Lorene K. Steffes

Joseph C. and Marion E. Huber met while Marion was attending teachers’ college at NIU. After completing two years of college, Marion taught school for several years, first in a one-room schoolhouse and then in Kingston, IL. Mathematics was her specialty. Due to the work demands of their farm, Joseph’s education ended after the 8th grade. Nevertheless, he was an astute businessman in managing the farm and highly valued education. Joseph and Marion were an inspiration to their children, Lorene and Rita, in their pursuit of higher education. Lorene, earned a B.S. degree in mathematical sciences in 1968 and a M.S. degree in computer science in 1982. She refers to her mom as the first mathematician in her life, and especially credits her mom for her own analytical skills. She was a 9th grade teacher in West Aurora for several years before leaving to work for DeKalb AgResearch. She has worked for such companies as IBM, Ameritech, and AT&T. She established this endowment to recognize the life-long value that her parents held for education.