Hannelore Williams

Hannelore Brunhilde Williams, 86, departed this life peacefully on December 16, 2024. Hannelore was born on June 30, 1938, in Dünen, East Prussia, a small village near the Baltic Sea, to David and Gertrud Wehlus. Hannelore’s early life was interrupted in 1944 as the eastern front of WWII approached her home and was forced to flee westward with her grandmother, mother, aunt, an 18-month-old cousin, and older sister Waltraut “Trudi” (1930-2020). Early in the journey her grandmother passed away and her aunt and mother went missing during a bombing. Shortly thereafter their cousin died of typhoid fever, leaving Hannelore and Trudi alone to find their way back to the West. They eventually reached safety with relatives in Bremen later that year and were reunited in Bonn several years after the war ended with their father, David, after his release from a POW camp in Russia.

Hannelore immigrated at age 19 to the US in 1956, following her sister to Chicago and working for the German consulate. In Chicago she later met and married James Williams in 1960. They had two sons, Kevin (1964) and Jim (1968) and she enjoyed over 50 years of marriage ending in the passing of her husband in 2017. Hannelore was a grandmother to five: Fred, Patrick, Philippos, Clio and Finn.

Hannelore is survived by her son James Williams, daughter-in-law Katinka van Es, grandsons Philippos Williams, Finn van Es-Williams, granddaughter Clio Williams, daughter-in-law Laura Williams (Kevin), grandsons Fred and Patrick Williams and brother Juergen Wehlus. She was preceded in death by her husband James Williams, son Kevin Williams, brother Helmut Wehlus and sister Waltraut Connick.

A memorial visitation for Hannelore will be held Friday, February 21, 2025 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM, a Memorial Service to follow, at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 5015 Lincoln Ave, Lisle, IL 60532.