Date of Birth:
Thursday, January 3, 1929
Date of Death:
Sunday, April 5, 2026
Age:
97 years old

Marjorie Maryanne Helen (Phelan) Steffen

Marjorie Maryanne Helen (Phelan) Steffen was born on January 3, 1929, at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois to Margaret Christine (Piefer) Phelan of Chicago, and Bernard Michael Phelan of Oak Park. Marjorie attended St. Alphonsus Grade School and St. Michael’s High School. She then attended nursing school at St. Joseph’s Hospital and earned a 3-year degree as a Registered Nurse in May of 1951.

She held many different positions in nursing over her 50+ year career, including Surgical Scrub Nurse and Nursing Supervisor, and concluded her career as the Infection Control Nurse at Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove. She also went back to school while raising her children and earned a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from Barat College in Lake Forest, Illinois.

Marjorie married James Joseph Steffen on September 6, 1952, at St. Alphonsus Church. They were married for 23 years. Together they raised three girls.

Marjorie is survived by her three daughters: Maryanne (Joe) Doyle of Rochester, MN; Maggie (Christopher) Schnese of San Diego, CA; and Pat Stack of Pensacola, FLA; her grandchildren: Cathy (Andrew) Rogers of Worthington, MN; Thomas Doyle of Rochester, MN; William (Heather) Doyle of Anoka, MN; Keilani Schnese of San Diego, CA; Robert Stack, Jason (Katherine) Stack, and Tom Stack of Florida.

She was proud to be great grandma to three boys: Teague Doyle, Viggo Doyle and Elias Rosario. She is also survived by one sibling, Sister Jean Phelan of Homer Glen, IL; and nephews, Bernard (Marianne) Phelan, Michael Phelan, Patrick (Tamara) Phelan, Robert (Roxanne) Phelan and Steve (Cathy) Phelan, two nieces, Mary Suwanski and Elizabeth Edwards and numerous great-nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her mother and father: Margaret and Bernard Phelan, her brothers Bernard and Jack, and her ex-husband Jim Steffen.

Marjorie’s faith was always very strong. She raised her children in the Catholic Faith. She and Jim were founding members of Queen of the Rosary Church in Elk Grove Village where all three girls attended grades 1-8. She continually taught by example how to be a faith-filled Catholic Christian woman. Once her children were in school, she sang in the Church choir. She was able to travel to Europe with the Harper College Festival Chorus and she sang in numerous beautiful Cathedrals in Italy as well as during a ride in a gondola in Venice.

Once her children were grown, she was a volunteer religious education teacher, lector at Mass, and a Eucharistic Minister both at Mass and for the Homebound in her parish of St. Julian Eymard. Saying the rosary was an important part of her prayer life as well. In addition to her many volunteer hours at Church, Marjorie was able to travel extensively with various groups. She enjoyed cruises in the Caribbean and Alaska, and trips to Ireland, Hawaii, Italy, Germany and Austria. When at home, she enjoyed golfing in the summer and traveling to California and Minnesota to visit and enjoy her grandchildren.

The family would like to thank Mayo Clinic Hospice for their attentive and compassionate care. We would also like to thank the staff of Rochester Restorative Care for the wonderful attention given to the needs of both Marjorie and her daughter.

Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. on Monday, May 18, 2026, at Grove Memorial Chapel in Elk Grove Village, Illinois followed by an 11:00 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at Queen of the Rosary Church in Elk Grove Village. The Presider at her funeral liturgy will be Fr. Daniel Lydon, CSV.

Rest in peace, Mommy-Dear.