Frankie Lee

1934 - 2020

Frankie Lee (Whitlock) ATERS, age 85 of Sandwich, slipped into the Arms of God on Monday, March 2, 2020 at Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion, Sandwich IL. Frankie was born December 14, 1934 in East Prairie, Missouri. She leaves us to be with the love of her life, R. J. Aters.

Frankie has resided in northern Illinois since 1963 when she moved to Roseland, on Chicago's historic south side and to Plano in 1966. She has lived in Sandwich since 1997.

Frankie Lee was the third of six daughters born to Lovie Williams of East Prairie, MO and adopted at birth by a local couple, Elva and Frank Waters. At the age of 4, Elva and Frank Waters divorced, and Louis Whitlock became the only true and loving father Frankie ever knew.

As a little girl she traveled back and forth across the migrant routes from the Mississippi River and Missouri cotton fields westward to California helping her parents pick seasonal crops. She often spoke of traveling to the beautiful desert city of Ajo, Arizona. She was so grateful to have returned there for a visit in 2003. This set her up for travel in her later years: eager to go but more eager to return home to her own bed.

Raised in Mississippi County, Missouri, Frankie preferred driving the tractor and her dad's pick-up truck over going to school. She left school in ninth grade and married young for a short time to a local boy serving in the Army during the Korean War.

In her late teens, Frankie left East Prairie with a girlfriend and found a job at Brown Shoe Factory in St. Louis. It was there she became fluent in American Sign Language and met her second husband, a man from North Carolina. They had three children together: Enola (Cyndi) G. (Robinson) Gavin, Jerry L. Robinson, and Cynthia M. (Robinson) Broadus.

Her final marriage was to her elementary school sweetheart with whom she was married for 47 years. Together they gave birth to her fourth child, Steven A. Aters. She mothered and raised Robert E. Aters, her stepson, from the time he was six years old. They resided in the Plano-Sandwich area for 45 years where they raised their blended family of four children. Frankie and R.J. were inseparable until his death in 2010.

Frankie's hands were always busy: cooking, canning, crocheting, cleaning and talking all the while. She was an extrovert and loved being the center of adoring attention. She was known for her devoted attraction to purses, garage sales and Goodwill. She loved tchotchke and bling and Elvis Presley. She made innumerable trips to Graceland.

The last years of Frankie's life were spent as a resident at Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion as her memory swirled together ages, dates, time, family, friends, and most everything that she experienced or knew. Her cursive handwriting turned to an abbreviated and unintelligible scrawl, but she could still use ASL to spell out words and names and "I love you." Everyday as long as Frankie could move on her own she packed two big purses full of belongings (not necessarily hers) and grabbed her coat to head home to fix R.J.'s dinner. She kept everyone laughing and was deeply loved by resident and staff alike. Never a high school prom queen, she was their "Rock Star."

Frankie is survived by her beloved children: Cyndi Gavin (Timothy Burke) of Naperville, Jerry "J.R." Robinson (Diane) of Plano, Cynthia (Don) Broadus of Somonauk, Steven Aters (Scott City, MO), Robert Aters (Dyer, TN); her grandchildren and step-grandchildren: Eric Gavin (Dr. Gabriella Paloucci) of Naperville, Michael Gavin (Bianca Zimmer) of New Paltz NY, Amanda Slavens (Tom) of Somonauk, Jerrod Robinson of Sandwich, Jenin Paradise (Ryan) of Yorkville, Zachary Aters of Elgin, Jason Aters (Plano), Kyle Aters (Fesseden, ND), Rob Aters (Misty) of Yorkville, Randy Aters of Plano; and

8 great-grandchildren.

One sister survives, Marilyn Cooper of Jackson TN.

She is preceded in death by her loving husband, all her parents and four sisters.

Visitation will be held Friday, March 6, 2020 from 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm at the Beverage Family Funeral Home in Sandwich.

Funeral Services will be held Saturday, March 7, 2020 at 10:00 at the funeral home, officiated by Pastor Derek Johnsen, Harvest Chapel, Sandwich.

Burial will be at the Little Rock Township Cemetery in Plano. A Celebration of Homegoing Feast will be held after burial; location information will be provided at the service. Memorials may be made to the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation.

For more information, contact Beverage Family Funeral Home, 104 Terry Street Sandwich, IL (815) 786-6715.