IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Thelma A.
Hutchinson
October 8, 1930 – January 25, 2023
Obituary
Thelma A. (Watson) Hutchinson, 92, of Mendota, passed away January 25, 2023 in her home.
Visitation will be held Monday, January 30, 2023 from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. at the Merritt Funeral Home, Mendota. A graveside service will follow at 2:00 p.m. at Restland Cemetery, Mendota with Rev. Joseph LaJoy officiating.
Mrs. Hutchinson was born a twilight sleep baby at Angier Hospital in Sublette on October 8, 1930 to Lawrence and Mary (Dudgeon) Watson. She married John Hutchinson on June 12, 1949 in Mendota.
Thelma had an entrepreneurial spirit. For many years, Thelma and John operated the This 'N That variety store in Mendota. Eventually they began to sell sewing supplies and Thelma used her sewing skills, learned from her Grandma Martin, to sew for customers. Later, Thelma opened Rainbow Realtors, and then Rainbow Travel which led to the moniker "Grandma Rainbow". Travel was her passion, visiting every state in the US and over 60 countries in the world. She hosted many group trips overseas, and as her grown daughters began to raise families, she gave a special gift to each of her six grandchildren on their 10 th birthdays: Grandma would take them on a trip to any place they chose in the entire world! She also made friends around the world and opened her home to many of them. She hosted several international students, often relatives of friends, while they attended college.
Thelma enjoyed taking photos on her many trips abroad, and some of them were so good they won prizes at the fair. She also had a talent for crafting, which meant that the photos often ended up in beautiful scrapbooks. Or she would surprise a relative with something like a much appreciated hand sewn purse or stained glass light fixture. She also enjoyed playing cards in local card clubs and giving back to the community, including a dedication to the Kiwanis Club.
She is survived by her daughter, Sara (Randy) Torman of Mendota; her son Jeffrey (Frank Zito) Hutchinson of Los Angeles, CA; her sister Phyllis Reed of Fairport, NY; her grandchildren Jami (Joseph) LaJoy, Chad Wendelken, Matt (Stacey) Wendelken, Jennifer (Chris) Eller, Jared (Sarah) Kern, Brian (Jolene) Wendelken, Patrick (Amanda) Torman, Stephanie (Justin) Gehron and 17 great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her parents, her husband in 2005, her daughter Jill Becker in 2017 and her son-in-law Robert Becker.
Memorials may be directed to Cultivate Behavioral Health and Education which is a school for autism in Peru, IL.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Thelma A. Hutchinson, please visit our flower store.
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