Dolores "Dorie" (Wrona) Gnidovic

Dolores “Dorie” Gnidovic, 89, of La Salle, died October 27, 2019 in OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.

Mass of Christian burial will be 11:00 AM Saturday in St. Hyacinth’s Church in La Salle with the Very Rev. Paul Carlson officiating.  Burial will be in St. Hyacinth’s Cemetery in La Salle.

Visitation will be 5 to 7:00 PM Friday in the Hurst Funeral Home in La Salle and in the church on Saturday from 10:00 AM until time of services.

Dorie was born in La Salle on October 4, 1930 to Peter and Helen (Glubzynski) Wrona.  She married Adolph “Bull” Gnidovic on January 27, 1951.  She worked at EUC in the winding room, co-owned Adolph’s Drive Inn in Oglesby, Myer’s Laundromat , D&D Diary, Pierson’s Bakery and retired as manager of Byerly Music Store in the Peru Mall. 

Music was a big part of Dorie’s life.  Her beautiful coloratura soprano voice graced many area events.  She studied voice/opera at the Sherwood Music School in Chicago.  She appeared on the “Morris B. Sachs Amateur Hour”, a weekly radio program.  She was in several musicals, starring in “Naughty Marietta” during her high school years in the late 40’s.  Always a part of her children’s lives, she later played Golda in St. Bede’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof, “ and she sang fabulously in St. Bede’s “Oliver!” and “Showboat.”  Dorie was a member of the Harmonaires singing club and later The Lyrics, singing with several of her lifelong  friends.  Over the years, she belonged to the St. Hyacinth Choir, Holy Rosary Choir  and the Choir of St. Mary’s in Peru.  Many Saturdays were spent as a soloist at local weddings.  She played the piano and organ skillfully.  Many remember her at the Byerly Music Store at the Peru Mall where she would often play by the hour, demonstrating the beautiful instruments.

Dorie enjoyed traveling.  She was Past President of St. Hyacinth’s Mother’s Club, St. Bede Mother’s Club and former board member of La Salle Women’s Club.

Dorie is survived by one daughter, Mary (Ed) Dergance of La Salle; one son, Thomas (Donna) Gnidovic of Sugar Grove; four grandchildren, Ed Dergance Jr., Dana Reed, Ryan (Lauren) Dergance and Sean Dergance; six great-grandchildren and one great-great granddaughter.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband on October 11, 2017.

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