Obituaries

Marj Locke, 97, a lifelong resident of St. Charles, died at Delnor Hospital in Geneva on Sunday, March 27, 2022, following a fall at her home nine days earlier.

The daughter of Carl Westberg and Ellen Benson, Marj was born in Batavia, IL on June 25, 1924. Her family moved to St. Charles in the 1930s, and she graduated from St. Charles High School in 1942. She then took a position at the Aurora & Elgin Railroad, where she worked until she married Charles A. Locke, a former Lieutenant in the US Army Air Corps (Navigator- Pacific Theatre). Charlie fought in the battles for Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and he was the navigator on the second American plane to land in Japan following their surrender. Always very patriotic, she was proud of his service.

Marj and Charlie were married in 1946 in St. Charles, where the first Lockes settled in the 1840s. The founder, Amos Locke, immigrated from London, England. Marj’s parents were both descended from Norwegian and Swedish immigrants from the early 1890’s. Through the 1950’s, Marj was an integral part of the operation of the Charles A. Locke clothing store on Main Street in St. Charles. Marj also worked closely with her husband on several entrepreneurial ventures. After a year in Scottsdale, AZ, the family returned to St. Charles in 1964. After a short venture with Jim Collins in the oil business, Marj and Charlie worked together to establish a successful manufacturer’s representative business, Locke and Associates. This included establishing the Coach Leatherware brand, along with several clothing brands in the Midwest. They had an office in the Apparel Center in Chicago.

Marj became an active member of the St. Charles Country Club in the 1950’s. An avid golfer, she remained a member until her death. She was an enthusiastic reader of fiction and biographies as well as the Wall Street Journal until the day she died. She was mentally acute and articulate until the end. She lived in the same St. Charles house from 1967. Her favorite actresses were Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis, and Elizabeth Taylor. Her favorite President was Ronald Reagan.

Survivors include her sons Jeff Locke and Bruce Locke (Katherine), and her daughter Jill Locke DeJourno. She is also survived by three grandchildren, Alan Theis, David Locke and Leslie Locke, as well as one great grandchild, Hudson Theis, along with several dear nieces and nephews. She was pre-deceased by her husband Charles A Locke, and two grandchildren, Jennifer Locke and Nicholas Theis. Her sister Shirley Madden, brother John Westberg, and special companion, Chuck Showalter also preceded her in death.

In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in Marj’s memory to the Wounded Warriors Foundation, www.WoundedWarriorsFoundation.org, or to Lazarus House, 214 Walnut St. St. Charles, https://www.lazarushouse.net/.

A Visitation will be held from 10:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. Saturday, April 23, 2022, at Yurs Funeral Home, 405 E. Main Street, St. Charles, Illinois. A Celebration of Life service will be held in Marj’s honor after the visitation, at 11:00 A.M. at Yurs Funeral Home, officiated by Rev. Richard Holmer. For additional information, please call, (630) 584-0060. A reception will be held immediately following at Dunham Riding Club in Wayne, IL (corner of Army Trail Road and Dunham Road).

The service will be livestreamed via zoom using the link below.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81912879216?pwd=N01wZE9Uc0lOUGxkWkIwK0l0b3FxUT09
Meeting ID: 819 1287 9216
Passcode: Locke

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