Grace Hamilton

Grace (Benedict) Delware Hamilton passed away on March 31, 2016 at Bickford Assisted Living in Crystal Lake, IL. Grace was born January 3, 1910 in Bristol, Wisconsin to Elizabeth Higgins Benedict and LeGrand Benedict. She grew up on an apple farm near Kenosha, Wisconsin.

In her 106 years, Grace lived through much history, including the influenza epidemic of 1918, when her mother was called to care for a relative. Young Grace and her sister took over the work at home. She campaigned with her mother and sister to gain the women’s right to vote. They went from farm to farm in a horse drawn carriage. Grace and her sister, Winifred would sing the suffrage song encouraging people to sign the petition. Living through the Great Depression was a vivid memory and caused her to always be creative in ways to reuse, rebuild, repurpose and recycle.

Grace attended Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin and completed her undergraduate work at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. She earned her graduate degree in education from Bowling Green University in Ohio. She also studied at McCormick Seminary in Chicago, University of Pittsburgh and Western Michigan University. She taught school in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

On June 7, 1930, Grace married Everett Delware, a Presbyterian pastor who went on to serve at churches in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and Ohio. Until his retirement, Grace worked at his side in such roles as Sunday school teacher, choir director and secretary. Rev. Delware passed away in 1983. One year later, at a Carroll College reunion, Grace met Harold Hamilton, a man she had dated in student days, and learned that he, too, was widowed and lonely after raising a family in a long happy marriage. The two rekindled their friendship and married in 1985. They were together until Harold died in 1996.

Grace led a rich, full and active life. Among her many talents and interests were playing the piano, singing, sewing clothing for herself and her children, creating quilts, gardening and canning the produce, genealogy, canoeing, swimming, bird watching and reading widely . She also wrote many short stories based on her own experiences. Grace looked upon retirement as an opportunity to try new things. She enrolled in woodworking classes, braided rugs and caned chairs. She also became an active volunteer in the community, visiting nursing homes regularly to lead the residents in singing and other activities. She was a member, often an officer, in the Retired Teachers Association, Eastern Star, League of Women Voters, American Association of University Women, the Audubon Society, and Daughters of the American Revolution Kishwaukee Trail Chapter of Crystal Lake. She tutored young men in jails as they acquired their GED. In her 90's, she tutored foreign students in English at McHenry County College.

A deep faith sustained Grace though her entire life. She was always active in church work and was most recently a member of the Ridgefield Crystal Lake Presbyterian Church.

Grace was preceded in death by two infant children, Charles Beals Delware and Mary Jo Delware and an adult daughter, Nancy Lee Delware. She is survived by daughter, Elizabeth Sangerloo (John) of Reno, NV, and son, John Everett Delware(Nancy) of Crystal Lake, IL . Also surviving are two grandchildren, Mark Edward Sangerloo of Los Angeles, CA and Amy Lynn Elder (Scott) of San Anselmo, CA and step-granddaughter Arianne Willard of Chicago, IL and one great-grandson, Drake Martin Elder, son of Amy and Scott Elder. Other survivors are step-children, Ann Moore (Jerry) of Indiana and Dave Hamilton of Minnesota and four step-grandchildren.

A service of remembrance will be held at a later date at Wesley Chapel in Bristol, Wisconsin.