Mona Lou de Groof, 88, died peacefully on November 4, 2026, in West Frankfort, Illinois, according to an obituary published by Union Funeral Home, Legacy reported.
Born June 16, 1938, in West Frankfort to Elmer and Mary (Lukek) Sminchak, she grew up in a coal-mining family surrounded by the hard work and close-knit community of Southern Illinois, Legacy reported.
After high school, she worked as a secretary, in payroll and as an office manager before leaving for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the late 1960s. There she met Rene F. de Groof; they married October 14, 1967, and welcomed their only child, Rene M. de Groof, in August 1969.
Return to West Frankfort and a life centered on family
The couple returned to West Frankfort in 1979 and lived there until Rene F. de Groof’s death in 2015, after which Mona de Groof moved in with her son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, unionfh.com reported.
She loved to cook, and most nights could be found in the kitchen preparing meals for her family, according to the obituary. Her famous Swedish meatballs were a favorite request at countless parties and gatherings.
Keeping secrets about drag races
Much of her life revolved around her son’s baseball games and BMX races, with weekends spent traveling from one event to the next, Legacy reported. In the 1990s, she and her mother would occasionally sneak away to watch drag races at I-57 Dragstrip from the spectator side, keeping their attendance secret until her son and his father arrived home.
As a grandmother, she attended every musical her granddaughter Danielle performed in and most of granddaughter Kaitlyn’s softball games and band concerts. Even as her mobility declined, her interest in her family’s activities never faded, unionfh.com noted.
Survivors and services set for November 12-13
De Groof is survived by her son, Rene Michael de Groof; daughter-in-law Beth; granddaughters Danielle Russell (Jacob) and Kaitlyn de Groof; and sister-in-law Donna Sminchak, echovita.com reported. She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings Barbara (Gerry) Stratton, Donald Sminchak and Gary Sminchak, and her husband.
Visitation is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, November 12, at Union Funeral Home, 213 E. Oak St., West Frankfort, IL 62896, with services at 2 p.m. Friday, November 13, officiated by John Butler, Legacy reported. Interment will follow in Denning Cemetery on Orient Road in West Frankfort.
Memorial options for Mona de Groof
Can people send flowers? Union Funeral Home’s website, unionfh.com, directs those wishing to send flowers to the family to the funeral home’s floral store.
Are donations being accepted? echovita.com reports the family has chosen to accept donations to a charity of the donor’s choice through mytributegift.org rather than traditional memorial gifts.
Is there a guestbook? echovita.com notes that sympathy messages can be left in an online guestbook to share with the family.
What remains after the services this week is the family she spent her life supporting: her son, two granddaughters, and the gatherings where her Swedish meatballs were always requested.
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