Mary Spehr Dredge, 73, of Galesburg, died at 4:40 a.m. Sunday, October 6, 2024, in the emergency room of OSF St. Mary Medical Center.
She was born January 4, 1951, Hammond, IN, the daughter of Richard John Spehr and Mary Joyce (Grissom) Spehr.
Mary grew up in the Milwaukee, WI area and considered Wisconsin her “roots”. She married John E. Dredge in Galesburg on August 25, 1973. They shared 51 years of marriage.
Mary is survived by her husband, John, her sons Matthew (Jamie) Dredge of Mill Valley, CA and Richard (Marilyn) Dredge of St. Louis, MO. Her grandchildren are Ian, Evan, Maxwell, and Mia.
Mary and John raised their family in Galesburg, relocating to Atlanta, GA in 1997. Recently, they returned to Galesburg to live in the house John’s family built at Soangetaha Country Club. Mary had an artistic talent and was driven to create floral arrangements, interior designs, and hand-crafted decorative boxes and sheep. Cooking was a special expressive area, always adding flourishes to recipes and entertainment opportunities. Mary loved to absorb information and was a lifelong learner. She was particularly interested in Genealogy and the British Royal family, and was especially tickled when those two crossed paths. She was a doting grandmother who delighted in providing homemade applesauce, pumpkin bread, and her special caramel and hot fudge ice cream toppings for her grandchildren (and so did they!).
She will be missed by those who knew her.
Cremation will be accorded. A celebration of her life will be held at the family home, 159 Seminole Drive, from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, October 9, 2024. Memorial contributions in her name may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice. Hinchliff-Pearson-West Funeral and Cremation Services is honored to assist the family with cremation arrangements. Online condolences and memories may be shared at www.h-p-w.com.
