Dorothy "Doreen" Carr

Dorothy “Doreen” Carr, 87, passed away peacefully among friends and family in her home in Tonica on September 25, 2017. 

Mass of Christian burial will be 11:00 AM Monday in St. Patrick’s Church in La Salle. Burial will be in St. Vincent’s Cemetery. Visitation will be in the church on Monday from 10:00 AM until time of services. A funeral luncheon will be served at 1:30 PM in Tonica United Methodist Church. The Hurst Funeral Home in Tonica is assisting the family with arrangements. 

Mrs. Carr was born on July 11, 1930 in Ely, Cardiff, South Wales to George Henry Clift from Stroud, England and Dorothy “Dolly” Trow Clift from Painswick, England . . . she had one sister, Marjorie. 

Growing up in war-torn Britain was definitely an experience, and she had many memories to tell.  From winning a “most beautiful baby contest” sponsored by high-end department store in Cardiff when she was two, to falling into the docks on her first visit to her four boy cousins at “Norway House” in Sharpness on the banks of the River Severn north of Bristol and being rescued by a local fisherman, to living thru rationing, curfews, air raids and anti-aircraft guns situated at the bottom of their avenue in Cardiff, Doreen’s early years in Wales were very different from growing up here in the States. 

After her school years, Doreen worked in Cardiff at the Central Telephone Exchange as a “telephonist” . . . along with her sister, her best friend Wynnie, and numerous other friends.  She was known to be a good operator . . . clear voice and a seriousness about her but on the other side . . . she was lots of fun. 

Doreen made her first trip to the United States in the early 50’s to help her sister, Marjorie who was starting her family.  Marjorie, a war bride, immigrated to the U.S. in ’47 to marry Robert Henning of Tonica. 

Doreen made several trips across the Atlantic by ocean liner.  She traveled on the “Queen Mary” debarking from South Hampton in England, and again had many fascinating experiences to relate.  Being a young girl in her early twenty’s and sharing a cabin / room with four older ladies, Doreen always took the top bunk so as to make it easier for the ladies but she soon found out that top bunks and rough seas don’t mix.  After returning to England, the prospect of traveling back to the states and possibly living there loomed, Doreen sailed once again on the Queen Mary but this time staying, immigrating and then becoming an American citizen June 1966.   

During these early years in America, Doreen stayed with her sister Marjorie and family helping with the two young children.  She also worked in McClellans in LaSalle where she soon became close friends with one of her future sister-in-laws.  Shortly after she started working, Doreen was invited to a party that was being thrown to celebrate her friend’s brother coming out of the Navy.  Doreen was a little shy when around new people and wasn’t going to go, but her sister is known to have said, “Well, if you don’t go you’re not going to meet any one…” so she went and sure enough she met someone!  One short year later on 05 Nov 1955, Doreen married the “guest of honor” of that party . . . Edward Carr, Jr . . . better known to friends as “Corky’”  After growing up in a small family with only one sister, Doreen now had 5 sisters-in-law complete with husbands and families!

The first couple years of marriage, the Carrs shared a house in Peru with his sister Adele and her husband Jack Perkins.  They then moved to Ogelsby opposite from Arkins Drug Store and one of her husband’s best friends pharmacist Bill Arkins.  They stayed friends, and crossed paths numerous times the last year or so at a local coffee shop.

Returning to Illinois after traveling for Corky’s work, they first lived in downtown Chicago but soon moved to an apartment in Brookfield, enjoying life in the suburbs. Within a couple years, Doreen and her husband found their dream home.  It was a small Sears Roebuck house on cul-de-sac with their back yard fence part of Brookfield Zoo.  It was so close you could at times hear the animals, especially at feeding times.  Doreen really loved living in Brookfield and made close friends.  She worked at Kay Howard’s dress shop in LaGrange and then Nazareth Catholic Academy in the school’s lunch program.   

Upon the passing of her husband in early 1993, Doreen moved down to Tonica to be closer to her sister and husband and also to her sister-in-law Anna Thompson, who was living in the Tonica Manor. 

She spent many happy years active in and around Tonica making many friends.  She was part of the area’s “English Girls” Club, meeting up and spending time with other English girls that had immigrated to the States and were living in and around the LaSalle / Peru area.  A couple of her closest friends were Winnie Dornick of Ogelsby, now deceased, and Denise Sabotta of LaSalle. 

After moving to Tonica, Doreen also enjoyed spending part of each winter with her sister and group of friends traveling with Green River Bus Lines and the Hansens to Daytona, Florida and surrounding area.  Many, many happy memories were made thru the 10+ years with lots of laughs, good times, and long lasting friendships. 

Doreen was an avid knitter and knitted many baby clothes donating to local church charities.  She was also the local “go-to” for friends needing help understanding patterns and stitches.  The hobby she loved the best was seasonal decorating inside her house and out. 

She often said that her favorite place in the whole world was “Painswick, England” . . . the place where her mother grew up and where she spent many summer days staying with her Auntie Ethel and Uncle Billy in their house named “Clattergrove” . . . which was situated just out of town on Cheltenham Road on a small hill overlooking the beautiful rolling Cotswold country side in Gloucestershire, England.  

She also worked at Owens glass factory in Streator, was a member of the Tonica Thursday Club, and the local area Herb Guild, and she was a member of St Patrick’s church in LaSalle.

Everyone that knew Doreen will always remember her sweet English accent and how she called everyone “dear” . . . she will be truly missed.  

Doreen was preceded in death by her parents; her daughter Mary Clare; her husband; her sister and brother-in-law Robert; three sisters-in-law Bernice, Marie, and Anna and their husbands. 

She is survived by two sisters-in-law Lorraine Hawk of Merritt Island, FL and Adele and husband Jack of Mahomet, IL; two cousins in England Pastor Andrew Leach (Elaine) of Painswick, and John Taylor (Eliane) of Charfield;  nieces and nephews:  Kay Henning Berube (Frank) of Woodbridge, VA;  Alan D Henning (Gerardine) of Madison, WI;  Nancy Perkins Willliams (Marty) of Mahomet, IL; Michael Perkins (Carisa) of Champaign/Urbana, IL; Linda (Buren) McMahan (Jonesy) of Streator; Marcia DeMarzo and Jeanette Watson of Merritt Island, FL  and Beverly Gillespie in Texas  --  also many great-nieces and nephews. 

Memorials can be donated in Doreen’s name to Tonica Volunteer Fire Department or St. Patrick’s Church.

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