Dorothy E. Schlapp nee Frantzen
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| 1. Nels FRANTZEN (deceased)
| * Nellie (deceased)
| | 2. Dorothy E. FRANTZEN b:6-22-1913 Iowa d:5-30-1996 Yorkville IL bur: AuSable Cemt., Yorkville, Kendall Co. IL 1stm: div: 2ndm: OBIT: Aurora Beacon News, Aurora IL: Dorothy E. Schlapp, 82 of Oswego, IL passed away on Thursday, May 30, 1996 at Hillside Healthcare Center in Yorkville, IL. She was born on June 22, 1913 in the state of Iowa to the late Nels and Nellie Frantzen.
Mrs. Schlapp was employed for many years within the cafeterias and driving a bus for the Oswego Community School District #308. She was a member of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Boulder Hill.
Survivors include six daughters, Barbara Lepard of Galesburg, Illinois, JoAnn (Larry) Shride of Greenville, South Carolina, Karla (Ray Huchel) Foster of Greenville, South Carolina, Martha (Gordon) Mitchell of Greenville, South Carolina, Robbyn Schlapp of Montgomery, Earlyne (Neal) Dodd of Oswego; five sons, Richard (Joan) Schlapp of Oswego, Wesley Foster of Greenville, South Carolina, Dwight (Erin) Foster of Greenville, South Carolina, Stephen (Ann) Foster of Fayetteville, Georgia, Paul Schlapp of Greenville, South Carolina; 29 grandchildren; 20 great grandchildren; a sister, Martina DuMont of Stewart, Florida and a brother Karl, Frantzen of Omaha, Nebraska.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Schlapp; a son, Harry Schlapp; a granddaughter, a sister, Hilda Kopp and a brother Oscar Frantzen.
The Body will lie in state from 9:30 am until the funeral service at 10:30 am on Monday, June 3, 1996 at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Montgomery with Rev. Les Kimball officiating.
Burial will take place at the AuSable Cemetery in Yorkville.
Visistation will be from 2 to 6 pm on Sunday, June 2, 1996 at the McKeown-Dunn Funeral Home, Ltd. in Oswego.
Memorials may be given to either the St. Luke’s Lutheran Church Carillon Fund or Bethesda Lutheran Home in Watertown, Wisconsin.
| | * Walter FOSTER
| | | 3. JoAnn FOSTER
| | | * Larry SHRIDE of Greenville, S. CAR.
| | | 3. Karla FOSTER
| | | * Ray HUCHEL of Greenville, S. CAR.
| | | 3. Wesley FOSTER of Greenville, S. CAR
| | | 3.Dwight FOSTER (deceased) of Greenville, S. CAR
| | | * Erin
| | | 3. Stephen FOSTER of Fayetteville, GA
| | | * Ann
| | * Earl SCHLAPP b: d: deceased
| | | 3. (stepchild) Barbara SCHLAPP of Galesburg IL
| | | 3. (stepchild) Martha SCHLAPP of Greenville, S. CAR
| | | * Gordon MITCHELL
| | | 3. (stepchild) Harry SCHLAPP (deceased)
| | | 3. (stepchild) Paul SCHLAPP
| | | 3. Robbyn SCHLAPP of Montgomery IL
| | | 3. Richard SCHLAPP of Oswego, IL
| | | * Joan
| | | 3. Earlyne SCHLAPP
| | | * Neal DODD of Oswego, IL
| | 2. Martina FRANTZEN
| | * DuMONT of Stewart FLA
| | 2. Karl FRANTZEN of Omaha, NB
| | 2. Hilda FRANTZEN (deceased)
| | * KOPP
|____________________________
From the Aurora Beacon News, Aurora IL by Amy Kolzow.
If Dorothy Schlapp would have had a hunch about the what the television sitcoms of the 70s would deem popular, she could have taken her family to Hollywood.
Two families joined together in the late 40’s - Dorothy met her husband-to-be, the late Earl Schlapp after divorcing her first husband. She had five young children in tow. Earl lost his first wife in a fire nd was left with four children.
The two met in Oswego at church meetings and fell in love. Two years later they married and after merging their families, the couple went on to have three more children together.
“Family meant everything to Mom,” said Earlyne Dodd of Oswego, the youngest of the bunch. “She really liked being the mom and gave evertything she had to it.”
Dorothy, 82, died May 30 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
“From the beginning, she made sure we were all one big family,” sid JoAnn Shride of Greensville, S.C., the second oldest of the clan. “She never played favorites and treated us all the same. We were like the Brady Bunch before anyone knew what that was.”
To lead a family of 12 children, Dorothy was always more than giving in her ways.
“She dedicated her life to making the family work,” said daughter Karla Foster of Greensville, S.C. “I don’t think there was ever anything more important to her than our happiness.”
The family grew up on the Schlapp Farm in Oswego. To make ends meet Earl drove a school bus and worked as a janitor at the local school. Dorothy, when the children were grown, worked in the school cafeteria and was the Oswego School District’s first female bus driver.
“She loved kids, especially babies,” said Earlyne. “The more kids around, the better to her. Each one had their own virtue and value. She believed children were gifts from God and they were given to you to care for.”
Giving went beyond her family, too.
“It didn’t matter what it was, if she had extra, she always shared,” said Karla, noting that her mother’s cookie jar was nevr empty. “I remember that whenever she made hot rolls, she would make a big pan for all of us and a second smaller pan for the lady who lived by herself down the road from us.”
JoAnn has a similar memory. She said that every Sunday after the family returned from Church, Dorothy would cook a big meal and always make a plate for someone in town.
“When we were done eating she would send dad out with the food, usually to someone different every week. She was just that way. Always giving.”
While all three of Dorothy’s daughters have different memories of their mother, they all share respect for her mothering skills and strong, caring traits.
“Looking back, I wonder how she did it,” said Earlyne, noting that she always made sure the children had music lessons, time and money to participate in school activities and plenty of her attention. “She was always the first one up and the last one to go to bed. She was simply amazing.”

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Note: Dorothy Schlapp was my next door neighbor for many years and the mother of my school classmate: Wesley Foster. We always loved to pick the fresh cherries on the tree that hanged over the fence. I am happy to add this obit and article in memory of a wonderful woman I had the pleasure to know. James Seidelman.