Elaine M. Pfluger

Elaine Mary Pfluger died peacefully in her sleep after saying the “Hail Mary” one last time with family by her side. She was the first of 5 children born to Albert and Nell Labunski. Growing up, Elaine loved playing with her friends, enjoyed family dinners at Grandma’s house and spending at time at the family bakery. Elaine was always passionate about her faith and wanting to make a difference in the lives of others. She became an advocate for mental illness long before people recognized it as a disease. She would visit children at the Singer Mental Health Center and bring them communion and spend time with them. Her heart was not only for being a volunteer, but raising up an army of volunteerism which became a driving force in her life. Elaine served as the Project Director for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, as well as the Lutheran Social Services Program. But her heart wasn’t just for seniors, it was also for youth, a passion she shared alongside her husband Robert Pfluger. Their love for youth was evident in their wedding bands, engraved with a vine joined together by a Y for youth.

Elaine married Bob on August 4th, 1956 while Bob went to dental school. Early on, Elaine worked at Fanny May Candies to help support the family, where her love for Pixies and Mint Meltaways began and continued to her final days. Together they raised eight children on their farm. They loved their yearly corn boils where friends and family would gather to share Pfood, Pfamily and Pfun. Even with eight children, they loved to travel as a family and everything they did became an incredible adventure. There was lots of laughter and joy on the farm, but also times mixed with loss, but Elaine never lost sight of her faith.

Elaine’s faith was a steadfast foundation for her whole life and it shaped everything and everyone she touched. She understood the strength of community as she and Bob lived out their faith every month alongside her Potluck group. She leaves a legacy that prayer can change anything, that hope can be found even in the most uncommon of spaces and peace is needed to get through our days.

She is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Bob and her sons, Mark, David; son-in-law, William Elliott and her sister, Rita DeWall. Elaine is survived by siblings, Ron (Cherrie) Labunski, Sandy (Gene) Vitale, and Ray (Pam) Labunski; sister-in-law, Virginia Pfluger; children, Dan (Dawn) Pfluger, Tom (Daniele) Pfluger, Deb (Scott) Seynemeier, Barbara (Bill Allen) Pfluger, Diane (Mike) Wellwerts, John (Dawn) Pfluger; daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Pfluger; 19 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; a host of nieces, nephews, family and friends. Additionally, Daniel Luna who became a living soulmate for her in her later years.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. with a visitation prior to Mass from 9:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. at St. James Catholic Church, 428 N. Second Street, Rockford, IL 61107. A Night Before Visitation will be on Friday, March 28, 2025, from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. at Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, 3910 N. Rockton Avenue, Rockford, IL 61103. Burial at Calvary Catholic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Blackhawk Area Council Scouting, https://blackhawkscouting.org/news/fos/ or the Young Life Castaway Club of Peoria, Illinois, https://giving.younglife.org/s/?GiftType=Area&MissionUnitId=a2s410000002v9zAAA&ClassCodeId=a2j41000000Nj93AAC&Frequency=One-Time&MissionUnitName=Central%20Illinois&ClassCodeName=Operating. Arrangements entrusted with Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, Riverside Chapel.