Delores Irene Shrader, age 95, of Shabbona, Illinois, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 25, 2025, at Prairie Crossing Living & Rehabilitation Center.

Delores was born March 8, 1930, in DeKalb, Illinois, to Irene and Elvina Johnson. She grew up in the Shabbona Area, and married her high school sweetheart, Donald Shrader, on November 12, 1949. They shared a beautiful life together until his passing in 2011.

The matriarch of the Shrader family, Delores was known for her sharp wit and a wonderful sense of humor. She was a devoted homemaker and involved in the family business Vacationland RV Sales in Big Rock, Illinois. She found great joy in the simple pleasures of life: cooking, baking, reading, gardening, and playing cards. For more than 40 years, summer weekends were spent creating memories at the family cottage on Lake Delavan, Wisconsin, and for 20 years, she and Donald enjoyed wintering in Bonita Springs, Florida.

Delores was a calm but fierce competitor. Even at 95, she was still winning games of her favorite board game, Aggravation. She was a gifted storyteller, often regaling her family with the "famous" tale of a three-mile walk to school - which, according to her, was always uphill both ways. An animal lover at heart, she adored her family pets and spent years caring for the local cats that visited her back porch.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Donald; her son, Jeffrey; her parents; and eight of her siblings: Harold, Vernon, Warren, Orville, Roger, Verda, Carol, and Marian, along with their spouses and several nieces and nephews.

Delores is survived by two children, Michael (Debbie) Shrader and Karen (Tom Young) Shrader; her grandchildren, David (Fadilah) Shrader, Nicole Shrader, and Kristi Shrader; and her great-grandchildren, Kyle and Lana Shrader. She is also survived by her sister, Betty Hartman of Shabbona, and many beloved nieces and nephews.

The family extends their heartfelt gratitude to the staff and residents at Prairie Crossing for the loving care Delores received during her 16 months there, and to Unity Hospice for the compassionate support in her final days. Special thanks are given to her sister, Betty, who rarely missed a day visiting Delores to talk and play a round of Aggravation.

A private celebration of life is being planned by her family for a future date.

See you later alligator…

For information, visit www.AndersonFuneralHomeLtd.com or call 815-756-1022.