Mary Madeline “Kitter” Dawson, 91, of rural Farmer City, died at 1:45 a.m. Tuesday (Jan. 10, 2017) at Gibson Area Hospital Annex, Gibson City.
Her funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Calvert-Belangee-Bruce Funeral Home, Farmer City. Deacon John Leonard will officiate. Burial will be in McCord Cemetery, Fullerton. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Gibson Area Hospital Annex, Gibson City, or Pets for Seniors, P.O. Box 64, Edwards, IL 61528-0064.
Kitter was born on June 28, 1925, at the family homestead in rural Farmer City. She was the second of four children born to Willard Anthony and Mary Katherine Albright Trenkle. She graduated from Moore Township High School of Farmer City in 1943. Kitter married her high school sweetheart, Raymond W. Dawson, on April 12, 1945, a day made famous by the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. When Raymond completed his service in the U.S. Army Air Corps, they moved to Parnell, In 1951, they moved to the current farm in rural Farmer City where they resided until their deaths. Raymond died on Aug. 21, 1992.
Kitter is survived by her sister, JoAnn (John) Shreve, Neenah, Wis. Also surviving are three children, Micheal R. (Cheryl) Dawson, Peoria; Mary Diane Hocker, Farmer City; and Laura L. (Gregory) Delost, Gibson City; seven grandchildren, Heather Dawson, Peoria; Jennifer (Curt) Vance, Bloomington; Laura (Chris) Browning, Mahomet; Shelli (A.J.) Zimmerman, Normal; Nick Delost, Phoenix, Ariz.; Jessica (Dan Brucker) Delost, Farmer City; and Eric (Ashley) Delost, Sherman Oaks, Calif.; seven great-grandchildren, Cole, Madeline and Ellis Zimmerman; Jackson and Alexander Vance; and Kiley and Kolton Browning; and one black cat, Trouble, who earned his name honestly.
Besides her beloved husband, Raymond, Kitter was preceded in death by her son-in-law, David Hocker, and her brothers, William Howard "Bill" and George Richard "Dick."
Kitter devoted her life to her family. She was a dedicated farm wife, mother and grandmother. She enjoyed gardening and was a very accomplished seamstress. She loved animals, specifically cats, and looked forward to hosting family gatherings each year, most notably Thanksgiving and Christmas. She had a special relationship with all her relatives, including her paternal grandmother, Mary Trenkle, and close family friend and neighbor, Julie Dawson. She loved her family immensely and took great pride in the accomplishments of her children and grandchildren. She was a force that brought people together, despite the occasional elbow nudge, and will be deeply missed every day.
The family would like to extend their gratitude for the excellent care given to her by the staff of the Gibson Area Hospital Annex during the last several months.
