Emma Mae "Mickey" King

Emma Mae “Mickey” King age 98 of Reddick entered new life on Tuesday, March 4, 2024, at Courtyard Estates in Herscher. She was born on the family homestead in rural Buckingham to Thomas and Estella (Cart) Crawford on November 27, 1925. Mickey married Francis Dale King on May 1, 1948, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Cabery. They lived the greater share of their life on the King Centennial farm. Dale preceded Mickey in death on March 23, 1987. Mickey was a homemaker. Following her graduation from nursing school she worked in the Pediatrics Department until the birth of her first child in1952. She returned to her profession in 1972 working at Heritage Village as a charge nurse until her retirement in 1999. She graduated from Herscher High School, St. Mary’s School of Nursing, and St. Francis University. Mickey was a member of the St. Mary’s Nursing Alumni Association Catholic Nurses’ Association, Herscher Historical Society, a former member of the Essex Norton Home Bureau, and a Master Gardener. Mickey loved to tend to her strawberry bed, vegetable, and flowers gardens. She was an avid reader and enjoyed the adventure of traveling around the world. She worked with youth in her younger years as a Cub Scout Den Leader, Camp nurse at 4H Camp Shaw-Waw-Nas-See, First Aider for a Junior Girl Scout Troup, and participated in the Earl reading program (Experienced Adult Readers Listen) at Reddick Grade School. Mickey was a parishioner of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Reddick and served as a CCD teacher while a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Cabery. Surviving is one son, Joseph King of Reddick; two daughters and one son-in-law, Jane and Larry Houberg of Reddick and Patricia Reed of Washington; four grandchildren, Joshua (Hillary) Houberg, Sara Jane (Mike) Jacobs, Luke (Sarah) Houberg, and Megan (Kurt) Davis; ten great grandchildren, Ezekiel Houberg, Fabienne Houberg, Noah Jacobs, Aileen Houberg, Jack Jacobs, Jemison Houberg, Brooks Houberg, Atticus Houberg, Wake Davis and Brodie Davis; one sister-in-law, Inez Crawford. Mickey is preceded in death by her husband, Dale; her parents; one daughter, Kathryn King; one brother, Thomas Crawford; two sisters, Myrtle Saffer and Alice Buckley; and one son-in-law, Ira Reed. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, at Clancy-Gernon Funeral Home, Bourbonnais. A funeral mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Reddick. Interment will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Kankakee. Memorials may be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Reddick, United Hospice, or a charity of the donor’s choice.

Emma Mae "Mickey" King

November 27, 1925 - March 4, 2024