Daughter Shares Her Mother's Deep Connection, Impact To Prestwick Community

FRANKFORT, IL — As Mother's Day approaches on Sunday, Kathleen Fleming is remembering her mother, Joann Schaller, who died at age 83 in December.

Joann was a longtime resident of the Prestwick neighborhood in Frankfort, Kathleen shared with Patch.

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"She and my father bought their home in the Prestwick neighborhood in 1990, and she lived there ever since," Kathleen said. "Over more than three decades, Prestwick wasn’t just where she lived—it became her extended family, her daily purpose, and the place where she built deep, lasting connections."

Kathleen said her mother has had an incredible impact on the neighborhood, and that after her mother's death, many neighbors reached out to share stories about Joann.

Every day, Joann would walk her dog through the neighborhood, and became a "familiar and beloved presence to neighbors, families, and especially the local dogs, who all knew her routine."

Joann would carry treats in her pockets, not just for her own dog, but for every dog in the neighborhood who came to know and love her, Kathleen said.

"Her connection to the Prestwick community was so deep that her Christmas list each year included every dog in the neighborhood, because she never wanted a single one forgotten," Kathleen told Patch. "Even now, the dogs still look for her along the same streets she walked every day."

After Joann died, neighbors in the Prestwick community came together and made a donation in her honor to NAWS Animal Shelter.

In addition to her love of dogs, Joann found great joy in caring for and repainting 60 decorative statues that filled her yard.

"When we held her estate sale, we invited neighbors to each select a statue to keep, so pieces of her could remain within the community she loved so much," Kathleen said. "Today, those statues still sit throughout Prestwick homes and gardens as a continued reminder of her presence in the neighborhood."

Kathleen said the family really didn't realize how much of an impact her mom had on the neighborhood until after she passed.

"Neighbors from the age of 34 to 65 said that she was their best friend," Kathleen said.

"Especially around Mother’s Day, I think it’s important to reflect not only on the mothers we celebrate, but also on the ones we have lost—the women whose love, light, and presence continue to live on in the communities and people they touched every day," Kathleen said.