Dorothy M. Hutchison

Dorothy M. Hutchison, age 87, passed away on Wednesday, September 13 at the Stephenson Nursing Center in Freeport, IL. She was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 15, 1930 to Fred and Margaret (Raab) Gebhardt. She attended Carl Schurz High School where she was voted most athletic (volleyball and gymnastics) in her graduating class of 1948. Growing up in Chicago's Portage Park neighborhood, she was surrounded by family and friends, many who were members of the American Turners of Northwest Chicago, a German-American physical education and social club with a camp on the Fox River in Algonquin, IL. She worked as secretary in Chicago as a young adult. She married Wallace Hutchison in Chicago in 1957 and they lived all but a handful of those years on the Hutchison family farm near Cedarville, Illinois. Dorothy thrived on the farm and raised her 4 children there among the pastoral beauty of the country. Once her children were all in school, she worked as secretary to the principal at Dakota High School until her retirement after nearly 20 years. She was a member of the Rock Run Homemakers for approximately 50 years. She loved to sew, cook, read, play piano, garden and get out in the woods with her family. She travelled her entire life, most often taking wandering road trips all across the country - she would navigate while her husband manned the wheel. She knew how to enjoy life and she had a sweet unflappable joy. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Wallace; 4 children: Glen, Gail , Carol and Carl (Annie); a brother, George, as well as many friends and family. She was preceded in death by her parents (Fred and Margaret), her oldest brother, Freddy and her brother and sister-in-law, Harry and Helen Sartorius. Her funeral will be held at Dakota Community Presbyterian Church, 210 N Church Street, Dakota on Saturday, September 23, 2017. The family will greet friends at the church at 11:30 until the time of the service at 12:00. A luncheon at the church will follow the service where everyone can reminisce, grieve and share stories. Dorothy asked to have her ashes spread on her beloved farm and the family will do that at a later date. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been established in her name and the family will donate the funds to Freeport Public Library.