Anne Schwab overcame many obstacles in her life, and she wanted to do whatever she could to provide for her family, said her daughter, Marie Maravilla.
“She never had a million dollars, but always had enough to give her children a little treat,” she said. “She never wanted help from anyone herself.”
Anne Schwab, 88, of Crown Point and formerly of Elgin, Ill., died Jan. 14. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frederick, in 2000.
Schwab was born in Germany outside Munich and lived there through World War II.
“She would tell horrible stories about World War II and getting to and from work,” her daughter said. “She would have to take cover. Things were rationed. She lived through everything.”
She came to the United States in 1952 on a ship, landing at Ellis Island.
“She was a mail-order bride,” Maravilla said. Schwab returned to Europe to retrieve Maravilla from relatives two years later, and they returned to the United States together. The became citizens together in 1970.
She worked as a secretary her whole life, first in Germany and then when she came to the United States. Schwab loved the outdoors, especially hiking and bike riding and having picnics.
“She loved watching the seasons and looking at the flowers,” Maravilla said.
She said she admired her mother’s positive outlook on life.
“She could always make the best of everything,” she said. “She used to find the little bit of good in any tragedy.”
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