Frances M. Pennington

May 28, 1925 - April 28, 2014

Frances M. Pennington passed away Monday, April 28 at the age of 88 with her family at her side. She was born May 28, 1925 to Lucia and Harry Wintermute in Grandview, Missouri. She was preceded in death by her husband, Neil L. Pennington. Frances and Neil met when he was in officer training school at Warrensburg Teachers College in Missouri, he won her heart when the entire battalion serenaded her on many occasions, and they married on November 23, 1945. They moved to Washington, D.C. in 1949 where Frances worked in the Washington office of Caltex Oil Company. While living in our nation’s capital, she and her mother were guests of President Harry Truman, a boyhood friend of her fathers, at the White House. In 1954, they moved to Vallejo, California, when Neil began his career at C&H Sugar Company. Her daughters, Catherine and Christine, were born in Vallejo in 1954 and 1958 respectively. Frances was active in such organizations as PTA, Meals on Wheels, Blue Rock Springs Women’s Golf Association, and was a 50-year plus member of the PEO sisterhood. She loved to read, travel, cook, and took up painting in her sixties. She was also an active member of the Community Presbyterian Church. Frances treasured her many friends in Vallejo and in the Sutter Health Community. Family was her first priority. “Mimi” doted on her grandsons, Harrison, age 24, and Ryan, age 20. She and Neil devoted their time to help raise and care for them during their early years and continued as a significant influence in their lives. She is survived by her daughters, her son-in-law H. Harrison McUmber, her wonderful grandsons, Harrison and Ryan, and her sister Maxine. As requested by Frances, memorial donations may be made to the PEO Chapter ON Scholarship Fund, 300 Brunswick Drive, Vallejo, CA 94591 or the American Heart Association. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 14, 2014, 1:00 p.m., at Community Presbyterian Church, 2800 Georgia Street, Vallejo.