Mary Alice Patton's Obituary
Decatur-Mary Alice Patton, 89, of Chatham, Illinois, formerly of Decatur, died at 8:40 a.m. Monday, February 15, 2010 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Decatur with her family by her side.
Mass of the Resurrection will be 10:30 a.m. Thursday, February 18, 2010 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 2160 N. Edward, Decatur, with Father Rick Weltin, Celebrant. Visitation will be from 9 am until time of the Mass at the church. Interment will be at Boiling Springs Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church. Graceland/Fairlawn Funeral Home is assisting the family with these arrangements. Online condolences and memories may be shared with the family at www.gracelandfairlawn.com.
Mary Alice was born on November 10, l920, in Bessemer, Alabama, to Eugene and Bessie (Seay) Gerst. She attended St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Decatur for 60 years and more recently attended St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Chatham. She graduated from business school and worked in accounting prior to her marriage. She later worked as an instructor and tax preparer for H&R Block. Mary Alice was a devoted wife and mother. Mary Alice married John William Patton on October 16, 1945. He preceded her in death on May 7, 2008.
Mary Alice leaves behind her children: Mary Theresa (Dave) Schmutz of Aurora, John Michael (Beverly) Patton of Bakersfield, California, Cecelia (Wesley) Wright of Spartanburg, South Carolina, Barbara (Raul) Morton of Aurora, Anne (Conrad) Siudyla of Decatur, and Rebecca Patton (Paul Stocker) of Chatham, “adopted”
daughter; Marcilene Dutton (Wally Mechtold) of Chatham; grandchildren: Danyel (Sharon Baker Brown), Jeremy (Jane Grimwood), and Corinne Schmutz (companion, Chris Conley), Samuel, Benjamin, Hannah and William Patton, Erica (fiancée Ryan Meloney) and Bradley Wright, Chloe and Hayley Morton,
Christopher, CJ, and Andrea Siudyla, and Cecelia and Stella Stocker, great-granddaughter, Molly Schmutz, sister: Bessie Evans of Punta Gorda, Florida, and sister-in-law Rubye Gerst of Sherwood, Arkansas.
She was reunited in Heaven with her parents, husband, brothers James and Eugene, and sister Barbara Waldrop.
She had a brilliant mind, a quick wit and a loving heart, and will be greatly missed by friends and family.
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