Dorothy Augustine Cruse , 102, of Edwardsville went to meet her Lord on Saturday, July 29th, 2023. She was born on May 9, 1921, to parents Rector Reynolds and Abigail Wagner Reynolds.

Dorothy attended and graduated from grade school at Saint Bernard's of Wood River, Father Douglas took her to the Ursuline convent where the Nuns taught her Latin and gave her organ lessons. She became the organist at Saint Bernard's after 4 years. She graduated from Marquette High School, Ursuline Secretarial School, Alton, and Saint Elizabeth's Nurse Training School in Granite City. After becoming a Registered Nurse she worked in several hospitals and the TB sanitarium.

She married R.B. Cruse on November 2, 1943, and they had seven children; Melanie, Senadee, Roland, Richard, Cheryl, twins, David and Daniel.  She loved being a mother and homemaker on the farm. Shortly after the youngest were born her husband passed away and the family moved into Edwardsville attending St. Boniface Church where the children went to school.  She returned to nursing and a colorful career as well as being one of the original members of St. Vincent DePaul.

As a field nurse for one-third of Madison County, she made home calls giving shots and medications. Later she was a float nurse at St. Mary's. She worked where she was needed and when the ambulance went out she went too.  After retiring and until age 94 when she had a stroke, she drove and stayed active with the senior citizens where she took blood pressures for many years, even after they moved from Crane Street to Main Street.

In 2021 Dorothy and her daughter Melanie completed the required three-year program and became nuns in the Secular Franciscan Order.

She is preceded in death by her parents Rector and Abigail, husband R.B., brothers Edwin and Marcel, two children Richard and Cheryl and two great-grandchildren Robert Benham and Jaycee Lane Farmer.

Those left to cherish her memory include daughters, Melanie and Senadee (husband Mike Brusich), sons, Roland, David and Daniel (wife Yolanda), and Daughter-in-Law Jill, along with 12 Grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great grandchildren.

The family would like to thank Hospice of Southern Illinois and The Visiting Angels for their months of service and care of Dorothy.

A celebration of life service will be held at 11:00 am at St. Boniface in Edwardsville Thursday, May 9, 2024 with a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Boniface Church Bona Reset maintenance fund.

https://www.st-boniface.com/