Residents to Line Streets of Anne Smedinghoff Funeral Procession

Anne Smedinghoff, of River Forest, died during a car-bombing in Afghanistan on Saturday, April 6, 2013. She was 25.

Smedinghoff was a U.S. foreign service officer in Kabul, Afghanistan, and she was traveling with a group of people to deliver books to a local school in the Zabul Province.

She is survived by her parents, Thomas and Mary Beth Smedinghoff; one brother, Mark; two sisters, Regina and Joan; a grandmother, Dorothy; and several aunts, uncles and 22 cousins. Three grandparents, John Smedinghoff, Frank Tokarski and Bernice Tokarski, died earlier. 

A visitation was held from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, at , 203 S. Marion St. in Oak Park.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 17, at St. Luke Church, 528 Lathrop Ave. in River Forest. Internment will follow at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Hillside. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the organizations listed on www.annesmedinghoff.com to honor Anne and her work.

The Village of River Forest communicated to residents Monday that the 500 to 700 blocks of Ashland and Lake Street will be designated as no parking areas in anticipation of a large gathering. This will begin overnight Tuesday and last until 1 p.m. Wednesday. 

The River Forest Service Club is encouraging residents to show their appreciation by lining the funeral procession route as it leaves the village. The funeral route will process:

• North on Ashland Avenue to Chicago Street
• East on Chicago to Lathrop
• North on Lathrop to Augusta
• East on Augusta to William
• South on William, passing the family residence to Lake Street
• West on Lake to Thatcher
• South on Thatcher to Washington
• West on Washington to Queen of Heaven Cemetery. 

See the route as it leaves River Forest in Google Maps.

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