Katherine M Breit

PEKIN ~ Katherine M. Breit, 87, of Pekin, passed away at 12:25 a.m. Monday, Sept. 27, 2010 at Rosewood Care Center in East Peoria.Born July 10, 1923 in Hopedale to Harold Ralph and Jessie Mae (Robertson) Temple, she married Leonard Ivan Gray on Sept. 29, 1940 in Davenport, IA.  He died Mar. 1, 1974 in Las Vegas.  She later married Gene Franklin Breit on May 28, 1983 in Pekin.  He died July 25, 2003 in Pekin.  She also was preceded in death by her parents; one son, Richard Gray on Jan. 28, 1986 in Pekin and two brothers, Harold Temple and Harry Charles Temple.Surviving are two sons, Larry (Avis) Gray of Casa Grande, AZ and Lenny (Marcia) Gray, Jr. of Pekin; one daughter, Joyce (Wayne) Baker of Creve Coeur; ten grandchildren, Crystal (Dr. Apichart) Radee of Peoria, Jill Kensinger, Jeffree (Sarah) Gray, both of Canton, Kevin (Julia) Gray of Memphis, TN, Pam (Keith) Frick of Creve Coeur, Michael Gray of Dunlap, Brian (Leslie) Gray, Nicole (Wes) Edwards, both of Pekin, Stephanie Bastean of York, NE and Shane Roan of Marquette Heights; thirty-one great-grandchildren and two sisters, Geraldine M. Christy of Mason City and Shirley Jean Helmig of Pekin.Katherine worked at the former Carp's Department Store in downtown Pekin and for Central Transfer Trucking in Peoria as a billing clerk.  She then worked for American Distilling Company in Pekin as a longtime shipping clerk.  American Distilling later became Midwest Grain Products and Katherine retired from there in 1986.  In all, she worked 32 years.  She also did seasonal work for Sommer Brothers Seed Company in Pekin and Libby's in Morton.Katherine formerly enjoyed camping, boating, bowling and playing cards.  She was a member of the Roy L. King Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1232 Ladies Auxiliary.Katherine was a member of Pekin First Church of the Nazarene since 1939.Her funeral will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 30, 2010 at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin.  The Rev. W. Lloyd Brock will officiate.  Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2010 at the funeral home.  Burial will be in Glendale Memorial Gardens in Pekin.Memorial contributions may be made to Pekin First Church of the Nazarene, 3514 East Broadway Road, Pekin, IL 61554 or to the American Heart Association, Memorial & Tributes Lockbox, 3816 Paysphere Circle, Chicago, IL 60674.