Ethel D. McCaskey, 92, of Galena, IL, formerly of Palatine, IL, passed away at 9:46 A/M, Wednesday, January 30, 2013, at the Bell Tower Retirement Community in East Dubuque, IL.

Funeral Services will be at 11 A/M, Saturday, February 2, 2013, at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Galena, with Rev. Fred Baltz officiating. Interment will be at 1 P/M, Monday, February 4, 2013, at Memory Gardens Cemetery, Arlington Heights, IL. Friends may call after 10 A/M, Saturday, at the church. The Miller & Steinke Funeral Home, Galena, is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. McCaskey was born on June 21, 1920 in Chicago, IL, the daughter of Fred and Rose (Spalinger) Pingel. She married Herbert McCaskey on June 22, 1940. He preceded her in death in December, 2002.

Ethel devoted her life to being a wife and mom and to her "church work". She and Herb were founding members of Christ Lutheran Church in Palatine, IL, where they knocked on doors to recruit people for a new church.

She taught Sunday school for 52 years until they moved to Galena. She was active in Circle, Altar Guild, Prayer Chain and all of the women's groups of the church. She served as president of "Church Women United" in the Chicago metro area. Frequently Ethel wrote original poems, liturgy, and prayers for church events. On more than one occasion, she would say that if women could have been ordained as a pastor in her day, she would have liked to become a pastor.

When they were quite small, her two grandchildren, Meg and Ryan, began calling her "Grandma Church" because she seemed to always be at church. Ethel was proud of that nickname.

Ethel loved music and singing and seldom missed "Lawrence Welk". She sang in a choral group in Palatine, The Town and Country Singers, for several years.

Herb and Ethel loved to travel, visiting friends and relatives, and to take cruises. They loved their trips to Florida and to Disney World with her brother, Willard and his wife, Audrey.

Surviving is her son, Ray (Judy Slade) McCaskey, of Chicago, IL; two grandchildren, Megan McCaskey and her husband, Jeremy Hoialmen, of Minneapolis, MN, and Ryan McCaskey, of Chicago, IL; her brother, Willard (Audrey Dorais) Pingel, of Mt. Prospect, IL; two nieces, Kathryn Woods and Barbara Dahl. She also has many special cousins and special friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Galena, IL.

Ray and Judy wish to thank the staff at Bell Tower Retirement Community and Hospice of Dubuque for the excellent care provided to their mother.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.millerfhed.com