Theresa L. Erxleben

Theresa Lorraine Erxleben, 103, of Rockford, passed away on 8/30/2017 at 12:47 PM. She was born October 5, 1913 in Goodman, Wisconsin the daughter of Victoria & John Turecke.

Being raised on a farm Theresa was an excellent cook and that was one of her joys was cooking for her family and friends. In her 20's she moved to Chicago and was a housekeeper at the Congress Hotel in downtown Chicago. This is also where she met her first husband Alex Sopiwnik and they were married on Oct 5, 1938 and married for 40 years! After Alex fell asleep in death she married Wally Erxleben on June 1, 1985 and they had 10 great years together until his death. Theresa's greatest love was for her God Jehovah. She was baptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in 1945. Theresa read her Bible daily and loved being at the Kingdom Hall for the meetings and was faithfully out in her door to door ministry every week. When she moved into assisted living she would talk to everybody about the hope of living forever on a paradise earth as stated in the Bible. Because of her illness she began letter writing and wrote over 2,100 letters of faith to people that could not be found at home.

She is survived by her son David (Lolly) Sopiwnik, granddaughter Laura (Mark) Cannon of Rockford and great granddaughter Alexandria (Erez) Levy of Indianapolis IN and her sister Emily Anderson of California. As well as nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her mother & father, husband Alex Sopiwnik and 2nd husband Walter Erxleben, brothers, Carl, Mike, Leo, Eddie & Charlie Turecke and sisters Angela Turecke & Mary Gerhart.

Memorial Services will be held Saturday, Sept 2, 2017 at 2:00 PM at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses 1905 S Mulford Rd. Rockford. In lieu of flowers memorials to www.JW.org Arrangements by Fitzgerald Funeral Home & Crematory, 1860 S. Mulford Rd., Rockford, IL 61108. – send online condolences at www.fitzgeraldfh.com