Lois Rosborough

Lois Maurine Rosborough, age 99, passed peacefully with family by her side on Sunday, November 9th at Pleasant View Lutheran Life Communities in Ottawa. A Celebration of Life service will be December 30, 2025, 10:30am at the Chapel at Pleasant View, 505 College Avenue, Ottawa with visitation from 9:30 to 10:30am. Burial will be in Oakwood Memorial Park.

Lois was born on December 30, 1925, in Chicago, IL to Kenneth and Grace (Harford) Gardner. She was a graduate of Parker High School where she was valedictorian and graduated from University of Chicago. She married her high school sweetheart, Paul Rosborough, on September 14, 1946, in Chicago. They settled in Ottawa in 1951 where Paul began his Family Medicine practice and there they would raise their family. Paul and Lois were married for 56 years until his passing in 2002.

Lois loved quilting, cooking, sports, and traveling, but most of all she loved her family. She had a quiet strength that led by example with her pragmatism, tenacity, faith, sense of adventure, and quick wit, with just the right amount of feistiness thrown in. She was competitive and would try anything once (including a pogo stick in her 70's and bouncing on a trampoline in her 80's). Lois never stopped being curious and was still learning new things even in her 90's. Lois' smile and laugh were contagious. Her influence and outlook on life are her legacy that will live on through her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She was truly one of a kind, and will be missed by so many.

Lois was a member of First Congregational U.C.C., where she was involved in choir and women's groups. When her children were young, she was involved with Cub Scouts and Campfire Girls. She was an avid quilter and a long time member of Illinois Valley Quilt Guild.

Lois is survived by her four children, Terry (Pat) Rosborough of Bloomington, MN, Donna (Bob) Simek of Elmhurst, IL, Brian (Janet) Rosborough of Ottawa, IL, and David (Sheila) Rosborough of Greenwood, SC. She is also survived by nine grandchildren: Jeff (Leslie) Simek, Kris (Mark) Schneider, Laura (Jim) Weisz, Steve (Suzanne Pfutzenreuter) Rosborough, Kelly (Mat) Wuebben, Caitlin Rosborough, Ben (Ashley) Rosborough, Amy (Greg) Shen, and Valerie Rosborough; and 14 great grandchildren; Ryan, Claire and Molly Simek, Josh, Tyler and Mason Weisz, Gianna, Charlotte and Cecilia Wuebben, Cal Schneider, Hazel Rosborough, Finnegan and Miles Shen, Riley Rosborough and one on the way!

Lois was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and one granddaughter, Amanda Rosborough in infancy.

Memorial donations can be made to Doctors Without Borders or Pleasant View Lutheran Home.

Fiercely independent, Lois lived in her home of seventy plus years until last year when she moved to Hearthstone Assisted Living at Pleasant View. The family thanks the staff of PVL for their wonderful care of our mom/grandma for the last year.