Dora Sue (Twitchel) Gibson, 89, of Swansea, Illinois, passed away on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
“Dody” was born June 24, 1936 in Kansas to George and Oma (Jeffries) Twitchel.
She attended Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kansas, graduating in 1954. After winning a national art contest, she turned down a college scholarship for her dream job as a designer for Hallmark cards.
Dody married Thomas J. Gibson on October 16, 1954, and they enjoyed 69 years of marriage before his passing in 2024. During their life together, the Gibsons raised three children and followed his career to Canada, Chicago, Indiana, and Southern Illinois. She continued her artwork and playing the guitar, supporting her family with talents including cooking and sewing. She wrote numerous articles for religious publications, poems, a song, cartoon series, and even a novel about the life of Joseph.
Dody was a member of the Kirkwood Church of Christ and spent many years teaching children’s and ladies’ Bible classes while supporting her husband in his work as an elder. She continued to teach others even at her retirement facility by handing out Bibles and church bulletins and designing bookmarks with Bible facts. Her favorite verse was 3 John 4.
Dody loved white wedding cake, Sudoku, shrimp, orange roses, chocolate cherries, fruitcake, kittens, Peeps, Star Trek, true crime TV shows, a good storm, a good pair of comfy pajamas, and a fancy coffee delivery by one of her “angels”, as she called her daughters.
Preceding her in death were her: parents, her husband, her sister Kay Rose, her grandson Daniel Snyder, and her son in law Jim Beasley.
Left to mourn her passing are her:
- Daughters Becky Juelfs (Mark) and Kelly Snyder (Damon),
- Daughter-in-law Rebecca Fitch of Florida,
- Sister Bonnie Holeman of Arkansas,
- Sisters in law Ruth (Rick) Coon of Arizona and Ann Gibson of Washington
- Brother-in-law David Rose (Carol) of Texas,
- Grandchildren: Kaitlyn and Grant Beasley, Nicholas and Amelia Snyder, Benjamin and Bryan Gibson, and Trevor and Craig Juelfs.
- Nieces, nephews, and cousins
- Her good friend Vanessa Peterson
- She is also survived by her son Barry (Andrea) Gibson of Florida
The family would like to give an amazing shout out to the staff at Family Hospice in Belleville and the CNAs at Cambridge House of Swansea.
Memorials: Memorials may be made to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Family Hospice.
Visitation: Visitation from 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., Thursday, April 2, 2026 at Kurrus Funeral Home in Belleville, IL.
Services: Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, April 2, 2026 at Kurrus Funeral Home with Chuck Bartlett officiating. Interment will follow at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, MO.
*A Video Live-Stream will be available at www.kurrusfh.com/live-stream
