Elizabeth Dawn Buening (24) of Mason

Elizabeth Dawn Buening, 24 of Mason, passed away on Wednesday, May 1, 2019.

Funeral services will be held at 6:00 p.m. Sunday, May 5 at Bauer Funeral Home in Effingham, with visitation being held from 3:00 p.m. to time of service. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, May 6 at St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Cemetery in Green Creek. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be given to her son, Reese.

Beth was born on March 15, 1995 in Effingham, the daughter of Larry Buening of Mason, Illinois and Dondi Clay of Memphis, Missouri. She grew up spending part of her time living with her mother in Memphis and the other part of her time living with her father in Mason. She also lived for a period of time in Oklahoma City. She attended Effingham High School. She was a loving mother to her son, Reese White. He was her whole world and the focus of her life. As a child she enjoyed camping, fishing, canoeing and mushroom hunting with her family. She was also one of the best at jumping rope at the Mason Civic Center. She was a beautiful girl and she had a natural skill with cosmetology for drawing out the beauty in herself and her friends. She was very interested in fashion and cosmetology and aspired to go back to school and become a cosmetologist. She loved to get dressed up to go out and have fun with friends. She had an enthusiasm for life and for her son, Reese and loved to hang out with her cousins and friends. 

Beth had a wonderful smile that would light up the room. She always showed compassion when people came to her with their problems. She had a great sense of humor, and her dad could always have her laughing at one of his jokes or quips. She always stood up and defended the people she cared for. She valued loyalty, her friendships, and her family. She tried her best to be strong and battled fiercely, even when the obstacles seemed insurmountable. She was loved dearly by her family and her many friends.

She is survived by her son, Reese White, father Larry Buening and mother Dondi (Tom) Clay, sisters and brothers: Sandi Buening, Kaili Weerts, Josh Blake, Daniel Davis, grandmothers, Jan Blake and Carolyn Blake and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. 

Beth was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents Albert and Pauline Buening, her maternal grandfather Bill Blake, a paternal uncle, Richard Buening and one cousin.