Mary Grace Watson Miles

Mary Grace Watson Miles, age 92, of Mount Carroll, died Tuesday, July 5, 2005 at Big Meadows Nursing Home in Savanna where she had resided for the past seven years. She was born Aug. 27, 1912, in Chicago, the daughter of Silas and Mary (Kavanaugh) Reynolds. After the death of her father in 1918, she and her brother, Silas Reynolds III, lived with their aunt and uncle, Grace and John Squires in Mount Carroll until 1924 when she and her brother moved to Aurora to join her mother and stepfather, Gideon Crego. She married Thomas A. Watson on December 12, 1936, in the Squires home in Mount Carroll. He died April 4, 1962. She later married Nathaniel (Bud) Miles on September 22, 1979. He died April 7, 2002. She was a graduate of Aurora West High School and Frances Shimer College in Mount Carroll. Prior to her marriage to Thomas Watson, she worked for several years at Kable Brothers Printing Co. in Mount Morris. She and her first husband were former owners and editors of the Mirror-Democrat. Upon her husband’s death in 1962, she continued to operate the Mirror-Democrat until selling it in 1964. She then worked for a number of years at Shimer College in several capacities, including secretary to the president. She later worked at the Leemon Law Office until her retirement in 1979. She was a former member of the First Baptist Church in Mount Carroll were she taught Sunday school. She also was a former member of the GA Chapter of PEO and was active in many civic and community events in Mount Carroll including serving as a Girl Scout leader and a Cub Scout den mother. Survivors include two sons, Thomas (Linda) Watson of Denver, Colo., and Robert (Paula) Watson of Mount Carroll; two granddaughters, Abby (Jeff) Munn of Denver, Colo., and Sally Watson of Boston, Mass.; one grandson, Thomas R. Watson of Mount Carroll; one brother, John (Jean) Reynolds of Daytona Beach, Fla.; three nieces and five nephews; two step-daughters, Barbara Skean of Princeton, IL and Betty (Eric) Mueller of Winnebago, IL; and seven step-grandchildren. In addition to her two husbands, she was preceded in death by her parents, stepfather, two brothers, Silas Reynolds III and James “Bud” Reynolds, and a stepson Richard Miles. Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 10, 2005 at Frank-Law-Jones Funeral Home in Mount Carroll with Pastor Bob Ziebarth of the First Baptist Church officiating. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery in Mount Carroll. Visitation will be 1:00 to 2:30 Sunday, July 10, 2005 at the funeral home in Mount Carroll, prior to the service. A memorial fund has been established for the Alzheimer’s Association.