Doloros Maxine "Dee" Appleton Epping, age 88 of O'Fallon, Illinois, born December 27, 1929 in Seward County, Nebraska, was called into our Heavenly Father's paradise on December 24, 2018 under the care of her loving family and hospice.

Dee grew up during the Great Depression and her family moved many times throughout Nebraska and North Dakota.  She spent her high school years in Superior, Nebraska and graduated from Superior H.S. Class of 1947.  She was asked to teach in a rural school, so she attended Kearney State Teacher's College and received enough credits to take and pass the teachers examination.  She spent the next few years teaching in a one room rural school with six children.  Her Father taught her how to stoke the pot belly stove and draw water from the well to fill the crockery water cooler in the classroom.  During one of the summer breaks she managed a local ice cream store and reconnected with her high school "heart throb" Richard "Dick" Elliot who she married in 1950.  Dee and Dick returned to Champaign, Illinois where Dick was attending college at the University of Illinois.  The marriage ended in 1952, and Dee went to work for the Champaign County Superintendent of Schools located in the county Courthouse.  Dee and several girlfriends, who also worked in the Courthouse, traveled to Chicago on the train to shop, and joined various charitable and service organizations.   The one they enjoyed the most was the Girl's Service Organization where they traveled by chaperoned bus on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons to the nearby Chanute Air Force Base's large USO to dance to big band music with the enlisted men on base.  One by one, the "Courthouse girls" met the man of their dreams and Dee was no exception.  She met Thomas E. Appleton and several months later on May 21, 1955 they were married in Champaign.  Tom was quickly sent on a remote assignment to Morocco and Turkey, so the next 18 months they spent apart with Dee remaining in Champaign.  Once Tom returned, they were off to his next assignment in Maine, and Dee returned to teaching Kindergarten at the base school.  While stationed in Maine, they welcomed daughter Jane Emily, and Tom surprised Dee at the hospital with orders for France.  Tom went ahead and the family joined as soon as Jane was old enough to travel.  The next 3 years were spent between France and Germany and the family returned to the United States stationed at Scott AFB and took up residence in O'Fallon in 1962.   Richey Smiley approached Dee about being a Realtor and the Real Estate passion began when Jane started school.  During her Real Estate career, Dee worked at several agencies and was awarded many honors including The Illinois State Association of Realtors 1 ^st Sales Person in the Belleville Area Association of Realtors to sell 3 million dollars of real estate in the year of 1973.  1981 brought the biggest joy to Dee's life, the birth of her granddaughter Elizabeth Anne.  Elizabeth often accompanied Dee during her real estate dealings, and they always enjoyed being together. Tom died December of 1985 and Dee continued her successful Real Estate career, but most of all, spent more time doing her new favorite thing – being Grams.  In 1996, Ed Epping stopped by one day to visit his old friend Dee, whom he had worked with at Smiley Homes, and a new chapter in Dee's life began.  Ed and Dee were married in 1997, after an old-fashioned courtship and Ed selling his home in Naples, Florida.  They resided in O'Fallon and enjoyed 11 years of happiness and joy, often wintering in Naples, Florida.  Among the many organizations and memberships to which Dee was devoted to, were PEO Chapter NR, O'Fallon Woman's Club, Inc., and O'Fallon First United Methodist Church.  Dee was also instrumental in the establishment of the O'Fallon Veterans' Monument, serving on the original committee.  Professionally, she was a former member of Belleville Area Association of Realtors, as well as, state and national associations.  Dee was a joy to be around and a positive light to so many.  Some of her dearest friends were her "Friday Night Supper Club" friends Peg and Claude Barrow, and Jo and Jack Smith.

She was preceded in death by husbands Dick Elliot, Thomas Appleton and Edward Epping, her parents John and Anna, nee Moravec, Vrana, brothers Donald Vrana, Linsfred (Nancy) Vrana, John Vrana, and sister Ruth (Elmer) Giger.

She is survived by her daughter Jane (Kevin) Jung of Shiloh, Illinois, granddaughter Elizabeth (Kevin) Krish of Gilbert, Arizona, great-grandson Brody Jax Krish, brother Theodore (Muffy) Vrana of Omaha, Nebraska, sister-in-law Norma Vrana of Peoria, Arizona, and special friend and caregiver Rhonda (Marty) Coleman of New Baden, Illinois.  She also leaves behind many friends at The Colonnade and dear friends still in O'Fallon.  Dee will be deeply missed and will forever be thought of in the most loving light with a smile.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are requested to First United Methodist Church of O'Fallon or the O'Fallon Veterans' Monument.

Visitation: Friends may call 4 – 8 p.m., Sunday, January 27, 2019 at Wolfersberger Funeral Home.

Memorial Service: 10 a.m. Monday, January 28, 2019 at First United Methodist Church, O'Fallon, with Reverend Don Long and Reverend Becky Williams officiating.  Burial will follow at O'Fallon City Cemetery, O'Fallon, Illinois.