Dwyn Louise (Hegarty) Belden-Whitmill was born on October 23, 1933 to Charlotte Esther (Graves) and Ernest William Hegarty in Atchison, Kansas.  She was the youngest daughter of seven children. She died on March 9, 2023 after a brief illness.

Dwyn graduated in 1952 from Mount St. Scholastica Academy in Atchison and worked as a secretary at Blish Mize Sillman Hardware for four years until she wed Daniel C. Belden, Jr. on June 12, 1956 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Atchison.

Dan and Dwyn adopted four children between 1962 to 1970 and settled in Leavenworth, Kansas to raise their family, where Dwyn was a homemaker and Dan was a Funeral Director for Sumpter Funeral Chapel.  Dan and Dwyn owned and operated Belden-Sexton-Sumpter Funeral Chapels until it was sold shortly before his death.  Dwyn sometimes worked at the funeral home helping with visitations on evenings and weekends.

Dwyn was an active member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and volunteered  for the church as well as St. John Hospital, serving  in various  positions, committees, boards and fundraisers. She was named Volunteer of the Year at St. John Hospital in 1988.

After Dan's death in November 1991, Dwyn went to work at Twin Oaks Retirement Community as a catering assistant, and then in the front office and driving the van for the residents. She loved working with her coworkers, the residents, planning activities, playing the harmonica and piano, singing and dancing.  Twin Oaks is where she met her second husband, James Emmanuel Whitmill.  Dwyn and Jim were married on November 8, 1997. They lived in Lansing, Kansas until his death in April 2011.  Dwyn retired from Twin Oaks in 2012.

Dwyn was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in July 2014.  She sold her home in Lansing and moved to Texas to live with her daughter, Patricia and her family.  In Texas, she enjoyed attending The Gathering Place at several churches, which provided fellowship, crafts, music, Bingo and lunch. She loved to send and receive letters from friends and family.  And she loved Russell Stover chocolates, referring to Russell as "my boyfriend".  Every day at 5:00  p.m. sharp, she would listen to music and have a "toddy" consisting of Bourbon and 7-up, because "It's 5 o'clock somewhere!" Dwyn lived with her daughter and family until September 2017, when she fell and broke her hip.  Dwyn then moved to Tomball Rehab and Nursing where she resided until her death on March 9, 2023 after developing pneumonia.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Charlotte and Ernest Hegarty; both husbands, Daniel Belden, Jr. and James Whitmill; her siblings, Ruth Young, Bill Hegarty, Mary Margaret "Peggy" Mason, Bob Hegarty, Ernest "Jr." Hegarty and Charlotte Cecelia "C.C." Giles.  She is survived by her children, Patricia Rice and husband Michael of Texas, Paul Belden of New York, Phillip Belden of Kansas, Mary "Peggy" Smith and husband Mark of Michigan, daughter-in-law Sammie Dresser of Virginia; Grandchildren, Nate Lukas and wife LIndsey, Cory Raney and wife Chrissy, Jessica Belden, Danielle Rice Lewis and husband Nickomar and Matthew Rice;  Great-grandchildren, Caylee, Autumn, Daniel, Silas, Sean and Baby Boy Gabriel on the way.  She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews, and several sisters-in-law.

Funeral Arrangements are in the care of Klein Funeral Home of Tomball Texas and Belden-Larkin Funeral Home in Leavenworth, Kansas.  Visitation will be on Friday, March 24th from 5-7 pm at Belden-Larkin Funeral Home.  Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 25 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Leavenworth.  Burial will be at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Leavenworth, Kansas.  The family suggests memorials to either Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Leavenworth, The Alzheimer's Association ( https://act.alz.org )  or Klein United Methodist Church Gathering Place in Spring, Texas.