Christl Oriold, 83, of Melrose Park passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, October 21st, 2024. She was born in Tuebingen,  Germany to Elsa (nee Riecker) and Eugene Maerkle. She grew up and attended elementary school there until venturing off to the United States at the tender young age of 17 with her future husband Andreas.

They arrived in New York in 1958 and made their way to Chicago to stay with relatives. They married, had their only child, Frank, and moved to the suburbs a few years later where they made a home for themselves. Christl worked a few different jobs before settling into a long and successful 40 year career with White Castle. She spent a majority of her career as a castle manager and was often sought after to open new locations and get them off the ground.

Christl became a US citizen in 1970, earned her high school diploma and attended college classes in the hopes of becoming an accountant, but ended up enjoying the career she had built for herself along with the many friends she made along the way.

Her first husband passed in 1985 and she re-married a couple of years later to Rubin McCraw who would become her treasured partner for 25 years until his passing in 2010. Christl loved traveling, tending her garden, and doting on her grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her brother Juergen and sister Heidemarie. She is survived by her brothers Siegfried, Peter, Imanuel, and Klaus; sisters, Waltraud, Ruth and Gertrude; her son Frank Oriold and four grandchildren – Lindsay, Alyson, Shayna and Benjamin.

The family kindly requests that memorials be made to the American Diabetes Association in lieu of gifts.

Visitation for Christl Oriold will be Tuesday, October 29, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. until time of Service, 11:00 a.m. at Northlake Funeral Home. Committal Service with burial will follow at Mt. Emblem Cemetery, Elmhurst.