Winifred Amadon

Winifred Frances Amadon, 88, of Ottawa, passed away July 19, 2013, at Pleasant View Lutheran Home, Ottawa. Memorial services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 17, in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Oakwood Memorial Park. The Reverend Peter Ward will officiate. Burial of ashes will be at Oakwood Memorial Park. Visitation will be a half hour before services at the cemetery. Arrangements have been handled through Ottawa Funeral Home. Winifred "Winnie"Amadon was born in New Malden, County of Surrey, England on December 25, 1924, to Leonard and Cecilia (Dyer) Webber. During WWII, she joined the Women's Royal Naval Service (popularly and officially known as the WRENS). Her responsibility was to decipher radio calls in an effort to break the enemy code, which was part of the Enigma project. On July 8, 1945, she married Joseph Amadon who was serving with the U. S. 8th Air Force in England. The couple resided in Ottawa from the early 1950's, where they operated a landscape business, the Dayton Road Nursery for more than twenty years. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1995. Survivors include her daughters, Margaret H. Denny and Kathleen F. Stone; her son, Joseph "Mick" (Patricia) Amadon; nieces, Leslie Barless and Christine Green; nephew John Terselic; grandsons, Joseph D. Amadon, Patrick J. Denny, and Andrew E. Werth; step-grandchildren, Curtis D. Dailey, Christopher B. Dailey, Ashley (Jason) Walker, and six great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph; grandson, Michael W. Amadon; her sister, Joan; and brothers, Albert and Frank Webber. Winnie participated in several local Ottawa organizations including Camp Fire Girls and Boy Scouts, LaSalle County Home Extension, PTA, and Zonta, among others. She was a member of the United Methodist Church. Winnie received an associates' degree at IVCC. She was a mother to an extended family through her work in the Ottawa Public School system, serving as a secretary to the principal of Shabbona Elementary School and later head librarian at Central School. For a number of years, she served as office manager at Clegg-Perkins Electric. After retiring she became a volunteer at Ottawa Community Hospital. As a lover of natureanimals and birds, Winnie supported many philanthropic organizations that sustained wildlife. She created a bird refuge at her home that received a Certified Wildlife Habitat award. Her love of nature included many family camping trips in the U.S. and Canada that she claimed were among her "nicest memories." She touched a lot of people's lives and will be missed greatly. Memorials may be directed to Pet Project, the donor's charity of choice, or to the family.