Obituary

LaVerne S. Gamble Dumas
LaVerne S. Gamble Dumas Age 69, of Aurora, IL passed away on Saturday, June 26, 2010 after a courageous fight with cancer. She was born on November 27, 1940 in Memphis, TN to Olivia Branscomb and O.D. Crittenden. She graduated from Geeter High School and attended LeMoyne-Owen College both in Memphis, TN. She was married to Joseph N. Dumas and raised five children.

Mrs. Dumas proudly spent most of her time as a stay at home mother but worked at Dial Corporation and Carson Pirie Scott. She was a tutor in the Literacy Volunteers of Americaand the English as a Second Language programs. She also volunteered in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, the United Way along with other organizations that were near and dear to her heart.

Mrs. Dumas enjoyed genealogy and had researched her lineage back far enough to become an official member of the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War, 1861-1865. She loved being outside and spent many mornings walking around Mastodon Lake in Phillips Park in Aurora, IL. Mrs. Dumas was a compassionate woman who always found time to help friends, neighbors, family members and especially her children and grandchildren.

She is survived by her husband, Joseph N. Dumas, her five children; James V. Dumas, Reginald V. Dumas (Mary), Dustin Dumas Weeks, Joseph “Willie” Dumas Junior, and Annah Mitchell; her nine grandchildren, Demitrius Dumas, Thandeka Dumas, Joseph Dumas, Daniel Dumas, Toussaint Mitchell, Naambia Mitchell, Joshua Dumas, Taylor Weeks and Malachi Dumas; as well as many nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Olivia Branscomb and O.D. Crittenden and her brother Paul "B.B." Crittenden. She was laid to rest on July 7, 2010 at River Hills Memorial Park in Batavia, Illinois.