Obituaries
Christine K Czajka
December 30, 1949 - December 4, 2022


-
VISITATION
December 15, 2022 | 3:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. -
Yurs Funeral Home
1771 West State Street (Rte 38)
Geneva, Illinois
A second visitation will be held Friday from 9;30 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. at Lord of life Lutheran Church - Funeral
- December 16, 2022 | 11:00 A.M.
- Lord of Life Lutheran Church 40W605 Rte 38 Elburn, Il 60119
-
Burial Location
Private
Christine Katherine Czajka, 72, passed away peacefully on a bright and sunny Sunday, December 4, 2022 at Delnor Hospital, Geneva. She was surrounded by loving family.
She is cherished most for her fierce love of family; her kindness, selflessness, and warmth; and her endless recounting of fond and funny memories. And – suffusing it all – her boundless, tenacious strength.
Christine was born Dec 30, 1949 in St. Paul, MN to Arthur and Gloria Eichmann. She was the first of their four children. Christine grew up with her siblings – Kenneth, Darlene, and Wayne – primarily in White Bear Lake, MN. As goes with being in a railroad-family, she began frequent moves in 1963; Cedar Rapids, IA (2yrs); Boone, IA (2yrs); finally to Milwaukee (5yrs) where she graduated from Marshall High School.
If you could peek into those early years, you’d see her frequently playing doctor to all her little siblings and house visitors: carefully checking each heart with her play stethoscope. You’d also see Christine with her girlfriend deciding it would be fun to race their baby brothers – each in their own baby buggy. So she’d ready Wayne in his buggy, then they would push the boys down a hill. Just the buggies. Thankfully, she would recount, nobody got hurt!
Or you’d see her baby sis, Darlene, dutifully holding Christine’s feet up upon request for indeterminate amounts of time, at the end of spontaneous big-sis little-sis tap dance lessons. Later, you might see Christine, Kenneth, Darlene, and Wayne all playing follow-the-leader, flying down the slopes of the Little Switzerland Ski Area in Slinger, WI.
Fatefully, on Friday the 13th, September 1968, Christine attended the Marquette University Balloon Dance to help her girlfriend find a man. That night Christine met Adrian Czajka. The date seemed right, and he was a handsome fella, so she kicked that Gary guy she had been dating to the curb. Christine and Adrian were married on Friday, June 4th, 1971. The very next day, on their honeymoon in the Smoky Mountains, Christine and Adrian could be found “entertaining” a wild bear in their campsite as they struggled to assemble, for the first time, an impossibly complicated tent in the dark.
The years from 1971 to 1978 saw them living in Milwaukee, WI, where their first son Aaron was born in 1974; then on to Ann Arbor and Brighton, MI; and then back to Milwaukee for the birth of Paul in 1978. Between the two boys, only Paul came out feet-first at birth, but that didn’t stop her from putting both boys into gymnastics classes at young ages. And music classes. And scouts. And eventually sports. Children need activities! Even weekdays needed activities: every Friday was a new surprise for her boys after school: whether sledding, ice-skating, picnics, or hiking.
The family moved to St. Charles, IL in 1986, for work and to be closer to extended family. There she endured Aaron’s amplified guitars and Paul’s unmuffled drumming with her ever-supportive grace. She endured Adrian’s basement reptile collection with… ahem… well, nevermind about that. The new location also offered new possibilities for her and Adrian to plan for family time activities: hiking in forest preserves, biking, roller skating, cross-country skiing, camping to name a few.
Professionally, Christine worked for many years as an administrative assistant to the principal at McWayne Middle School in Batavia, IL. She brought her professionalism, skill, and joy; and made long-lasting connections with staff.
These summers were special for Christine. They were peak times of family togetherness and the outdoors, all together. Nearly every spring included a packed family station wagon with little Aaron and Paul in sleeping bags in the back, departing home at 3am for a marathon drive to Florida to spend time with her snow-birding parents; and soak up sand, sun, and the ocean.
Over subsequent years Christine moved on to other administrative assistant positions, including time at Arthur Andersen, and the College of DuPage. She gave her best in everything, and these were no exception. But those who knew Christine knew that what she really worked for was to live.
And live she did! Her happiest of happy places was Lauderdale Lakes in Elkhorn, WI. Countless weekends were spent there every year, filled with family gatherings big and small. Most fondly, Christine and her brother Ken – whose families were “joined at the hip” – would gather together there. She helped assemble lunches and snacks and floaties and sunscreen all in twice the needed amounts for days spent lounging, skiing, boating, and swimming. There were long walks around the park; nighttime campfire s’mores; then the stuffing of numerous little ones into sleeping bag nooks. Christine and her sister-in-law Kim would often retire with almond-filled Hershey bars and a glass of white milk to lay in bed and giggle and tell stories for hours. In all this, she was never happier, truly. These days were her most perfect of perfect days.
When Christine became a grandmother to Travis and his brother Dylan Czajka, it was just the bees knees! She and Adrian would frequently spirit their treasured grandchildren away to their home, or even better to Lauderdale Lakes. One day was never enough! It had to be a week, at least. And, oh, there would be activities! They were so precious to her; and she was always, always there for them.
Christine filled her heart and her time with family and friends. She drew strength from her deep and dearly-practiced faith. Her family knew and experienced her as selfless, overflowing in an abundance of love, full of tenderness, selfless in her care for others, and tenaciously strong in all walks of life.
We will miss her loving presence; her endless recounting of fond memories; and the many spontaneous performances of happy sounds, singing, and dancing (artful mixes of tap-dancing, line-dancing, and jazzercise) which we frequently witnessed in her joyfulness during family gatherings.
She is survived by her parents Arthur and Gloria; her sister Darlene (Bill); her brother Wayne (Kim); her husband Adrian; children Aaron (Dawn) and Paul (Todd); grandchildren Travis and Dylan, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She is preceded in death by her brother Kenneth.
Visitation will be 3:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, December 15, 2022 at Yurs Funeral Home, 1771 West State Street, (Rt. 38), Geneva.. A second visitation will be held 9:30 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. on Friday, December 16, 2022 at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 40W605 IL-38, Elburn, IL 60119. All are invited to the funeral service at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, at 11:00 A.M. December 16. A Luncheon will be served at the church following
Condolences
Mike& Shirley Hicks from Lakewood Ranch, FL
"Aaron& Dawn and family, We are so sorry for the loss of your Mom! May she RIP and you hold all those dear memories of her in your hearts!!"
Janet Howes from Saint Charles , IL
"I'm so sorry to hear this news. Our thoughts and prayers our with you. Christine was a kind lady and surely will be missed."
Colleen La Plata from Geneva, IL
"She was absolutely beautiful inside and out! She left us too soon and our family now has a giant hole."
Maryann Addesso from Chicago, IL
"I am so very sorry to hear this news. I was Christine's neigh in Lauderdale lakes. My heart goes out to all her family. She was a pleasant and wonderful lady. I enjoyed our conversations we had when we ran into each other up at the lake . R.I P."
Kathy Hammer from Delavan, WI
"I met Christine when I was just 17 years old. She remained my very good friend ever since. Her smile and laugh always made my day better. The world has lost an amazing lady. I will always cherish my memories with Christine. She was like my big sister I never had. I will deeply miss her."
Barry Kolb from Branson, MO
"Saddened to hear yet rejoicing at her heavenly homegoing."
Glenda Alar from Campton Hills, IL
"So sorry to hear of Christine's passing. She was a truly beautiful person. she will be missed by all who had the pleasure to know her."
Kathy Czajka from Sammamish, WA
"Dear Adrian, Aaron, Paul and the entire family - I am so sorry for the loss of your beautiful wife/mother/grandmother/family member/& friend. She was wonderful, kind, and so much fun! I wish you all peace and loving memories."