Edna C. McCall

Edna Creech McCall, 92, of Crystal Lake, Illinois, passed peacefully June 6, 2026. Born in Rogers, Arkansas on June 20, 1933, Edna was the second of eleven children of Lee Leslie and Ruth (Davis) Creech.

Edna’s education began in a two-room schoolhouse in Harmon, Arkansas. She later attended school in Rogers and graduated from Rogers High School in 1951. Upon graduation, Edna followed her older sister Erma to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There Edna met the love of her life, John Douglass McCall. They corresponded faithfully while Doug completed his Army service in Heidelberg, Germany and they were married June 4, 1955 at the First Church of the Nazarene where they first met.

Edna and Doug began their married life in Groves, Texas but they were soon displaced by Hurricane Audrey in 1957. They lived a nomadic life for two years, working at newspapers from Dallas to Schenectady. Doug was a printer by trade and Edna was an excellent proofreader. In 1960 they settled in Cleveland where they had their first child, a daughter, Lori Denise, in 1961. A lockout at the Cleveland Plain Dealer caused the family to move to Algonquin, Illinois in 1963. A second child, a son, John Douglass McCall, Jr., was born in 1966.

Edna had an eye for home decoration and she loved to throw a party! Their home in Dundee was the venue for many holiday parties and other celebrations for over 50 years. Edna had a passion for world peace through friendship and many of the gatherings hosted international visitors connected with area Rotary Clubs. Doug and Edna also hosted over a dozen exchange students.

Doug and Edna loved to travel and visit the many friends they made through Rotary. They traveled to Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland and Japan to name just a few countries. Losing Doug to cancer in 2002 was the greatest sorrow of her life.

Always a working mom, Edna was a proofreader at the Elgin Courier News for years but she was also president of the Eastview PTA. Edna and Doug opened The Print Shop (later Callmark Printing) in downtown Crystal Lake, Illinois in 1975. Eventually, in 1990, they opened The Flag Store in a shared storefront.

Edna was active in the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Crystal Lake Association, initiating Crystal Lake’s participation in the Illinois Main Street program. She was also behind the first “Halloween Handout” which remains a popular tradition in downtown. A longtime friend of Lucile Raue, Edna was an early proponent of the Raue Center for Performing Arts. The iconic clock in downtown was envisioned by Edna as an apt memorial for the Raue family and has become beloved landmark in Crystal Lake.

Edna is survived by her children Lori (James) Sprague of Dexter, MI and John McCall of Crystal Lake; grandchildren Kent Sprague (Hannah Birch) of New York, NY, JuxtaPrax (Lauren) Sprague of Calumet, MI, Hannah McCall (Tobias Hoinka) of Chicago, IL, Emi McCall (Uriel Adams) of Crystal Lake; sisters Katherine Mindoro, Judy (Larry) Jaques, and Sandra Boyd. 

She was preceded in death by Doug, her parents Ruth and Lee; siblings Erma, Mary, Melvin, David, Donal, Larry and Linda.

Private graveside services will be held at Dundee Township East. A celebration of life will be held later this summer.