Mathilde Eilau, 106, of Glenview died Saturday in her home. Mrs. Eilau, who was born in Estonia, was a homemaker who enjoyed doing needlework and taking care of her family. She raised three children alone after her husband died in a train accident in Estonia. She never remarried. When Russia invaded Estonia in 1944, Mrs. Eilau and her children fled to Germany, where they lived for five years in a refugee camp that was under American jurisdiction. She brought her family to Chicago in 1949. “She wasn’t sick a day in her life until she was 101,” said her son, Lembit. Other survivors include a son, Uno; a daughter, Aino Tults; five grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, to be followed by a service at Donnellan Family Funeral Home, 10045 Skokie Blvd. in Skokie. Services will also be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the funeral home.
