Mary Kay Sumner, 75, of Mt. Vernon, passed away at 2:10 a.m., Sunday, August 20, 2023, at Mt. Vernon Countryside Manor.
Mary was born on September 9, 1947, in Mt. Vernon, IL, the youngest of 10 children born to Joe Vincent and Minnie Madeline (Whitsell) Rector. She and many of her siblings were delivered by the neighbor and Minnie would deliver the neighbor’s babies. She attended Little Grove Grade School, a 1 room schoolhouse, and graduated from Woodlawn Grade School and Woodlawn High School. She married Larry Sumner on December 7, 1968. She worked at Happy Time Day Care where she cared for and rocked hundreds of babies over the course of 19 years. She was a kind, loving Christian woman and a member of New Hope “Webb” Missionary Baptist Church. Mary loved to travel and rode all over the country on a Gold Wing motorcycle with her husband.
Mary is survived by two daughters, Lisa Caldwell (fiancé James Hawkins) of Beulah, Colorado, and Kim Robinson (husband Bobby) of Thompsonville, Illinois; three grandchildren, Wyatt “Bubba” Tindall (wife Emma) of Coronado, California, Kacy Tindall (partner Tyler Ramsey) of Chester, IL, and Ryleigh Bates of Springfield, Illinois; four step-grandchildren – Bobby Jr., Brayden, Bridget, and Bailey; three great-grandchildren, Allison Tindall and her baby brother or sister due in 2024, and Juliette Ramsey due August 30th; three siblings, JoAlice Walker of Dix, Illinois, Paul Norman Rector (wife Linda) of Kell, Illinois, and Shirley Huff (husband Larry) of Elkville, Illinois.
In addition to her husband, Mary was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Wilford Rector and Donald Rector, and sisters Thelma Rector, Roberta Gaskins, Carol Maller, and Wilma Larson.
Funeral services for Mrs. Sumner will be held at 1:00 p.m., Sunday, August 27, 2023, at Osborn Funeral Home in Dix, with Rev. Alan Smith and Rev. Aaron Trotter officiating. Burial will follow at Harmony Cemetery. Visitation will be held Saturday, August 26, 2023, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at the funeral home. Memorial gifts may be made to the New Hope “Webb” Missionary Baptist Church and will be accepted at the service, or by mail to Osborn Funeral Home, P.O. Box 130, Dix, Illinois 62830. Online condolences may be made at www.osbornfuneral.com, or on the Osborn Funeral Home Facebook page.
