After living a full and colorful life, Margaret “Maggie” Adelaide Schwarz Kraus, 97, of Waukegan, Illinois died peacefully on May 10th, 2025, in Holland, Michigan. She was born on October 18, 1927, in Waukegan, Illinois to Adelaide Schwarz (née Ball) and Joseph Schwarz. She graduated from Waukegan Township High School in 1945 and attended Northern Illinois State Teachers College (now NIU) and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She married Alfred R. Kraus on June 21st, 1952, and they spent many wonderful years together until his passing in April 1990.
Maggie was an incredibly creative and talented artist. Her love was painting, but she also knit, crocheted, did needlepointing, batik, sewed, spun her own yarn, hooked rugs, and sculpted. She also did murals. She was a member of the Lake County Art League for more than 75 years. She exhibited her work in a number of galleries, most recently in the Dandelion Gallery in Waukegan. She made the world a more beautiful place through her art. She illustrated two cookbooks, “The Wild Onion Cookbook” (for the Northern Illinois Unit of the Herb Society of America) and “Feeding the Flock” for St. Margaret’s Guild at Christ Episcopal Church.
She will also be remembered for her legendary Kentucky Derby parties, held every year for her women friends starting with the 100th running of the Derby in 1974, and continuing for more than 40 years. Hats, mint juleps, and sandwich loaf were the order of the day.
She was a member of the Little Fort Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution, the PEO Sisterhood Chapter AP, Lake County Art League, Kenosha Art Association, Waukegan Historical Society, the Jack Benny Center for the Arts, Waukegan Garden Club, Clara Cummings Book Club, Herb Society of America (Northern Illinois Unit), Christ Episcopal Church, and the Waukegan Yacht Club.
She is preceded in death by her husband, her 3 brothers Joseph William Schwarz, David Frank Schwarz, and Quentin Peter Schwarz, her parents, and her son Donald Joseph Kraus.
She is survived by daughter Melissa Kraus Warthen (Bruce) of Holland, MI, son Thomas Alfred Kraus (Caryn) of Lantana, FL, grandson Michael Warthen, granddaughter Heidi Vasquez (Kevin), great-grandchildren Andrew Warthen, Bella, and Aryah Warthen, sisters-in-law Kathryn Schwarz of Scottsdale, AZ, and Rebecca Schwarz of Waukegan, as well as many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Our thanks to Resthaven and Emmauel Hospice for their care.
Maggie used to say, “Everything you see is touched by an artist”. In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting the arts in your community. Ars longa, vita brevis.
A gathering to celebrate her life will take place in the future.
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