Anna Louise Whittridge

WHITTRIDGE, Anna (Ann) Louise Whittridge, age 96, of Bloomington, IN, died on January 10, 2023.

Ann approached each day with enthusiasm, and gratitude. She cherished her family and was a dear friend to many. Ann was born on November 7, 1926, in Elkhart, IN, to Louisa Weber McDowell and William Peter McDowell. Ann grew up on the beautiful Maple Lane family farm. She graduated from Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN

While at Purdue, Ann met Elbridge (Skip) Whitlatch, an electrical engineering major from Lexington, IN. Following her graduation in 1948, the couple married and moved to Dayton, OH.

Ann launched her career as a home economist with the Dairy Council of Dayton. She then joined Dayton Power & Light Company (DP&L), instructing homemakers on the use of major appliances. After her two sons were born, Ann left DP&L. She supported her sons through their activities at Oakwood High School, including sports teams and band. Following Skip’s death in 1970, Ann returned to DP&L. She educated the public, managed the executive dining room, and starred in the company-sponsored Saturday morning cooking show on a local Dayton television station. She met her second husband, Dale Whittridge, of Dayton, at DP&L. They married in 1975. Dale passed away in 1994.

Ann had a passion for Minnesota’s Gladstone Lake. Upon retiring from DP&L in 1988, she lived each summer at the family’s second home on the lake into her early 90s. Friends and family regularly visited during her annual four-month-long stay at her cottage. Ann moved to Bloomington in 2006 to be nearer to family, Ann was especially devoted to her grandchildren. She cheered them on during their athletic events and applauded their musical theater performances.

Ann supported many philanthropic causes. She served as a member and officer in organizations and clubs, including the National T.T.T. Society, P.E.O., Sorosis Club, and Dayton Home Economists Club. As a member of Christ United Methodist Church in Dayton and First United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Ann participated in Women’s Circles and church events.

Ann loved reading, attending theater, movies, and travel. Proud of her Swiss heritage, Ann and her mother travelled to Switzerland to meet their cousins in 1968. She was a talented cook and baker. Ann employed her expert sewing skills to alter and tailor clothing for family and friends and professionally at the Carriage Trade Bridal Shop in Dayton. She volunteered at the Arboretum in Dayton, in the gift shop at Bloomington Hospital and at the reception desk at Cook Hall, the home of IU Basketball. She took long walks for fitness. At age 90, Ann was featured in a cover article in Indiana University Health magazine as a stellar example of healthy aging.

In addition to her husbands, Ann was predeceased by her sister, Susan Enfield of Elkhart, IN, a stepson Steve Whittridge, and Milton Stamper who was a dear friend at Meadowood.

Ann is survived by: her sons William Whitlatch (Mary Gilbert) of Charlotte, NC, and James Whitlatch (Ann) of Bloomington; grandchildren Elizabeth Gentry (Nathan) of Bloomington, Ben Whitlatch (Claire) of San Francisco, CA, and Lauren Whitlatch (fiancé Michael Bower); great-granddaughter Lillian Gentry; brother-in-law Raymond Enfield of Elkhart; niece Laura Enfield of San Francisco, CA; nephew David Enfield (Michelle) of Elkhart; nephew Keith (Linda) Whitlatch of Sellersburg, IN; nephew Carl (Janet) Whitlatch of Jeffersonville, IN; niece Carol (Larry) Peters of Dallas, TX; and, stepsons Rick and Tom Whittridge.

The family thanks Ann’s wonderful caretakers Shirley Dever, Beverly McArtor, Leah Steinmetz, Cori McNew, Stephanie Scanlon, and the staff of Meadowood and Bell Trace Retirement communities.

Funeral arrangements will be handled by Powell & Deckard, The Funeral Chapel in Bloomington, and Routsong Funeral Home in Dayton. There will be a service for family only in Bloomington, and a graveside service for family in Dayton.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations in Ann’s memory to preserve and protect Gladstone Lake near Nisswa, MN. Contributions can be made to: Webster Gladstone Foundation, PO Box 910, Bloomington, IN 47402.