Gisele H. Shotliff, 94

Gisele H. Shotliff, 94, of Mendota died Jan. 4, 2017 in Heritage Health, Mendota. Funeral services took place at 11 a.m., Monday, Jan. 9 at First Presbyterian Church, Mendota with Rev. Susan Presley officiating. Burial followed at Rockton Twp. Cemetery, Rockton, Ill. Visitation was held one hour prior to services at the church. The Merritt Funeral Home, Mendota is handling the arrangements.

Gisele was born Nov. 27, 1922 in Paris, France to Oscar and Marie (Diettinger) Gross. She lived in Paris during the German occupation, working for the French Ministry of Fine Arts.

After the liberation of Paris, she worked for the U.S. Army in Versailles, France. While there she met Captain Richard Shotliff, whom she married on June 11, 1946 in the American Cathedral in Paris.

She came to the United States as a war bride and renounced her French citizenship, becoming a naturalized U. S. Citizen in 1951. She taught French and was active in the French Club at the University of Illinois while her husband completed his studies. They then moved to Mendota in 1955, after seven years in Rockford. Gisele served as President of the Mendota Community Hospital Women’s Auxiliary and enthusiastically completed a profitable tenure running the hospital gift shop.

She was active in the Parent Teachers Association when her children were in school.

During the late 1960’s, she provided a parent’s perspective on the high school’s Dress Code Committee. She was active in the Ladies Golf Auxiliary and was a member of many bridge clubs.

She traveled widely and enjoyed reading, cooking, and needlework. She is survived by her husband of 70 years, Richard; and her daughter, Corinne both of Mendota.

Also surviving are three grandchildren. She was preceded by one son, Stanley who died in 2008. Memorials may be directed to MASS or the First Presbyterian Church.