Barbara Louise Laken

(1940 – 2020)

Boone County's coolest grandmother, Barbara Louise Laken died
peacefully at home on February 25, 2020, surrounded by her family. She is
survived by her beloved husband of 56 years, Robert Laken, with whom she raised
four daughters, Diane (Rich) Doerr, Donna (Russ Wolf) Laken, Beth (Rob Kapala)
Turek, and Valerie (Rodney Ranken) Laken. Barb was extremely active in the
lives of her grandchildren, Amanda and Brandon Turek, Christopher (Annika) and
Alison Doerr, and Kaj and John Wolf. She was thrilled to live long enough to
get to know her new great-granddaughter, Evelyn.

Born and raised in Chicago and Western Springs, Barb was the
daughter of Mildred and George Pekny, who preceded her in death, and the big sister
of Terry (Jessica) Pekny. She was class president at Nazareth Academy and majored
in math at Rosary College. She loved learning and corresponded with her
favorite teachers for many decades after graduation. She later returned to
college to earn her MBA from Northern Illinois University. Before marrying Bob in
1963, Barb taught math at Big Foot High School in Walworth, Wisconsin, and
later at Guilford High School in Rockford. Though she quit teaching to raise her
children, she continued to work for many years as a private math tutor in
Rockford, helping countless students survive quadratic equations. In addition
to working as an insurance agent for over 45 years, she was the bookkeeper and co-owner
of several small businesses with Bob, including Greenview Estates in Belvidere.

Barb was a pint-sized powerhouse who didn't like to sit
still and was always up for an adventure. She loved to chat, golf, garden,
travel, and throw parties, and she had a special bond with her horse, Rainbow,
and her vacuum cleaner. She let her kids eat sugary cereal every morning and
gave everyone free access to ice cream at all hours of the day. She taught her
kids and grandkids to swim, ride horses, and ski, and she even taught her dog
Susie to jetski. She loved to travel and never forgot a birthday. Her smile was
a mile wide.

An active member of St. Rita's Church in Rockford, St. James
Church in Belvidere, and the Belvidere Zonta Club, Barb enjoyed volunteering,
especially for Meals on Wheels. In December of 2018 Barb was diagnosed with
brain cancer. She accepted her illness with grace and good cheer, insisting
that we continue to laugh and celebrate the life and family she gave us.

The visitation will be held 4:00-7:00 p.m. Friday, February 28
at Anderson Funeral and Cremation Services, at 218 W. Hurlbut Avenue in
Belvidere, IL. The funeral mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, February
29 at St. James Church, 402 Church St., in Belvidere IL.



In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the
Autism Research Institute at www.autism.org.