Ida Pansegrau

Ida Emily Marie Pansegrau (nee Tegeler), of O’Fallon, MO, passed away Friday, August 13, 2021, at the age of 103. Beloved wife of the late Norman Pansegrau; Cherished daughter of the late George and Bertha Tegeler. Devoted mother of Dawn (Dale) Septeowski; loving grandmother of Matthew Septeowski, Meredith Septeowski; and a host of nieces and nephews. Ida is preceded in death by her brothers and sisters, Esther, George, Ruth, Ralph, and Lucille.

Ida was born at home, prematurely, on May 21, 1918. Her mother was told that she wouldn’t survive, so she shouldn’t get attached. That wasn’t an option. Instead, her mother lovingly rubbed olive oil on her skin and placed her in the oven – homemade incubator! Obviously, she survived and thrived. Though, always very small. She was so small that her “crib” was a cigar box! Family would joke that she never got much bigger. But she was a tough one. Always a survivor.

She grew up in Chicago with her siblings, Esther, George, Ruth, Ralph, and Lucille. A baseball fan, she loved going to White Sox games as a kid, and then supporting the Chicago Cubs after marrying her husband, Norman Pansegrau. Ida became a huge Cubs fan, even though she never saw them play in-person at Wrigley Field! Besides God and family, the Cubs were her greatest love, and everyone that knew her was thankful that she got to see them win the World Series in 2016.

Ida was forced to be a single mom early on after her husband died in 1957. Ida became sole support for herself and her daughter, Dawn. She had wonderful support from her siblings, and they were able to provide my mother with a family of cousins who felt more like brothers and sisters. However, Ida had to work hard and sacrifice a lot to keep things together. It would have been easy to fall apart, but she had been born to keep going, no matter what. She worked for the Tegeler Newspaper Agency, MGM pictures, and Kohlberg Theaters as an administrative secretary. Ida also worked as a school secretary for St. John Lutheran Church in Forest Park, IL, and remained active in her faith after retirement. As a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Lombard, she attended weekly services and Bible studies and volunteered in the church and school offices as needed. Later, as a shut-in, she enjoyed the attention that the church and school provided via greeting cards, children’s drawings, and Christmas cookies. Ida moved to O’Fallon, Missouri, with her family in 2017. She was then blessed with visits from Pastor Bob and Pastor James from Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church in St. Peters, Missouri, and enjoyed visits from Mathilda Reinhardt and drawings from the preschool.

Sadly, Ida experienced a lot of loss in her life. Her father passed away when she was a child. She lost two babies and her husband. Then her mother shortly after. She would also outlive all of her siblings and all of her friends. After losing someone she loved, she would always ask “Why doesn’t God take me?” We would tell her, “God wants you to stick around to teach us how to be strong like you.” She really did.

This isn’t to say that her life wasn’t filled with joy as well. She loved her siblings. They were her best friends, and she adored all the nieces and nephews she was given. She was also happy that they all stayed in touch with her and would call or text to say hi from time to time. To say that she was proud of Dawn for becoming a Lutheran school teacher is an understatement. She knew that she had done something right when Dawn chose to pass God’s love to others.

Being born into the 1918 pandemic, Ida was covid free but went home to be with Jesus during the current pandemic on August 13, 2021. She fought hard but had the peaceful passing that everyone deserves. Again, God knew she was a fighter. There was no way that He would take her, without giving her another chance to show me just how strong she could be.

For right now, in lieu of a funeral or memorial, we would like to ask family and friends to post their own special memories of Ida Pansegrau. Maybe “visit” with each other here, like you would do if you were to attend a service for her. Grandma would like that a lot. God is good.

Memorials may be made in Ida's name to Chapel of the Cross Lutheran Church in St. Peters or to Lutheran Hour Ministries.