Ms. Ollie with Alderman Osterman

For over 40 years, Ollie Latiker has co-owned the popular neighborhood hang-out Ollie’s bar at 1064 W. Berwyn Ave. She had seen the Edgewater area change from the gang-infested neighborhood it once was in the 1970s to the gentrified, diverse community it has become.

But after decades of celebrating life with scores of dedicated patrons, Latiker (also known simply as Ms. Ollie)  has lost her battle with pancreatic cancer on Tuesday. She was in her early eighties.

But Latiker did much more than just tend to the bar and the rental apartments above the business. She worked for years as a Sunday School teacher at Epworth United Methodist Church, 5253 N. Kenmore Ave. and with children in Cedar Playlot Park. She was also an active Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) representative.

According to the Alderman Harry Osterman’s office, Latiker served as a catalyst for the renovation of the playlot on Winthrop, where, over the years, she spearheaded cleanups and cookouts. Osterman’s office also said Latiker has acted as a friend and role model to several generations of neighborhood children.

In 2015, the northeast corner of Winthrop and Berwyn avenues was designated as “Ms. Ollie’s Way” in recognition of Ollie Latiker and her years of dedication to the Edgewater neighborhood.