MILDRED RUTH HUTCHINSON

Mildred Ruth Hutchinson was born on the family farm in Milford Township, Denison, Iowa, August 16, 1920, the daughter of Eathen and Ollie Turpin Crane. She was raised on the farm and received her elementary education in the rural schools before graduating from Denison High School with the class of 1936. Following high school she attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa, during the summers and taught in the Milford Township rural schools.

On June 4, 1941, Milly was united in marriage with Kenneth I. Hutchinson at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. Their union was blessed with five children: Kenneth E., Keith, Nancy, Kerry and Cherith. They farmed in Milford Township northeast of Denison, moving to her present farm home in 1952.

In addition to being a busy homemaker and farmwife, Milly enjoyed gardening, reading, maintaining an active interest in current political affairs, photography, crafts, tole painting, making quilted lap blankets and doing counted cross stitch. She will be fondly remembered by her family as being a great lover of nature and an excellent cook and baker. Her happiest times were spent with her family, following the activities of her children and grandchildren.

She was a longtime and active member of the United Presbyterian Church in Vail, Iowa, where she taught Sunday School for many years, assisted with Bible School and was a member of the United Presbyterian Women.

Milly died Sunday morning, April 4, 2010, at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. At the time of her death she had been blessed with 89 years, 7 months and 18 days.

Milly was preceded in death by her parents, Eathen and Ollie Crane; her husband, Kenneth I. Hutchinson, on April 1, 1998; one brother, Bobby Joe Crane; and three sisters, Elsie Schultz, Dorothy Crane and Norma Dreeszen.

Those remaining to cherish her memory include five children: Kenneth Hutchinson of San Jose, California; Keith Hutchinson and wife Glenda of Lancaster, Texas; Nancy Hutchinson of Evansville, Indiana; Kerry Hutchinson of Freehold, New Jersey; Cherith Thelen and husband Joe of Denison; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren: Jeff Hutchinson of Dallas, Texas; Ken Hutchinson and wife Erin and their daughter, Anna, of Plano, Texas; Andria and husband Eric Siciliano and their children, Eric Gregory, Julia and Jake, of Matawan, New Jersey; Christopher Thelen of Denison, Iowa; Andy Thelen and Melissa Thelen, both of Ames, Iowa; and Dan Thelen of Denison, Iowa; one brother: Donald Crane of Denison; one sister, Barbara Ann and husband Wallace Heidbrier of Duluth, Minnesota; other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, April 7, 2010, at the United Presbyterian Church in Vail, Iowa, with the Rev. Richard Francis officiating. Music for the service included the congregation singing "Amazing Grace", "In The Garden" and "He Leadeth Me" with Ruth Noelck serving as organist. Those serving as pallbearers were Milly's grandchildren: Jeff Hutchinson, Ken Hutchinson, Andria Siciliano, Christopher Thelen, Andy Thelen, Melissa Thelen and Dan Thelen. Interment was at Oakland Cemetery, Denison, Iowa. Following the interment the family invited all in attendance to return to the church and join them for fellowship and a luncheon prepared and served by the United Presbyterian Women. The Pfannebecker Funeral Home, www.pfannebecker.com, Denison, Iowa, was in charge of arrangements.