Ada C. Schackel

Ada C. Schackel, 90, of Santa Fe, passed away on January 8, 2012.Ada Christine Schackel Born August 8, 1921, Ada Christine Biddle Schackel passed away peacefully on January 8, 2012, in the presence of her daughter, Pamela, and her granddaughter, Christi, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The second youngest of 5 children, she outlived her siblings and many other relatives and friends. Her death marks the end of an era.

She was born on a farm in Newman, Illinois, to Anna Ophelia (Widman) Biddle and Fred Hooe Biddle. She lived through the Great Depression and attended a one-room schoolhouse, where her aunt Elizabeth Biddle was her teacher. She graduated from Newman Township High School in 1939 and married William (Bill) Schackel in November of 1939. In 1954, she graduated from Champaign Urbana Beauty School and ran her own business while raising her family. In the 1960's, she owned and operated Willada Lanes bowling alley, restaurant and lounge.

Chris, as she was known to her friends and golf buddies, was an active, vibrant woman with a love for beauty. She was mother of three children with husband William A. Schackel: Dr. William Andrew, Michael F., and Pamela Kristina. All were raised in Villa Grove, Illinois, where Chris lived the majority of her life. She later married Don Johnson and they moved to Santa Fe in 1978. She suffered his loss when he died of cancer. Chris found new joy and followed the sunshine to California where she lived for a short time before settling in Sun City West, Arizona where she spent her golden years. She played golf at every opportunity, one year playing 300 rounds. She won many tournaments and proudly displayed her Octogenarian Trophy in her living room. She made friends and kept busy by playing golf, exercising regularly, lawn bowling, and playing bingo. In 2007, she moved back to Santa Fe to be near her family.

Many survive Chris: William Schackel and his wife, Toni; Michael Schackel and his wife, Cathy; Pamela Schackel and her husband, Michael Golden. Her grandchildren include, Greg Schackel (Dawn), Christi Schackel, Angela Schackel Bordegaray, Lauren Wilson, Darryl Dague, Dawn DiFilippo, Katina Downey (Greg), Mike Schackel, and Conrad and Renee Kern. Her great-grandchildren: Jennifer, Alex, and Andrew Schackel, Lia Dant, Charlotte Bordegaray, Jeff and Melissa Dague, Vincent DiFillipo, Neriah and Meirah Downey and Quinton Schackel. She was also very close to her niece, Anna Carol Lampe and her husband, Peter Florzak.

The family would like to thank Chris' daughter, Pam, and her granddaughter, Christi, for their love and devotion in caring for her. They gave Chris extra love and care that made her last years comfortable and happy. We would also like to thank Martha Tapia, Chris' caregiver, for her love, support and hard work taking care of our Mom, Grandmother, and Great-grandmother.

Services were held on January 15, 2012 at Lutheran Church of the Servant.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Ada Christine Schackel either to Lutheran Church of the Servant or to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America at alzfdn.org