Lola Jean Gronewold

Lola Jean Gronewold, 92, a resident of the North Ft. Myers area since 1996, formerly of Algonquin, IL, passed away Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at Gulf Coast Village in Cape Coral, FL. She was born May 2, 1931 in Rochester, IN to Wesley and Mary Dawson, now deceased.

As a baby, she and her family moved to Chicago, IL, and Lola later graduated from Tuley High School in 1949. Lola joined God’s Invasion Army, a missionary youth group that traveled in the northwest part of North America, working with youth in Baptist Churches. Her dream was to be a nurse. In 1955, she earned her RN from Lutheran Deaconess Hospital in Chicago--now Lutheran General Hospital--in Park Ridge, IL. Lola worked in surgery, emergency rooms, doctors' offices and industrial nursing for 40 years. She retired in 1995 from Cigna Insurance Company.

She is survived by two of her daughters, Sandra Jean (Ralph) Brown of Lake Zurich, IL, and Donna Lynn (John) Foley of Monticello, IL; eight grandchildren, Stephan (Ari) Brown, David (Evan) Brown, Jack Foley, Benjamin (Juliette) Foley, Emily Foley, Jackie (Mario) Resendiz, Stephanie (Kevin) Weber, and Mark (Celeste) Kinney; as well as five great-grandchildren.

Lola married Donald Lee Gronewold at the Fairfield Baptist Church in Chicago on May 4, 1954. They raised their three daughters in Franklin Park, IL. Lola was preceded in death by her loving husband, Don, earlier this year; her daughter, Mary Lou Kinney; her sister, Karen Tracey; and brother, Jerald Dawson.

Lola will be cremated and her ashes committed at Immanuel Cemetery in Golden, IL.

Don and Lola were Christ followers and most recently members of Grace Methodist Church in Cape Coral and Gulf Coast Village Chapel. The family has held a private Celebration of Life gathering.

Mullins Memorial Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Cape Coral, is entrusted with final care.