Dorothy LeClaire
Alton |
Dorothy Louise LeClaire, 89, passed away peacefully at 9:20 a.m. Friday, July 8 at Calhoun Nursing and Rehab in Hardin with her son and daughter by her side. Born Oct. 21, 1921, she was a daughter of William J. and Bessie (Marlow) Nelson. She married Vernon “Bud” LeClaire March 8, 1944 in Atlantic City, N.J. while he was still in the Army Air Force. He died November 2, 1975. A 1939 graduate of Hardin High School, she was at first a homemaker, but she later worked at and retired from both W.T. Grant and J.C. Penney. She was a charter member of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Rosewood Heights since 1953. She loved to sing in the choir and worked at various church functions whenever she was able. “Grandma Dot” loved to travel and enjoyed bowling with her husband and friends. She looked forward to each spring so she could plant her small garden and watch it grow. She loved more than anything to spend time with her family at her home, which she and her husband built together. She is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Vernon, Jr. and Cheryl LeClaire of Alton; a daughter and son-in-law, Ella and Bill Knoepp of Creve Coeur, Mo.; two grandchildren, Amy Amorello and her husband Chris of Union, Ky. and Josh LeClaire of Wood River; two great grandchildren, Dominick and Drake; a brother, William Nelson of Brighton; and a number of nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Marlow Howland. Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. Sunday, July 10 at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Rosewood Heights, where Rev. Daryl Fansler will officiate funeral services at 11 a.m. Monday, July 11. Burial will follow at Rose Lawn Memory Gardens in Bethalto. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the church. Online condolences at www.paynicfh.com
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