Lydia Niechciol

Lydia "Lily" Niechciol (nee Benner)

Our dear mother, Lydia "Lily" Niechciol (nee Benner) passed away on October 18, 2022 at the age of 92 in Carbondale, Illinois.

Lydia was born May 15, 1930 in Bockum-Hoevel, Germany, to Reinhard & Grete Wilhelmine Benner (nee Sander).  She married the late Josef Niechciol in 1952 in Woltwiesche, Germany, and they emigrated to Canada in 1956, and then to the United States the following year.  Josef passed away in 2004.

She was the beloved mother of Martina (late Howard) Niechciol-Hooks, Astrid (Richard) Norman, and Barbara Niechciol (David Parrish); cherished grandmother of Joseph Mosely, Maggi Soluna, Elizabeth (Ken) Wehrheim, Patrick Asa, Rae Hooks, and Harrison Benner.

Lydia was preceded in death by her husband, parents, sisters Gretchen and Annaliese, and brother Freddy.

Her formal education in Germany had been disrupted by WWII, but she was an avid reader and eager learner.  After coming to the United States, she obtained her GED and then graduated from Prairie State College with her Associate of Arts degree.

Fiercely independent, Lydia loved to travel, and always wanted to see "what was around the corner".  She was extraordinarily artistic, excelling in any type of needlework, photography, cooking and baking.  She enjoyed classical music and musical theater.  We remember her as a powerful woman in her own right.

Memorial donations in Lydia's memory may be made to Hospice of Southern Illinois, Inc.

Our thanks to all the wonderful people at Manor Court Nursing Home that took great care of Lydia throughout her long stay there.

Visitation Thursday October 21, 2022, at the Tews-Ryan Funeral Home 18230 Dixie Highway in Homewood from 9:30 am until the time of service at 11:30 am. Interment Assumption Cemetery to follow. For additional information contact tews-ryanfh.com or call 708-798-5300.