Gladys Irene Kinnee, 94, of Mesa, AZ, passed away with family at her side on August 15, 2019.
Gladys was born on July 3, 1925 to Florence and Simon Lidbeck. She was raised on the family dairy farm in Aurora, WI.
She married Gerald (Jerry) Kinnee in 1945, following his return from Naval Service during WW II. Gladys was a homemaker, wife and mother of 3 children. In 1963, the family relocated to Wheeling, IL, for Jerry’s job; living there until they retired full time to Mesa in 1990.
Gladys had 68 wonderful years of marriage until Jerry died in 2014. Her greatest passion was her family and her love for the Lord. She was a loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother with an incredible caring nature and beautiful smile. She will be forever loved and missed.
Gladys turned her life-long enjoyment of knitting and crocheting into making prayer/lap blankets for patients at a local hospital, donating nearly 4,000 hours up until her death.
She is survived by sisters: Myrtle Jones and Gail Ford; children: Marsha (Frank) Schweitzer, Marlene (Doug) Allen, and Randy (Melodie) Kinnee; 7 grandchildren: Michelle Knaupp, Karen Walden, Lisa Plattenberger, Kristen Schweitzer, Alyssa Allen, Nathan Kinnee, and Joshua Kinnee; 19 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gerald, brothers, Curtis, Duane, and Warren Lidbeck; and granddaughter, Amy Allen.
A private family memorial is scheduled for Gladys and Gerald will be in September where Navy Military Honors will be accorded to Gerald.