Ilse Ryan

Ilse Boettcher Ryan, 92, formerly of Moline, Illinois, passed away peacefully in her sleep surrounded by her grandchildren on Tuesday, April 18th, 2017, at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Services are 11 a.m. Friday, April 21, 2017, at Faith Lutheran Church, 1611 41st Street, Moline, with The Rev. Dr. Mark Gehrke officiating. Burial is in Moline Memorial Park. Visitation is one hour before the service. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to DAIS (Domestic Abuse Intervention Services) at 2102 Fordem Avenue Madison, WI 53704. Trimble Funeral Home, Moline, is serving the family.

The former Isle Margaret Boettcher was born February 12th, 1925, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, the daughter of Friedrich Boettcher and Christine Bendixen Boettcher. Educated in Germany, she came to the United States after World War II in March 1950. Ilse worked as a technician in the laboratory at the former Lutheran Hospital for eleven years. Her job was fulfilling and rewarding, and coworkers became lifetime friends.

Ilse married Robert E. Ryan on April 2nd, 1960, in Moline. In 1963, her daughter Heidi was born. Ilse enjoyed being a homemaker, wife, and mother. Together, Ilse and Bob were active members of Faith Lutheran Church in Moline for many years.

The gift of grandchildren and great-grandchildren was her greatest joy. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, Elizabeth and Benjamin, as they were growing up, and as the years went by, she welcomed their partners into the family. In 2015, she relocated to Mt. Vernon, Iowa, to be closer to her grandson's family. That December, her great grandson, Leroy, was born. Leroy was a constant source of happiness in Ilse's final years of life.

She is survived by her granddaughter Elizabeth Klaus (Ben Claes), her grandson Benjamin Klaus (Megan), her great-grandson, Leroy, and two more great-grandchildren on the way in 2017. She remained close with family in Germany, and is survived by her cousin Jens, niece Marion, nephew Uwe, and their families. She is preceded in death by her parents, her sister Sophie, her brother Konrad, her husband, Bob, and her daughter, Heidi.

Ilse's family invites friends to share stories and condolences at TrimbleFuneralHomes.com.