Ruth Collins
Ruth “Eileen” Collins of Bloomington, died Nov. 28 at 11:32 a.m. at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center after a brief illness.
Visitation will be from 4-6 p.m. Thursday and her funeral will be at 10:00 a.m., Friday both at First Christian Church, Bloomington, the Rev. Jim Warren officiating. Burial will be in Park Hill Cemetery, Bloomington. Memorials may be made to First Christian Church in Bloomington, or to the McLean County Genealogical Society.
Carmody Flynn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Eileen was born Aug. 9, 1929, at home, in Aurora, Mo. daughter of William and Christena McNatt. Her family moved to Bloomington, Illinois when she was thirteen to be closer to other relatives. As a teenager, she worked at the Caramel Crisp Shop in down-town Bloomington, where she said Beer Nuts, at that time known as Redskins, were made. She graduated from Bloomington High School in 1947, and worked for Sears until her marriage to Robert B. Collins at First Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, on June 9, 1951. She and Bob lived in Port Townsend , WA while Bob was stationed in the Army at Fort Worden. They returned to Bloomington in late 1952 where she became a homemaker, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, friend and caretaker to many. Bob preceded her in death in May 2013.
Survivors include her five children, Karen (Denny) Huber, Carol (Tony) Cable, and David (Rose) Collins of Bloomington; and Janice Burch and Lori (Steve) Craig of Normal; one sister-in-law, Betty (late Kenneth) Simcoe, Ft. Collins, Colo.; grandchildren Brian Cable; Brad Cable; Andy High; Amber High; Kristi Collins; Mallory (Josh) Tinnin; Cody Brent Burch; Seth Burch, Trent Burch, Debbie (Shawn) Taylor, Evan Craig, Jordan Craig, great-granddaughters Sasha Taylor and Levi Tinnin; great-grandson Tyler Tinnin: nieces Susan (Mike) Hubbard; Linda (Jess) Gates; Mary (John) O’Rear; Jane (Andy) Roads; Nita (late Peter) Kwitkowski; Kyle (Jim) King; Diana Simcoe; Marla Kallas; Leslie (Dan) Driscoll; Sara Whicker; and Kim Marlow; and nephews John (Joan) Hill, Richard (Linda) Simcoe, and Stephen Simcoe. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents and two sisters, Celia (late Carl) Bruaw and Lucille (late Irvin) Hill, and three brothers, William (late Betty), Lawrence (late Doris), and Robert McNatt.
Eileen and Bob liked to travel and took many vacation trips over the years and they especially enjoyed their trips to Branson, Mo. Eileen loved gardening, sewing, (for years she sewed most of her own clothes and those of her children), cooking, crafts, and especially genealogy. She was an active participant in her children’s activities over the years, including PTA, room parent, Sunday School Teacher, youth group leader, and she was the official family and neighborhood chauffeur. Her pride and joy was her family and she liked to brag that she taught all of the children to play her favorite games of which she was a great competitor! She spent years researching and documenting the Collins and McNatt family history. She accumulated and shared a variety of interesting stories from her research and personal experiences growing up during the Great Depression. Her family enjoyed teasing her about her many funny expressions, and there were many friendly debates over the correct way to pronounce her birth state, which she adamantly insisted was correctly pronounced “Missoura.” Her grandchildren claimed her mashed potatoes were the best in town!
The family would like to thank the Hospitalists, especially Dr. Kevin Reynolds, at Advocate BroMenn Medical Center, the emergency room, Fifth floor, and ICU staff for the kind and excellent care she received during her stay.
She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. For years she was the “adopted” mom to the neighborhood children and, as she was the last surviving sibling in her family, a second “mom” to her nieces and nephews. We miss you, Mom, but we know you and Dad are enjoying a great game of Rummykub together!
To express condolences online, please visit www.carmodyflynn.com.
Gene Sutton
B.E. “Gene” Sutton, 94, of Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community and formerly of Fairbury and Arkansas died at 5 p.m. Nov. 27 at Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community, Chenoa.
Funeral services will be 2 p.m., Friday at Duffy-Pils Memorial Home, Fairbury; with Pastor Daryl Evans officiating. Burial will follow in the Avoca Township Cemetery, rural Fairbury.
Visitation will be from one hour prior to his service on Friday also at the funeral home in Fairbury. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials be directed to the First Baptist Church, Fairbury; or Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community, Chenoa.
Gene was born July 30, 1922 in Fairbury; the son of George H. and Ellen M. (Kerr) Sutton. He married Melvis Gibb on June 19, 1942 in Fayette, Mo. She preceded him in death Oct. 23, 2009. His parents, one brother, one sister and one granddaughter, Sondra Rieger also preceded him in death.
Survivors include two daughters, Alyce (Chuck) Taylor, El Paso; Sandra (Steve) Rieger, Forrest; one son, Dale Sutton, Max Meadows, Va.; six grandchildren, ten great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Mr. Sutton served our country in the US Army National Guard; then he drove a truck from Chicago to St. Louis for 17 years. After retiring from trucking he served as the Superintendent of the Downs Water Plant, Downs.
After retirement, the Sutton’s moved to Fairfield Bay, Ariz. where they resided for the next 20 years. While in Arkansas he actively served his church, Fairfield Bay Baptist Church as a Deacon and was a past president of the Fairfield Bay Lions Club. In 2006 they returned to Illinois and made their home in Meadows Mennonite Retirement Community, Chenoa; to be close to their family.
Condolences and tributes may be made to the family at www.duffypilsmemorialhome.com.
