Eva Maria Ittner

It is with heavy hearts we share the passing of beloved mother, wife, sister, and friend Eva Maria Ittner, 66, on September 2nd, 2026 after a hard fought battle with cancer. Eva was born January 9th, 1960 to Frank and Clementine Lorenz in Chicago, IL, where she spent the first ten years of her life alongside her younger sisters Monica and Caryn. In 1970, she and her family relocated to a dairy farm in Highlandville, a rural community outside of Decorah, IA, the place she would consider her hometown.

Eva graduated from North Winneshiek High School in 1978 and went on to attend Wartburg College in Waverly, IA where she majored in German Education and was selected to participate in multiple study abroad programs in Germany during her undergraduate studies. After graduating from Wartburg in 1982, Eva went on to teach High School level German. In 1985, Eva won the Fulbright Scholarship and spent a year teaching in Bonn, Germany, before enrolling at the University of Northern Iowa and earning her masters degree in German in 1993. 

In the early 90s, Eva returned to Chicagoland and taught at the Niles and Maine districts where she routinely led school trips to Germany and Austria. She was active with the German American Singers, DANK, and the Chicago Donauschwaben, where she also taught adult German classes. 

In 1997, Eva met Klaus Ittner at Studebakers, a popular dance hall. They married on June 21, 1998 at St. Michael’s Church in Old Town, Chicago. Eva and Klaus settled in Barrington, IL, where they welcomed their only child, Kirsten Clementine, on August 25th, 1999. She continued to teach German at the Lake Zurich school district at both the High School and Middle School levels and was an active leader of the after school German Clubs before retiring in 2025.

Eva held lifelong passions of education, German language and culture, travel, the arts, and dance, inspiring those around her endlessly. She is preceded by her sister Monica (Schulte) and parents Clementine and Frank Lorenz. She is succeeded by her daughter Kirsten, husband Klaus, and sister Caryn (Buckley). A friend to many and a role model to all, her warmth, humor, and undeniable charm will be missed forever. 

Visitation will be Friday, October 9, 2026, from 4 pm to 8 pm with a prayer service at 7 pm at the Davenport Funeral Home in Lake Zurich, IL. A Celebration of Life will also be held at a later date in Decorah, IA.