Obituary

Obituary
Kency Ethel Viola Dixon 82,of Belvidere, went to be with Jesus on October 31, 2018, after a long illness. She was born in Berga, Sweden on November 17, 1935 to Engelbert and Ebba (Sandell) Peterson. Kency married John H. Dixon on October 11, 1958. Kency was so thankful to her husband for his loving care over the past years. She will be missed. Kency came from Sweden at the age of 21 with a smile and a Swedish pancake recipe. She came at a difficult time, as John"s first wife had passed away from the flu, leaving him with four young boys under the age of five. John answered Kency"s ad in the newspaper requesting employment for housekeeping and caring for children. Mom took care of all of us. Three things we will especially miss and are grateful for was her smile. Mom taught us to bake Swedish bread, bullar, and cookies that made the kitchen smell wonderful. Lastly, Mom gave each one of us a deep love for different cultures and people who needed help in various ways. It is a wonderful thing to see differences as opportunities. We grew up in an Italian-Swedish home and as diverse as those two cultures are, we are grateful. Thank you again Dad for all your care for that Swedish girl with a smile and a recipe. Kency was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Belvidere and volunteered for Swedish American Hospital from February 1979 to December 1993. She was also a volunteer at Fairhaven Christian Home coffee shop. Survivors include her devoted husband, John of sixty years; sons, John (Cindy) Dixon, Jim (Joyce) Dixon, Lee (Joan) Dixon, and Paul (Lois) Dixon; daughters, Jeanne (Mark) Anderson and Jill (Brian) Gunnink; two nephews, Brad (Martha) Martin and Michael (Hanan) Martin; 25 precious grandchildren; and 29 precious great-grandchildren with one coming in December. Special thanks to Fairhaven Christian Retirement Home and Heartland Hospice. Services will be held at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, November 7, 2018 in Fred C. Olson Chapel, 1001 2nd Ave., Rockford, IL 61104. Visitation will be prior to the service at 9:30 a.m. Burial in Scandinavian Cemetery.