Dorothy Gustafson

WALNUT — Dorothy M. Gustafson, 90, of Walnut died Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011, at CGH Medical Center in Sterling.

Born Oct. 1, 1921, in Hooppole to Lloyd and Margaret (Blumhoff) Vetter, she married Raymond A. Gustafson Feb. 14, 1943, in Hooppole. He died Dec. 6, 1984.

She and her husband ran a trucking business in the Yorktown and Tampico area from 1946 to 1964 and farmed from 1964 to 1984 outside of Tampico. She lived in Walnut for the past 26 years.

She was a member of Royal Neighbors for more than 50 years and was a Royal Neighbor oracle for 50 years. She was also a member of the First Christian Church of Walnut and the CWF.

Surviving are one daughter, M. Elaine Forward of Sterling; one brother, Richard (Donna) Vetter of Elgin; one daughter-in-law, Diane (Vince) Edler of Pearl City; four sisters-in-law, Helen Vetter of Clearwater, Fla., Betty Christensen of Front Royal, Va., Elaine Curtis of Claremore, Okla., and Marie Vetter of Hooppole; one brother-in-law, Carl (Virginia) Gustafson Jr. of Sterling; 11 grandchildren, Kathy Thompson of Harmon, Kenyon Thompson of Sterling, Wendy (Chris) Andersen of Aurora, Stephanie (Greg) Wetzell of Prophetstown, Jennifer (Mark) Linboom of Rock Falls, Jeremy Forward of Tampico, David (Brandy) Forward of Irvine, Calif., Lynnette (Dean) Groezinger of Elizabeth, Corey Gustafson of Cedarville, and Edythe and Raymond Gustafson of Geneseo; 17 great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was also preceded in death by her parents; two sons, Neil and Kurt; one daughter, Sylvia; three sisters, Audrey, Miriam and Marilyn; and two brothers, Kenneth and Claire.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Garland Funeral Home, Walnut, with the Rev. Brian Moore, pastor of First Christian Church of Walnut, officiating. Cremation rites will be accorded after the service. Burial of remains will be in the Walnut Cemetery at a later date.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.

A memorial has been established in her memory.