Beulah Lorraine Brenner

Beulah "Boots" Lorraine (Chatfield) Brenner, 89, of Danville, passed away at 10:05 a.m. Friday, January 20th, 2012 at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana. Beulah was born on March 29th, 1922, in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, the daughter of Frank Silas and Theresa Marguerite (O'Connor) Chatfield. She married Gilbert Ellis Brenner on June 1st, 1946 at the First Presbyterian Church in Kankakee, Illinois. He preceded her in death on December 19th, 1977. She is survived by a daughter- Barbara (David) Nolan of Danville; son- Rick (Joann Perkins ) Brenner of Severna Park, Maryland; two grandchildren- Andrew Paul Perkins Brenner and Joseph Wayne Perkins Brenner of Severna Park, Maryland; three nieces- Emily (Roger) Norris of Bayfield, Colorado, Anne (Tony) Schrier of Bayfield, Colorado, and Diana (Adolph) Hoehn of Cortez, Colorado; four nephews- Alan (Barbara) Chatfield of Sun City, Arizona, Dean (Debbie) Chatfield of Reedsville, West Virginia, David Buffmire of Virginia and Craig Holt of California. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, two sisters, one brother and a grandson-Anthony Perkins. Boots graduated from Oconomowoc High School in 1940. After high school, she attended Schauffler College, in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1941-1943 and later attended Olivet Nazarene College in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Boots lived in Kankakee from 1943 to 1984, where she met and married Gil. She worked as the Executive Secretary to the President of Kankakee Community College and was Director of the Public Relations Department. She later worked at Kankakee Federal Savings and Loan Association in the Marketing Department, where she planned and escorted group travel trips through the Kankakee Federal Saver's Club. She was very active in the First Presbyterian Church in Kankakee, working with the youth fellowship for 12 years and high school Sunday school for 6 years. She also played violin in the Kankakee Symphony Orchestra. After retiring in 1984, Boots moved to Bayfield, Colorado, where she served on the Board of Directors of the Forest Lake Property Owners Association from 1985 to 1991. She also served on the Board of Directors of the Forest Lake Metropolitan District from 1992 to 2000. She was a member of Calvary Presbyterian Church in Bayfield, where she was very involved in various church activities. While living in Bayfield she wrote and published two books "Widow in the Woods" and "More from the Widow in the Woods". In 2007 she moved to Danville, where she completed the manuscript for her third book "The Widow Leaves the Woods-From Colorado Mountain Goat to Illinois Prairie Chicken". Boots was a co-founder and member of the Liberty Estates Book Club and Republican Political Discussion Group. She enjoyed reading, telling jokes and watching birds. Whenever you went to her house you saw the life sized picture of her idol- Tom Selleck, and she wrote to him to tell him that he was in her first book. She also enjoyed writing poems, especially for someone's birthday. Boots was known for her strong faith in God and being a staunch Republican. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service for Beulah "Boots" Lorraine Brenner will be at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at Liberty Estates Chapel, with Pastor Gary Parrill officiating. Visitation will be from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Wednesday at Liberty Estates Chapel. Per her wishes she will be cremated. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Danville Library Foundation or to the Pine River Valley Heritage Society P.O. Box 1981, Bayfield, Colorado 81122. Please join Boots' family in sharing memories, photos or videos on her tribute wall at: www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.