Hedvig Takács

Hedvig Takacs, 84, of Medinah, Illinois passed away unexpectedly on February 26, 2023. Hedvig is the devoted mother of Cynthia Takacs Csato and Melody Takacs, beloved mother-in-law of Peter Csato, loving grandmother of Xavier Takacs Csato and Makoa Takacs Aweau, and cherished sister of Steven Venci. A visitation will be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Countryside Funeral Home located at 333 South Roselle Rd (1/2 mile S. of Irving Park Rd) in Roselle, Illinois 60172 beginning with a rosary service. Prayers Monday, March 13, 2023 at 9:15 am at the funeral home to St. Walter’s Catholic Church, located at 130 W. Pine St., Roselle, Illinois 60172 at 10:00 am. Interment Maryhill Cemetery, Niles, IL.

Hedvig (“Heidi”) was born on February 8, 1939 to Joszef and Maria Venci in Horvatlovo, Hungary. On December 9, 1956 at the age of 18, she escaped Hungary with her cousin on foot in the dead of night following the Hungarian Revolution. Her heroic journey to freedom took her from Hungary to a refugee camp in Austria, where she resided before finally arriving in America with the help of her great uncle George Pock. Despite not knowing any English, Hedvig established herself in America working in Chicago as a nanny and, later, at Hammond Organ Company. She was proud to become an American citizen. In Chicago, she met and later married the love of her life Geza Takacs on December 31, 1962, who also was a refugee from the Hungarian Revolution. Their marriage endured for 45 years until Geza’s passing in 2007.

Hedvig cared deeply about her roots and traveled back to Hungary many times. She never forgot her family and missed her homeland. She was fluent in three languages and attended business school while still in Hungary. She was a stalwart and tenacious woman who devoted herself selflessly to her precious family, lovingly sacrificing all her time in their support. Her love of God and nature permeated every aspect of her life. She conquered cancer 40 years ago after being given 3 months to live relying on natural immunity-boosting therapies alone, and her story has saved people’s lives, giving many hope that a cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. In 2019, Hedvig suffered a stroke. Her tenacity and strong will to live led to a full recovery, again inspiring others to never give up on their body’s ability to heal. She was a beacon for healthy living before it became the trend. Her wisdom has been passed on to her daughters, who continue to champion her cause that health solutions exist outside conventional medicine.

Hedvig led an independent life to the very end, peacefully living in a forest that she lovingly planted with native wildflowers. She was a natural-born horticulturist, collecting and proliferating flora from all her earthly travels. She loved being outdoors and enjoyed birdwatching. She had a great sense of style and an eye for design, and she had the gift of making everything she touched look beautiful.

Hedvig’s greatest joy in life was her family, especially her grandchildren, and she treasured every moment they had together. She was the rock of the family and their hero, and will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered.