Lucia A. Houk

Lucia Antonia Houk, age 80, of St. Anne, peacefully passed away the morning of Thursday, October 12, 2023, with her family by her side. She was born in Roodevaart, Holland on July 20, 1943, the daughter of Cornelius and Petronella (vandeBerg) Ooijen. Lucia’s family traveled to America in December of 1956. They lived in Melvin, Illinois for many years, and she later graduated from Herscher High School. On October 3, 1964, she married Jack Houk. Lucia worked in many occupations over the years. She worked at Permonite Manufacturing, as a server in several area restaurants, as well as Shapiro Developmental Center. Lucia was a dedicated member of St. Anne Catholic Church. She enjoyed volunteering her time for what she was passionate about, such as the March for Dimes and the American Cancer Society. In her free time, she loved to quilt or knit. She was a great cook and poured love into all of her meals for her loved ones. Lucia also had fun playing cards and traveling with her family. Lucia is survived by her dear husband of 59 years, Jack R. Houk; two daughters, Susan (Rick) Hinrichs and Maria (Brad) Smith; one son, Jackie (Dana) Houk; brothers and sisters, John (Gunda) Ooijen, Antonia (Al) Varney, Adrianna (Denny) Zimmerman, Antonius (Lorita) Ooijen, Petronella Widler, Cornelius (Doris) Ooijen, and Margaret (Ken) Lemke; grandchildren, Ashley (Travis) Brooks, Corey (Andrew) Groff, Whitney (Herman) Groff, Michael (Bree) Hinrichs, Rebecca (James) Hinrichs, Lucy Houk, and Hazel Houk; three great-grandchildren, Valkyrie, Aries, and Alayna; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Cornelius and Petronella Ooijen; and one sister, Dingena Glenzinski. Visitation will be held at Jensen Funeral Home, in Kankakee, on Monday, October 16, 2023, from 3:00PM – 7:00PM. A funeral mass will be held the following day at St. Anne Catholic Church at 1:00PM. Father Peter Jankowski will officiate. Lucia will be laid to rest at St. Anne Township Cemetery, with a luncheon at the church to immediately follow. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Sodality of St. Anne.