Patricia E. Heyn Quintenz's Obituary
Decatur – Patricia (Pat) E. Heyn Quintenz of Decatur, passed away Wednesday, August 10, 2016 in her home. She was 89.
Pat was born April 22, 1927 in Fort Wayne, IN to Clarence J. and Mary M. (Holmberg) Lallow. She was the oldest of three daughters.
Pat relocated to Decatur as a young widow after her husband, Rolf W. Heyn, passed away. It was in Decatur where she met and married Fredrick J. Quintenz. As a mother and a member of St. James Parish, Pat volunteered at the school and church. She was also a member of the St. Elizabeth Society.
When Pat wasn’t taking care of her family or volunteering, she enjoyed playing games. She belonged to multiple bridge clubs. She particularly enjoyed playing cards, dominoes, and word games with family and friends. When they weren’t available, she was an avid reader who also enjoyed sewing, crocheting, weaving, tatting, pottery, macramé, painting, and playing the guitar.
What Pat really loved to do was to play golf because it combined her favorite outdoor game with her passion for bird watching. When she wasn’t on the golf course nor at the house, Pat could be found bird watching in the woods. She joined the Decatur Audubon Society which eventually led her to Rock Springs Center. Once she found Rock Springs and became a Prairie Heritage Volunteer, her interests multiplied. As a volunteer, Pat was involved with all that Rock Springs Nature Center had to offer. She did living history at the 1860 Homestead Prairie Farm. Pat not only researched and made her own clothes for her 1860’s alter-ego, but she also learned how to play the dulcimer and was an early member of the “Skiffles” dulcimer group. As a group, they performed at Rock Springs and all over Decatur and Central Illinois.
Pat is survived by her children: Rolf “Butch” (Martha) Quintenz of Decatur and Kathy (Michael) Grove of Euless, TX; her granddaughters: Teri (Mike) Stout, Kari (Chris Johnson) Quintenz and Emily Grove; six great-grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter; her sisters: Norma Quintenz of Decatur and Linda (Jerry) Turk of Mt. Lebanon, PA; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and dear friends.
Mass of Christian Burial to celebrate her life will be 1:00 pm, Tuesday, August 16, 2016 at St. James Catholic Church. Visitation will be one hour prior to the Mass in the church. Burial will follow in Graceland Cemetery, Decatur. Memorials may be made to Rock Springs Conservation Area, Macon County Conservation District, and the Decatur Audubon Society.
The family of Patricia E. Quintenz is being served by the Graceland/Fairlawn Funeral Home, 2091 N. Oakland Ave., Decatur, IL 62526. Condolences and memories may be shared at www.gracelandfairlawn.com.
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