Taught thousands to read
Minnie Mathilda “Tillie” Gnewuch, 88, died on Jan. 20, 2023. Dr. Gnewuch was born on Nov. 25, 1934, she was highly regarded as a reading specialist, and taught thousands of children how to read and hundreds of teachers to teach reading. She graduated from Harris Teachers College where she was crowned the May Day Fete Queen in 1956. While working and raising her five children, she completed her formal training at Oklahoma State University. Her career as an educator spanned four decades in numerous public and private schools, including Concordia Teachers College in Seward, Nebraska; St. John Lutheran School in Forest Park; and Concordia University Chicago in River Forest. She loved Jesus and wanted everyone to live in peace.
Tillie was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, Rev. Dr. Donald Gnewuch; her parents, Theodore and Eva Johnson Weeke; and her sister Jean Gibson. She is survived by her siblings, Betty Henderson and William (Carol) Weeke; her children, Katherine (Gregory) Roberson, Rebecca Boyer, Deborah (Richard) Gher, Rev. Carl (Cynthia) Gnewuch and Sarah (Edward) Ruberry; her grandchildren, Courtney, Theodore (Tammy), Joseph (Jessica), Nicole, John, Maria, Jonathan (Paulina), Lauren (Matthew), Sarah (Trevor), Rachael, Ava, Stephanie, Mark, Kyle, Michael and Brian (Kristina); and her great-grandchildren, Ava, Edgar, William, Dakota, Lily, Aurora, Whisper, Nathan, Amelia, Matthew, Mackenzie, Adeline, Anastasia, and Violet.
A visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 27, at Elmhurst Community Funeral Home – Ahlgrim Chapel, 567 S. Spring Road, Elmhurst. Funeral services are pending for Saturday, Jan. 28, visit https://www.elmhurstfh.com/ or call 630-834-3515 for more information.
Interment is at Concordia Cemetery, 7900 Madison St., Forest Park.
Memorials appreciated for Concordia University, 7400 Augusta, River Forest, IL 60305, c/o the Gnewuch Family Endowment Fund or the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League.
