Veronica E. Hornbostel

Visitation for Veronica E. Hornbostel, 89, of Kildeer, will be held on Saturday, January 6^th, 2024 from 9:00 am until the time of the funeral mass at 10:00 am at Transfiguration Catholic Church, 316 W Mill St, Wauconda. Interment will be held privately.

Veronica, or Ronnie as she was known to many, was a loving and dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Ronnie passed away peacefully on December 27, 2023 at The Auberge of Lake Zurich. Ronnie was known as mother or mom by her children but never “ma”. To her family, she was also known as HRH or “her royal highness” for her grace and class, and affectionately called Nana by her grandchildren and Gigi by her great-grandchildren. She will be remembered for her talent for crossword puzzles, her penchant for unicorns, and her many crocheted afghans. Even though she never uttered a foul word, Ronnie always had an acronym, such as PITA or TDB; a Yiddish saying; or a French (which was her first language) word to say if she felt you were out of line. She was an outstanding cook and hostess, an avid collector of Lladro figurines, and lover of classic movies. Ronnie never missed her Friday appointment at the salon or Sunday Mass at her local parish. When her children were young, Ronnie, who was known for her beautiful singing voice, became the leader of song at St. Raymond of Peñafort Catholic Church in Mount Prospect, IL and was one of the first women to serve in this position. 

We believe Veronica was born Marguerite Daigneault on August 30, 1934 in Montréal, Quebec, Canada to Rosa Fontane and Alderic Daigneault. Veronica was orphaned at a young age and lived in a Canadian Catholic orphanage for a number of years before being adopted by Mercedes Catherine Freiwald (nee Hapsburg) and Fritz Carl Herman Freiwald of Providence, Rhode Island. She was renamed Veronica Elizabeth by her adoptive parents. In 1949, her adoptive father, Fritz, passed away suddenly. Veronica met her husband of 67-years, Edward (Ed), at age 17 when Edwards’s father, Arthur Hornbostel, ran a lonely-hearts ad and Ronnie’s widowed mother, Mercedes, answered the ad with her three natural-children (twin daughters Theresa and Mercedes (a.k.a Penny) and son Franz) along with adopted daughter, Veronica, in tow. Arthur and Mercedes were soon married, and a courtship began between Ed and Ronnie.  Ed and Ronnie were married July 2, 1955 at St. Gertrude’s Catholic Church in Franklin Park, IL and honeymooned at the Wisconsin Dells.  Over the years, Ed and Ronnie lived in Franklin Park, IL; Mount Prospect, IL; and finally, Kildeer, IL. Ronnie became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1976.

Veronica is survived by her children: Cynthia (David) Mack, Carol (John) Youngs, Karen (Robin) Nielsen, and Edward (Lisa) Hornbostel; grandchildren Britney (Jeremy) Fodor, Christopher Mack, William Youngs, Benjamin Nielsen, Paige Nielsen, Olivia Nielsen, Ashleigh (Greg) Ivaska, Samantha (Cliff) Philis, and Tori (Laura) Elstrom; and great-grandchildren Brandon, Stella Faye, Masten, Ryan, Katherine, and Frankie.

She is preceded in death by her dear husband, Edward, and her daughter, Suzanne.