Betty J. Cloonen

COAL CITY, Ill. — Mrs. Betty J. Cloonen, 80, let the angels wrap their arms of love around her as they took her home to Heaven with all of her family surrounding her on Monday, Jan. 30, 2012.

Funeral services will be from the R.W. Patterson Funeral Homes, Ltd., Braidwood Chapel, at 9:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 6, to the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church in Coal City for Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. The Rev. Fred Caldwell will officiate. Interment will be in St. Peter’s Cemetery in Clifton, IL.

The visitation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5, at the funeral home.

Betty was born Nov. 3, 1931, in Sheldon, Ill., to the late John and Lena (Massing) McKinney.  She grew up in Sheldon and graduated from Sheldon High School in 1949. On May 4, 1957, she married Adrian Cloonen. They made their home in Coal City, Ill., and Ennis, TX.  She worked for Coal City ISD for many years as a bus driver and was the co-owner of Coal City Cob Co.

She was a member of the Blessed Virgin Mary Roman Catholic Church in Coal City and of St. John Catholic Church of Ennis. Her greatest joy was her grandchildren and she loved spending time with them. She also enjoyed creating flower arrangements.

Surviving are her son, Mike (Sheila) Cloonen of Ennis; daughter Jackie (Kirk) Wright of Ennis; four grandchildren, Alana Bourland, Patrick Cloonen, Jared Wright, and Kaleigh Wright; two great-grandchildren, Gracie and Jolie Bourland; and a brother, Harris McKinney of Champaign, Ill.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Adrian, in 1997; a son, Patrick Lee Cloonen, in 1980; her parents; and four brothers.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Family First Hospice, Inc., 109 S.W. Main St., Ennis, TX, 75119 or Families for Early Autism Treatment, P.O. Box 255722, Sacramento, CA 95865.

R.W. Patterson Funeral Homes, Ltd., 401 E. Main, Braidwood, is in charge of arrangements. For additional information, call the funeral home at (815) 458-2336.