Winifred E. Batson

SPRING GREEN - Winifred Elsie Batson of Spring Green passed away on September 26, 2012. She grew up in Oak Park, IL and spent parts of her summer at a beloved family retreat in Antioch, IL. Winifred had fond memories of swimming and spending time with her large extended family clan. She was fearsome on the tennis court in her youth. She was a lover of words and books from an early age, a writer and teacher. She wanted to make a difference in the world like her heroine, Jane Adams of Hull House in Chicago. She graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in sociology and throughout her life worked for peace and a better more just world. She fell in love with Fred Batson shortly after her graduation from college and his return from serving in the Second World War. After the birth of their first child they moved to Kansas City, MO and years later back to IL. Winifred and Fred traveled the world together from Laos to Europe. In 1987 she and her husband Fred moved to Spring Green from Evanston, IL where they owned The Green Earth, a natural food store. Winifred fondly remembered the marvelous groups of readers that she worked with in Junior Great Books at the River Valley Middle School. She was a board member and president of Friends of the Library and the inspiration that launched the Spring Green Literary Festival in 1998. She was an active member of two book groups in the Valley. She had three wonderful children and six grandchildren and basked in their love all her life. She is survived by her daughter Wendy Batson and husband Robert Eaton and their four children, Jonah, Jeremy, Katherine and Zachary. Daughter Jeremy Batson. Daughter-in-law Martine Batson and her two children, Zoe and Tate. Her brother Richard Eser and his wife Peggy and her nieces Pam and Lynn. She was preceded in death by her husband Fred Arnold Batson and her son Scott Batson. A memorial service celebrating Winifred’s life will be held at Unity Chapel on County highway T on Saturday Oct. 6 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. In-lieu of flowers memorials may be made to American Friends Service Committee, Southern Poverty Law Center or the Spring Green Library.