Born June 18, 1926 in Clinton, Indiana to Glen and Charlotte (Reese) Kite, she married Robert E. “Croak” Gardner on October 1, 1946 in Pekin. He died April 19, 2006 in Pekin. She also was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Billy Warren Kite and Bobby Kite and one sister, Elizabeth Ranney.
Surviving are two sons, Michael (Kim Maquet) Gardner of Pekin and Reese (Lois) Gardner of Canyon Lake, Texas; one daughter, Charlotte Gardner of Pekin; nine grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren, with one due in November. She also leaves her sister, Jouetta Miller; a brother-in-law, Dale Ranney; her sister-in-law, Toni Gardner and several nieces and nephews.
Doris loved playing Bingo, scratching lottery tickets, the Game Show channel, but mostly her family! A special thank you to her niece, Tralieta (Sis) Ranney for helping her for the past couple years and for the love and compassion of the hospice nurses of Compassus and to Dustin who kept her personal needs done.
Her funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday, September 12, 2022 at Preston-Hanley Funeral Homes & Crematory in Pekin. Visitation will be one hour before the funeral. Burial will be in Lakeside Cemetery in Pekin.
Memorial contributions may be made to Tazewell Animal Protective Society, 100 Taps Lane, Pekin, IL 61554.
To express condolences online, visit www.preston-hanley.com
