Huge Marriages Search Engine!
Gifford Edwards
Gifford P. Edwards of Evanston died Aug. 5, 2003 at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he had worked as a certified nursing assistant. He was 66.
Mr. Edwards was born March 12, 1937, in Bath, St. Thomas, Jamaica.
He completed his elementary and secondary education in local public schools and later took comprehensive courses throughout his career.
According to relatives, many considered him to be a "jack of all trades," given his skills in carpentry and masonry, among others. Mr. Edwards later sought new opportunities by becoming a certified nursing assistant.
Mr. Edwards especially enjoyed good music, and throughout his life he was involved in various singing groups, particularly male quartets.
Survivors include his wife, Andrea; children Pat, Bryan, Judith and Rhoneil; a step-daughter, Racique; and one grandchild.
Funeral services were held Aug. 12, 2003 at the North Shore Seventh Day Adventist Church. Interment was in Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie.
Johanna Gordon
Johanna Gordon (nee Sullivan), 104, died Aug. 14, 2003 at her home in Sparks, Nev.
She was born April 24, 1899, in County Kerry, Ireland, to John and Ellen O'Sullivan. She was one of 12 children and the last survivor.
In 1920 she came to Chicago. She lived most of her life in Evanston, as Mrs. Harry Gordon. She moved to Nevada in 1978.
Mrs. Gordon's six children blessed her with many great- and great-great grandchildren, leaving 97 living descendants.
She was preceded in death by her husband; sons Harry, John and Patrick, who was an Evanston city employee for more than 20 years; and a daughter, Irene.
Survivors include daughters Gerrie Gordon-Fish of Sparks, Nev., and Eileen Gordon-Crews of Pompano Beach, Fla.; and grandchildren Debra, Rosanne, John and Patrick, all of Evanston.
A memorial Mass was celebrated Aug. 19, 2003 in Reno. Interment was private.
Wilson Holmes Sr.
Wilson Holmes Sr., a longtime Evanston resident, died Aug. 12, 2003 at his home. He was 85.
Mr. Holmes, a retired machine operator for the Clayton Mark Co., was born Oct. 22, 1917, in Greenwood, S.C., to James and Jesse Holmes.
He attended Evanston' public schools.
From his youth, Mr. Holmes was an active member of Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church in Evanston. He met his future wife, Bernice Rogers, while they both served in various church activities.
At Clayton Mark, where he had worked for 40 years, Mr. Holmes served as a union representative and won various production and performance awards, relatives said.
He retired from the company in 1982.
In addition to his wife of 63 years, Mr. Holmes is survived by two daughters, Dorothy Williams and Deborah (Robert) Ruffin; five grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; a sister, Frances Flowers; a brother, Kenneth; his daughter-in-law Helen Holmes; and many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held Aug. 15 at Ebenezer Church.
Interment was in Sunset Memorial Lawns, Northbrook.
Evert Nylen
Evert O. Nylen of Evanston died Aug. 7, 2003 at Hospice of the North Shore in Skokie. He was 95.
Mr. Nylen, who had lived in Evanston for nearly nine years, was born Oct. 17, 1907, in Sweden.
He owned a monument company in Amherst, Ohio. He also established a boat-building business in Fort Lauderdale, where he and his brother built a 135-foot yacht.
Mr. Nylen had previously lived in Fort Lauderdale for 20 years. Earlier he had lived in Vermont and Ohio.
Mr. Nylen was preceded in death by his wife, Martha, and a daughter, Dr. Sonia A. Brecha.
Survivors include his daughter Dagny (Art) Engle of Libertyville; six grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Fritz and Nils (Doris) Nylen, both of Sweden; and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service was held Tuesday, Aug. 19, at the Swedish Retirement Association in Evanston.
Interment was private at Crownhill Cemetery in Amherst, Ohio.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Swedish Retirement Association, 2320 Pioneer Road, Evanston IL 60201.
Catherine Spencer
Catherine R. Spencer (nee Reeling), a lifelong Evanston resident, died Aug. 16, 2003 at the Presbyterian Homes in Evanston. She was 89.
Mrs. Spencer was born March 22, 1914, in Evanston.
She was a teacher's aide at Evanston Township High School.
Mrs. Spencer was active in the ETHS Alumni Association, the Daughters of the American Revolution and PEO.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Marshall Black Smith, in 1978, and her second husband, Frank A. Spencer, in 2001. Two brothers, Hays and Kenneth Reeling, also preceded her in death.
Mrs. Spencer is survived by two children, C. Patricia Machmeier of Racine, Wis., and the Rev. Marcia L. Smith-Wood of Rensselaer, Ind.; and four grandchildren.
A memorial service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 22, 2003, in the Elliott Chapel of the Presbyterian Homes.
Interment is to take place at Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Breast Cancer Foundation, P.O. Box 769, Hillside IL 60162.
Gustave Spiess
Gustave Spiess, 74, of Glenview, died Aug. 12, 2003 in Evanston Hospital.
Mr. Spiess was born May 19, 1929 in Austria. He emigrated to the United States with his wife, Helga, in 1951 and settled in Chicago before moving to Glenview. Mr. Spiess was employed by Northwestern University in Evanston for 33 years before retiring as chief engineer of energy management.
In addition to his wife of 52 years, Helga, nee Schroegenauer, he is survived by three daughters, Ingrid (Dave) Kutz of Scottsdale, Ariz., Brigitta (Brian) Myhr of Coral Springs, Fla., and Silvia (Stephen) Fitzgerald of Lake Bluff; two sons, Dietmar (Sharon) Spiess of Gurnee and Mark (Erin) Spiess of Skokie; eight grandchildren, Nicholas Spiess; Sjon, Courtney and Kyle Myhr; Brittnee and Brigitta Fitzgerald and Thomas and Lydia Spiess; four siblings, Johann, Marie, Friedrich and Siegrfried; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by a brother, Wilhelm.
A funeral service was held on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2003, at Donnellan Family Funeral Home in Skokie. Interment was private. Memorial donations may be made to American Diabetes Association, 30 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2015, Chicago IL 60602.
Ethel Viets
Ethel Carolyn Viets of Evanston died Aug. 12, 2003 at St. Francis Hospital. She was 80.
Mrs. Viets is survived by her husband, Robert; son John; brothers Roy (Ethel) and Albert (Berniece) Stricker; sisters Margaret (Lee) Romanski and Grace (John) Smith; and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service is pending.
Arrangements are being made by the Cremation Society of Illinois. For more information call (847) 577-6505.
Dr. Donald Bell
Dr. Donald I. Bell of Evanston, a former resident of Northfield for 22 years, died Aug. 17, 2003 in Westminster Place of the Presbyterian Homes in Evanston. He was 87.
Born in 1915 in Joplin, Mo., he attended Harvard University for one year, then transferred to Northwestern University to study pre-medicine.
He graduated from Northwestern's Medical School in 1941.
Dr. Bell served during World War II as a member of the U.S. armed forces in the South Pacific. He received a Bronze Star for his service as an Army battalion surgeon in the Philippines.
After the war, Dr. Bell practiced medicine in Evanston for 37 years, said his wife, Catharine (nee Remy). He also taught 35 years at Northwestern's Medical School.
For more than 20 years, Dr. Bell headed up Evanston Hospital's division of endocrinology and metabolic disease, specializing in the treatment of diabetes.
"He was most concerned about how diabetics could cope with their disease and live a normal life," his wife said.
In a 1982 memorandum, Dr. E. Stephen Kurtides, former chairman of Evanston Hospital's department of medicine, praised Dr. Bell for his skills as a leader and teacher.
Dr. Bell "is consistently rated by the medical house staff among the top teachers in the department," Kurtides wrote. "His 'diabetes conferences' have been classic and important in medical education.... As a member of this staff he served the institution and his patients faithfully, be it as a physician or as a president of the professional staff. Northwestern recently acknowledged his contributions by promoting him to associate professor of clinical medicine."
Dr. Bell also served as president of the American Diabetes Association.
After retiring in 1983, Dr. Bell enjoyed gardening, traveling and cooking.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by son Donald R.; daughters Catharine D. Bell and Susan A. Bell; and one granddaughter.
Funeral services were held Aug. 22 at Kenilworth Union Church in Kenilworth.
John L. Brinkworth
John L. Brinkworth, 58, of Northbrook, died on Aug. 13, 2003 of head and neck cancer.
Mr. Brinkworth was born July 4, 1945 in Evanston. He was a 1963 graduate of East Leyden High School and received his bachelor's degree and master's degree from Illinois State University. He retired in June from Evanston Township High School after teaching 32 years of drivers education, physical education and serving as department chairman for 12 years. His love of gymnastics was evident, as he coached boys and girls gymnastics for many years at Evanston Township High School.
He was a former international and collegiate gymnastic judge as well as an Illinois High School boys and girls judge. He served as a former board member of the U.S.A.G. and was president of the National High School Gymnastic Coaches Association for more than 20 years. Mr. Brinkworth was inducted into the Illinois High School Boys Gymnastic Hall of Fame in 1995.
Besides his passion for gymnastics, he relished his involvement with Boy Scout Troop 64 in Northbrook, where he served as scoutmaster.
Survivors include his wife, Debra, nee Mack; two sons, Brian and Neal; a sister, Susan (the late William) Simms-Szymanski; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Joseph and Edythe Mack; his sister-in-law, Lynne (Steve) Newberger; his brother-in-law, Robert (Susan Brody) Mack; and many nieces, nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Laura.
Graveside services were held on Monday, Aug. 18, 2003, at Memorial Park Cemetery (Sec. Spruce), 9900 Gross Point Road, Skokie. Memorial donations may be made to ENH Hospice, 1603 Orrington Ave., Evanston IL 60201 or The Compassionate Friends, P. O. Box 3696, Oak Brook IL 60522.
Leonard Dodson
Leonard W. Dodson, a resident of Evanston for nearly 60 years, died Aug. 15, 2003 at his home. He was 88.
Born July 27, 1915, in Altoona, Pa., he received a master's degree in business administration from the University of Chicago's Executive Program.
He served more than 10 years in the U.S. Air Force, rising from the rank of private to major. Stationed in China, he was awarded the Bronze Star, among other citations.
In his early years and during the Great Depression, Mr. Dodson worked as a shoe shine boy, news boy, farm laborer and a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps in Pennsylvania.
He worked at Oak Park Federal Saving & Loan for 26 years, where he retired as vice president, director of advertising and public relations.
Upon retirement, Mr. Dodson became an artist. He enrolled in the fine arts program at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he was awarded multiple degrees.
An avid sports fan, he especially enjoyed the Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears.
Survivors include his former wife, Patricia (nee Ungaro) Dodson of Chicago, and daughters Daryl Wilson of Portland, Ore., Karen Dodson of Hampshire, Ill., Dorothy McLaughlin of Santa Fe, N.M., Lindsey Dodson of Washington, D.C., and Leslie Laroche of New York City.
A funeral Mass was celebrated Aug. 23 at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Evanston.
