Isabelle Kathryn Turner

May 2, 1930 - July 7, 2014

Isabelle Turner (nee Mulligan) Age 84, of Braidwood, IL, passed away Monday, July 7, 2014 at Alden Estates Rehabilitation Facility, Barrington, IL. Born May 2, 1930 in Braidwood, IL to the late Hugh and Lucy (nee Vaira) Mulligan. Isabelle “Belle” retired in 1995 from Fossil Ridge Library in Braidwood, IL. She also served as a copywriter and frequent columnist for The Braidwood Journal. Belle spent a lifetime in service to the community and church. In 1991, she was named Catholic Woman of the Year by the Immaculate Conception Church (ICC); in 1994, she was awarded ICC’s Parishioner of the Year. In 1995, she received the Community Builder’s Award by the Masonic Lodge. In 2001, in recognition for a lifetime of service, the Office of the Illinois Lieutenant Governor presented her the Illinois Woman of Achievement Award in a ceremony at City Hall. Belle was a founder of the Braidwood Senior Citizens Group. In 1975, she established Braidwood’s Annual Winter Clothing Drive. In 1981, she founded the Braidwood Food Fund, a seminal organization for the community helping those less fortunate. Isabelle and her helpers ran this organization until the onset of her illness in 2007. Other organizations to which Isabelle volunteered her time include Audio Books Delivery Service (blind), American Lung Association, (original) Braidwood Public Library, Braidwood Public Schools, ICC catechism classes, interfaith catechism classes, ICC (organist, guitarist, cantor – over 50 years), Interfaith Choir, Joliet Catholic Academy (JCA) fundraising, JCA Jubilation (singing and dancing), Kuzma Care Cottage Food Pantry (Wilmington), Medical Testing, Patterson Funeral Home (organist and past music director) and Sister Act (performer). Clubs and organizations of which she was a member include Catholic Charities (Joliet Diocese), Council of Catholic Women, Fabulous Forties Reunion Committee, Family Care Group, Friends of the (Fossil Ridge) Library, Kindergarten Mothers’ Club, PTA and PTO. Surviving are four children, Dennis (Susan) Turner of Cleveland, TN, Maureen (Frank) Perruca of Braidwood, Timothy (Kimberly) Turner of Chicago, IL, and Kathleen Turner of Naperville, IL; one brother, Hugh (Judy) Mulligan of Coal City, IL; seven grandchildren, Melissa (Brad) Wagner, Megan (Will) Martin, Kelly Stevens, Dylan Turner, Vanessa (Mark) Prinz, Sara (Tony) Heiserman, and Dr. Amanda Marma; eight great grandchildren; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Kenneth and Joann Turner of Geneseo, IL; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Preceding her in death was her husband, Donald, a WWII veteran awarded two Bronze Stars, to whom she was married 62 years until his passing at age 90 on December 25, 2013; one brother, John Mulligan; and two sisters, Irene Gomora and Mary Erwin. The visitation will be at the R.W. Patterson Funeral Homes, Ltd. & Crematory, Thursday, July 10, 2014, from 6:00-9:00pm. Funeral services will be Friday, July 11, 2014 from the funeral home at 9:30 a.m. to the Immaculate Conception Church, in Braidwood, for Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. with Rev. Steve Bondi officiating. Interment will be at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, IL. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts in her name may be directed to the National MS Society or to a fund or charity of the donor’s choice. For more information and to sign her online guestbook, please log onto www.rwpattersonfuneralhomes.com.