Elizabeth "Betty" Gardner

Elizabeth "Betty" Gardner passed away on Jan 3, 2018 in Pekin, IL.Betty, who also went by "Liz" Gardner, was born to Lucas Ira and Jeanette Rogers Hicks on Feb 24, 1932 in Falmouth Heights, Massachusetts.She married Roger B Gardner in 1951.He died in 1976. She graduated from the University of Illinois with a Mechanical Engineering degree in 1965, having put herself through school, working on and off for 15 years following her graduation at Pekin Community High School in 1950.She worked at Caterpillar Tractor Company in East Peoria (initially as one of only two women engineers in Plant Engineering) for 20 years, attained a Professional Engineer license, and worked as a Facility Engineer for State Farm of Bloomington for 5 years.Elizabeth is survived by her two daughters, Anne and Cynthia Gardner, and is dearly loved as their mother. Betty regularly attended church at Pekin First United Methodist Church and North Pekin First Missionary Church.She loved walking, nature, art & science, faith, family, pets, gardening, and community. She grew up in the Great Depression, 2nd oldest in a family of eight children, frequently helping her dad fix the "Tin Lizzie" Model T Ford. She is survived by 3 sisters and 1 brother, Winifred Lake of Mercer Island, Washington; Helen Chamblee of Bellevue, Washington; John Hicks; Linda Simmons of Portland, Oregon; one half brother, Harry Silva of East Falmouth, Massachusetts, other family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and 3 sisters, Karen Hicks, Catherine Morrow, and Nellie Porch. Private family service will be held at Henderson Funeral Home in Pekin, with interment at LaSalle Cemetery, in Chillicothe, IL on Jan 11. Memorials may be sent to TAPS animal shelter of Pekin, First United Methodist or First Missionary church, or the charity of your choice.Flowers will be shared with area nursing homes and hospitals. Cemetery LaSalle Cemetery Rome West Road Rome,IL