MySource:Ktaustin2/Obituary of Frances Austin

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Frances Austin, 96, of Lexington, Ky., formerly of St. Louis, Mo., passed away at 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, at Northpoint Nursing Home in Lexington, Ky.

The Celebration of the Eucharist for Frances Austin will be held at noon Sunday, March 4, at St. Patrick Parish, 708 W. Main St., Urbana.

Frances was born Nov. 3, 1915, in St. Louis, Mo. She was the daughter of Margarette Mercille and Frances Vincent Glowczwski. She married Joseph Harold Austin Aug. 18, 1942, in St. Louis, Mo. He passed away in 1973.

She is survived by four sons, Joseph Austin and his wife, Jeannie, of Apex, N.C., Vincent Austin and his wife, Betty, of Lancaster, Ky., Thomas Austin and his wife, Valerie, of Urbana, and Michael Austin and his wife, Angela, of Saudi Arabia.

Fourteen grandchildren, Jennifer Austin of Pineville, N.C., Jeannette Selvaggi and her husband, Chris, of Cary, N.C., Judy Austin of Apex, N.C., Karen Gheno and her husband, Tony, of Brisbane, Calif., Ellen Austin of Pittsburgh, Pa., Kristine Austin and her husband, Mohsin Khan, of Northboro, Mass., Rebecca Wallendahl and her husband, Greg, of Beloit, Wis., Rachel Austin-Hickey and her husband, Brian, of Tallahassee, Fla., Kevin Austin and his wife, Heather, of Becker, Minn., Sean Austin of Virginia, Shauna Bohlmann and her husband, Matthew, of Decatur, Crystal Comer of Springfield and Nicholas and Natilie Poah Siew Ying of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, also survive.

Also surviving are 20 great-grandchildren, Marina, Fariha, Sulaimann, Esther, Jacob, Danielle, Quinn, Kennedy, Sophia, Anna Marie, Elly, Bruno, Giovanna, Jhade, Victoria, Luke, Evelynn, Alynna, Isaiah and CJ; and hundreds of nieces and nephews who dearly called her Aunt Frances.

Frances was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Harold; a baby daughter, Judy; six brothers, Leonard, Lawerence, Frank, Vincent, Leo and Walter; and six sisters, Elizabeth, Margarette, Ellen, Sylvia, Irene and Genevieve.

Frances was an avid reader, loved to crochet, do needlepoint, ceramics, and made quilts, dolls and baby blankets for all her children and grandchildren. Her mind was sharp and enjoyed beating all of us in Hearts.

When visiting in Illinois, she was an honorary member of the Rantoul Chapter of Red Hats called the "Social Butterflies."

Frances loved to travel and visit her family by plane, train and Greyhound. She told wonderful stories and everyone she met will remember her beautiful smile, bright blue eyes filled with excitement, and the love she had for us all.

Frances was a member of Mary, Queen Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Lexington, Ky., where she was a prayer warrior with 11 other ladies: "The Apostlets."

Wherever she traveled she found a Catholic Church to worship every Sunday. St. Patrick's was her church when visiting Urbana.

A memorial service is being planned for the family on May 5, 2012, in St. Louis, Mo.