Alvena Whitwell
Jerseyville | Save
Alvena Louise Whitwell, 75, died at 12:34 a.m., Thursday, May 26, 2016 at her residence.
She was born in Carlinville on July 8, 1940, and was the only child born to Lynn & Ethel (Atherton) Pitchford.
Alvena grew up in Rockbridge, but graduated in 1959 from Northwestern High School in Palmyra.
She soon married Donald Whitwell on Nov. 24, 1962 at the Rockbridge United Methodist Church and moved to Minneapolis, Mn, for two short years before moving back to Hettick in 1964, and were only there a few years, before she & Don moved to Jerseyville, where they raised their three children and shared nearly 34 years before his unexpected death on Oct. 7, 1996. She later married Walter McGowen on Aug. 25, 2006 in Hillview, and he preceded her in death as well on Aug. 6, 2010.
Alvena was a member of the Charity Christian Center in Jerseyville, as well as the Royal Neighbors of America and the former Creative Gardeners Club, and was an avid volunteer at various nursing homes, and was often accompanied by her mother, helping those in the community with their gift of time.
Surviving are her three children, Annette Whitwell-Partin, and her husband, Mark of Williamsburg, Oh., Melissa Whitwell-Schattke of West Chicago, and Mark Whitwell and his wife, Caterina of Elmhurst; seven grandchildren, Amber, Matthew, Luke, Michael and Sherri Lynn Partin, Katie Schattke, and Sasha Whitwell; a great granddaughter, Riley Grace Partin.
Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m., Tuesday at the Crawford Funeral Home in Jerseyville, where funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Wednesday, with the Rev. Paul Noble officiating.
Burial will be in the Witt Cemetery in Rockbridge.
Memorials may be given to the Witt Cemetery in care of the funeral home.
Crawford Funeral Home
