Mary Lou (Johnson) Cain passed away peacefully at Park Place of Elmhurst on July 5, 2021, at the age of 94. She was a resident of Elmhurst since 1954. Mary Lou was born on March 23, 1927, in Galesburg, Ill. She was the daughter of Hannah Marie Sundberg and Oscar William Johnson. She had two older siblings, Alice and William, as well as a sister, Helen, who died at the age of 4. Mary Lou grew up in various towns in the Galesburg area, her favorite being Prophetstown. By the time she was in high school, her family had settled in Galva, Ill. She was a cheerleader at Galva High School and, in her sophomore year biology class, she met a young man named Tom Cain. Mary Lou and Tom dated each other off and on until they married on February 27, 1954. They settled in the Chicagoland area so Tom could pursue a career in package design and commercial art.
Mary Lou was a long-time member of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Elmhurst and was an avid golf and tennis player. She is survived by her children: Connie, Susan (Tim Buividas), and John (Janan) Cain. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Ben Knerr, Patt Knerr, Emily Cain, Isabella Cain, Grace (Merlin) Troyer, and Emma Buividas, as well as her great-grandson, Louie Troyer, and many nieces, nephews, dear friends, and neighbors. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters and brother, her son-in-law Bob Knerr, a niece Debra Johnson and her beloved husband Tom Cain.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Friends are encouraged to perform a kind deed in her honor or make a donation to Epiphany Lutheran Church, 314 West Vallette Street, Elmhurst, IL, 60126. Arrangements entrusted to Elmhurst Community Funeral Home – The Ahlgrim Chapel. For info, 630-834-3515 or www.ElmhurstFh.com.
