Blanche Katherine Pflum, 95, of Tuscola, IL, surrounded by her family, peacefully passed at 6:18 a.m., Monday, July 29, 2019 at the Tuscola Health Care Center.

Visitation will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Thursday August 1, 2019 at the Hilligoss Shrader Funeral Home, 705 South Main Street, Tuscola, IL with a Vigil Service to be held at 6:30 p.m.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9:00 a.m., Friday, August 2, 2019 at Forty Martyrs Catholic Church, 201 East Van Allen, Tuscola, IL, with Fr. Angel Sierra officiating. Burial will follow at the Tuscola Township Cemetery.

Blanche will always be remembered for her loving and caring nature, never letting the less fortunate suffer if she had means to assist and for the passion and gusto that she had for life and how she shared it with those around her.

Blanche embraced the teachings of the Catholic Church and was an active parishioner of Forty Martyrs. Growing up in the Bohemian/Czech enclave of Cicero IL, Blanche often shared stories of her parents John and Ruzina "Rose" Pohajda (Kohutek), who were Czech immigrants fleeing post WWI Europe. Blanche married Edward "Eddie" Chval in 1946 after Eddie returned from his service in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.

Blanche worked as an executive secretary for more than 10 years at Kroehler Furniture in Naperville, IL. In 1963, the Chvals moved to Tuscola with their two children, John and Janet after purchasing the Gambles' Hardware store. Following Eddie's death, Blanche met Wilbur Pflum. They married February 15, 1969, recently celebrating their 50th Anniversary with family. Together Blanche and Wilbur moved to the farm where Blanche enjoyed cooking, gardening, canning, Home Extension, the ABC Auxiliary and the Altar Society.

Blanche was preceded in death by her first husband Edward James Chval, her only sibling Elsie Krans (Pohajda), and her parents.

Blanche is survived by her husband, Wilbur Pflum; her children John and Kathleen (Caulfield) Pflum of Tuscola, Janet (Pflum) and Michael Nielsen of Phoenix, AZ; her grandchildren: Stephanie (Pflum) and Samuel Stumpf of Columbia, IL; Michael and Holly (Nichols) Pflum of Tuscola; Matthew and Kirsten (Flodstrom) Pflum of Champaign, IL; Rachel Pflum of Broomfield, CO; Lauren (Nielsen) and Bryan Sagray of Fairfax, VA and Jillian Nielsen of Nashville TN; her great-grandchildren Alaina and Wyatt Stumpf and Collette Pflum.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Catholic Charities or the Tuscola Peace Meal Program.

Online condolences may be shared via hilligossshraderfh.com