Thelma Montzell Dilworth

Indianapolis - Thelma Montzell “Nana” Dilworth, 98, entered the gates of Heaven to collect her jackpot on Friday, March 29, 2024. She was born on June 2, 1925 in Indianapolis to the late William and Martha Renner.

Thelma met the love of her life, Lawrence “Pete” Dilworth, at Riverside Park in Indianapolis, IN while he was stationed at Fort Benjamin Harrison. She married him two weeks later on October 6, 1944 in New Jersey. They later moved back to Indianapolis where they built a family and a home from the ground up.

Pete often referred to Thelma as “The Boss” because she always had the final say. The two would have been married 69 years the year Pete passed away in 2013. Their family grew tremendously through the years and her kids and grand, great and great-great grandchildren were the other loves of her life. She enjoyed attending their sporting and school programs and events through the years.

Thelma devoted her life to her family and had the most caring, tender and generous heart. She was loved and befriended by anyone that she met. She worked for and retired from Kmart Stores in the late 1980s. Prior to that, she worked at Kresge’s downtown Indianapolis and RCA. She loved playing bingo, playing slot machines at the casinos, donating to various charities, sending in her Publishers Clearinghouse entries faithfully since 1988 and always dreamed of them knocking on her door with the big winning check.

She especially enjoyed long weekend trips to the casino where she would sometimes stay up for over 24 hours playing the slots. This was when she was well into her 90s. She actually fell and broke her hip walking into the casino in October of 2022. The nurses at the local hospital nicknamed her “casino nana” during her stay.

Thelma was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Lawrence “Pete” Dilworth; parents, William Oscar and Martha Jane Renner; sister, Lula Renner; brothers: Arlie Renner, Charlie Renner, Bill Renner, Thurman Renner, Sterling Renner and Ernest Renner; daughter-in-law: Lynne Dilworth; son-in-law, Denny Wray; and grandson-in-law, David Alexander.

She is survived by her son, William Dilworth and his wife, Diana; daughters, Patricia (Kraft) Dilworth and Janet Wray; grandchildren: Julie Alexander; Lawrence Kraft; Laurie (Robert) Spears, Amanda (Donald) Ward; Pam (Mike) Blackburn; Bryan (Susan) McIntosh; Jamie (Mike) McIntosh; Charity (Ojivo) Ibrahim; Danielle Wray; Nicole Wray; and Sara Glover; 29 great grandchildren; 20 great - great grandchildren; 1 great-great-great grandchild; and many other loving family members and dear friends.

Thelma’s family requests that memorial contributions be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, an organization she supported faithfully every month.

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