St. Charles Woman Killed in NYE Crash Was Recent College Grad

The funeral for a 22-year-old St. Charles woman who died in a New Year’s Eve car crash is scheduled for Friday.

Julie Elizabeth Berls of St. Charles spent her free time riding horses and sharing that passion with others, according to her obituary from Yurs Funeral Home.

Berls' life was cut tragically short when her car left the road while traveling on  and struck a pole at around 4 a.m. Dec. 31. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Berls graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in Elementary Education on Dec. 17, just two weeks prior to the crash. She also was a 2007 graduate of St. Charles East High School.

Berls is survived by her parents, a brother, Kevin, her paternal grandparents, Chuck and Betty Berls of St. Charles and her maternal grandparents, Bill and Virginia Geinosky of North Aurora. She also is survived by her maternal great-grandmother, Margaret Geinosky of Burbank, her uncles, Chuck (Judy) Berls of Geneva and West (Sandi) Travis of Warrenville, her aunts, Denise Geinosky of Poynette, WI, and Laura (Jim) Barrett of Geneva, her cousins, Chucky, Michael, Heather, Hope, Jack, Ryan and many friends.

A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 6 at . The interment will be private.

The visitation will be 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 5, at , 405 E. Main St.

For info, call Yurs at 630-584-0060 or email yursfuneralhomes.com.