Lois Frances Sutton

Lois Frances Sutton, 94, of Rockford passed away peacefully on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, at Fairhaven Retirement Community. Lois was born on December 9, 1929 in Rockford, IL to Floyd and Ermel Burke. She was raised in Rockford and remained in the community her entire life. On August 23, 1947 Lois married Roger Sutton. Together they built a legacy of devotion to each other, their family, and their Christian faith. They were members of Northeast Christian Church, as well as the former Lincoln Park Church of Christ, where they both served in many ways over the years.

Lois was a dedicated homemaker and mother to her four children; a fantastic cook, she made the best pumpkin pie in the world. Handing down techniques and recipes to family, her abundant talent for handicraft didn’t end in the kitchen. From her green thumb to sewing prom dresses and halloween costumes, the love and sentimentality she poured into every project was felt by all, specifically her quilts. She was so excited to plan a quilting project with personal touches for her family members, even using squares passed down from generations before. Studying genealogy and researching both her and Roger’s family trees was a favorite pasttime. Her love of fishing came from her father, one of the things she and Roger had in common and passed on to their children. She was fun and competitive as she enjoyed all types of board games with family, and strategic skill games on her computer. She was full of energy (and sometimes hard to keep up with), always enthusiastic for walks in local gardens to admire flowers and Christmas tree lights. She was a member of several clubs and activities over the years including: Daughters of the American Revolution, Daughters of the Union, ceramics, bowling leagues at Strike at Reitch’s, and multiple bible study groups. Later in life, while she was in her 60s, she enrolled in College for the first time and took some classes at Rock Valley College. She enjoyed her full time position in the office of the North Park Water Department for a decade before proudly retiring.

Lois is survived by her sister, Estelle Nelson; son, Mike (Maureen) Sutton; daughter, Mary Kay (Jay) Haskell; son, Rick (Lori) Sutton; son-in-law, Rick Lindstrom; grandchildren: Dan (Kayla) Sutton; Todd (Sarah) Sutton; Amy Williams; Sheila Mihm; Mike (Lisa) Lindstrom; Sherry (Trudane) Peterson; Nicola Weldon; Kyle Lindstrom; Kimberly Gardner; Janelle Gardner; Dan (Danielle) Haskell; RaeAnn Haskell; Ali (Jason) Kuckkahn; and Spencer Sutton; great-grandchildren, Jack, Mitchell, Drew, Danielle, Nathan, Arran, Oliver, CJ, ShellyAnn, Matthew, Colter, Chloe, Luke, Kaitelin, Maycee, Mikayla, Trudane, Tatum, Brooklyn, Jack, Anthony, Lexie, Addy, Aurora, Loralei, Briggs, and Jaxon; great-great-grandchildren, Jaiden, Lilly, Ethan, Asher, Hunter, Lennox, and Ariya.

Lois was preceded in death by her husband of 75 years, Roger; parents, Floyd and Ermel Burke; daughter, Kathleen Lindstrom; grandson, Nathan Lindstrom; brother-in-law Gordy Nelson; sister and brother in-law Marion and Pete Morgan; and grandson in-law Merrill Mihm.