Dorothy Shilling

Dorothy Shilling, age 90, of Elm Mott, passed away in the early morning hours of Tuesday, January 15, 2013, at the West Rest Haven in West. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:00 a.m. Saturday at St. Martin's Catholic Church in Tours with Msgr. Isidore Rozycki as celebrant. Private Burial will follow at St. Martin's Cemetery. The family will receive visitors from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday at the Funeral Home. Dorothy was born in rural Tours, Texas, on July 16, 1922, to Louis and Mary (Olsovsky) Uptmore. She grew up on a cotton farm along with three brothers and four sisters, attended St. Martin's School in Tours, and graduated from West High School. She attended Providence School of Nursing for one year before marrying Ernest Chudej. Together they had three children, William Allen Chudej, Robert Eugene Chudej, and Elizabeth Ann Chudej Hasting. Six years after Ernest's death at age 46, Dorothy married George Shilling who also preceded her in death at age 92. Dorothy enjoyed sewing and worked as a seamstress for several years with local manufacturing companies. She was very good at putting in zippers. After retirement she continued sewing at home for nieces, nephews, grandkids, and sisters. She was an expert at making stuffed animals. She spent much of her free time outside. She enjoyed gardening, collecting miniature collectible shoes, and walking her dog in the fields behind her house. All of Dorothy's relatives and friends loved her great homemade noodle soup, canned pickles and wonderful sense of humor. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husbands; a son, William A. Chudej; a sister, Lillian; brothers, Louis Uptmore, Jr. and Clement Uptmore; a sister-in-law, Lora Mae Uptmore; and brother-in-law, Edward Lednicky. Survivors include a son, Robert Chudej and wife Linda; a daughter, Elizabeth Chudej Hastings; a brother, Andrew and wife Christine; sisters, Bernice and husband Johnny Soukup, Catherine Lednicky, and Margaret Lesinski and husband John; granddaughters, Laura Chudej Zylstra and husband Carl, Kelly Chudej Noe and husband Randall, and Heather Gardea; great granddaughters, Rebeccah Zylstra and Alexandria Noe; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Pallbearers will be her family. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Martin's Cemetery Association.