to Tucson in 1994 to be closer to family. Mom never imagined that she would live in a house with a pool in the desert and would marvel at the view of Pusch Ridge from her kitchen table. She enjoyed her rose bushes and the wildlife that would roam through her property.

Moving west may have sparked an urge to travel and explore. Besides Tucson and Arizona, Mom and Dad would visit children and grandchildren in California and enjoy all those get-togethers had to offer. Then Mom went on to travel further in the U.S., Europe, North Africa, and the South Seas with her daughter, Louise - something she probably never imagined doing back in Indiana while raising four children.

In 2007, Dad died of cancer. With the help of family, community, and her wonderful housekeeper, Joann, Mom lived on her own until suffering a fall at 95 years old. She spent her remaining years in assisted living at Amber Lights receiving excellent care. This last summer, she helped her son, Ray, organize nearly one hundred years of family photos, while reminiscing about a long full life of memories. In early December, Mom was admitted to Banner Hospital with suspected pneumonia. She passed away from us on December 19, 2023, back home at Amber Lights surrounded by her four children. We are grateful for the unconditional love and support only a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother can provide and will miss her dearly. Mom lives on in her four children, seven grandchildren and four great-granddaughters.

Private graveside services for interment of Mom’s ashes will be held at East Lawn Palms Mortuary.