A private-duty nurse, Mary M. Condill, 87, worked the night shift for more than 40 years at Sherman Hospital and St. Joseph Hospital in Elgin. “Nursing was not just a career but a passion,” said her daughter, Blanche Freund. Mrs. Condill, who suffered from congestive heart failure, died Saturday, Jan. 31, in Sherman West Court nursing home, Elgin. Born and raised in Ft. Dodge, Iowa, she graduated from high school in 1934 and St. Joseph Mercy School of Nursing in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1938. She was a nurse in Iowa for three years, until she eloped in 1941 with Arthur Condill in a double ceremony with her best friend. “They kept their marriage a secret for a while,” her daughter said. “In those days, you couldn’t be a nurse and be married.” The couple moved to Elgin, where Mrs. Condill worked as a nurse until she retired in 1982. Her husband died in 1980. Other survivors include a son, Arthur J. Jr.; a daughter, JoAnn Page; nine grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Wednesday in St. Joseph Catholic Church, 272 Division St., Elgin.
