Dorothy L. Allan
August 7, 1921 ~ December 28, 2011
Dorothy L. Allan, 90, of Anamosa, formerly of Marion, died peacefully at home on December 28, 2011, just down the road from where she was born. Graveside Services: 1 p.m. Saturday, December 31, 2011, at Green Center Cemetery, rural Morley. Visitation: 10 a.m. ' 12 noon Saturday at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Marion. Survivors include her son, Rex (Debbie) Allan of Montrose, Colorado; her daughters, Bonnie Allan of Marion, and Lynda (Bruce) Ary of Anamosa; grandchildren, Amber Allan, Ryan (Dani) Allan, and Eric Allan; step grandchildren, Kristin (Zach) Tharp and David Eichstadt; and her great grandpets, Highland Spirit and Buddy. Dorothy was born August 7, 1921, in Jones County, the daughter of Rolly Ray and Bessie Marie (Hotz) Duncan. She graduated from Morley High School in 1939, and then was a nanny for many families in Jones County. During World War II, she worked at Fruehauf Trailer Company, where she met her future husband, Melvin Allan. They married on July 24, 1948, in Memphis, Missouri. Dorothy helped the WWII effort by donating her 1932 Chevy in the call for metal and giving up her job to a soldier returning home. She then became a cook at Fruehauf's for the night shift, and became an excellent cook. She and Melvin made their home in Marion for 48 years until they lost their home in the flood of 2002. Dorothy was a great homemaker and enjoyed taking care of her family. She remained a feisty redhead to the very end and will be greatly missed. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Melvin; and a brother, Lawrence Duncan, and a nephew, Vandy Duncan. In honor of their compassionate care, please direct memorials to Hospice of Mercy.
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Dorothy was a first cousin of my dad’s (Roscoe Duncan). I enjoyed keeping in contact with her as a connection to the Duncan family. I admired her beautiful handwriting and her ability to write lovely letters all of her life. I have saved them all. I appreciate all of the genealogy work she did on the Duncan family. My deepest sympathy to the family.
I remember sharing our Geneology best, with our family ties. Dorothy was always on the spot to make sure that we got it right! She was truly the bond that brought our extended family together. Dorothy will always be remembered as a dear heart! She will be greatly missed.
In memory of a dear friend and a great historian, as part of our family heritage. She honored it by her faithful presence at all of our family reunions. She is loved and greatly missed.
Rex, Bonnie and Lynda:
Mom and I were very saddened to hear of your mother’s passing. I asked Mom if she had any memories that she would like to share with you and this is what she remembered most about your mother:
“Rolly, Dorothy’s father, was the only one in the family that had black hair, everyone else had red hair, but he was the only one that had a red-headed child. Nobody else had red-headed kids, although, some had red-headed grandchildren.
Dorothy was always barefooted, but my dad wouldn’t let us kids go barefoot. I was always envious of her being able to go without shoe so when you (Dixie) were born, you were allowed to run barefoot through the yard.
When her folks lived down on the Duncan place she used to walk to Anamosa every day. Sometimes she would spend the night with us in town and sometimes she would walk back home. She was never ever afraid of anything when she was young. She used to do a lot of walking.
Dorothy had an old bicycle that had a flat tire. The inner tube was out of the tire which prompted her and Zella battle in a fun game of tug of war. She was stronger than Zella and pulled the inner tube with a quick jerk, the stem on the inner tube hit Dorothy in the mouth and knocked out a front tooth.
There was a wild blackberry patch on the Duncan farm and she used to pick the berries and sell them for 10 cents a quart. She picked a lot of berries to sell.
Uncle Rolly and Aunt Bessie used to play the violin and piano for local barn or house dances. According to my folks, Uncle Rolly had the car rigged up so that he could put her piano on the running board and off they went leaving Lawrence and Dorothy to come stay with us for the evening. We always had a good time when they were there and never got into any trouble. We got along great, I don’t think we ever had a disagreement or a word as long as we knew each other – that would be over 88 years.
It was so cold in the wintertime back home and our goldfish bowl froze. Dorothy thawed the water in the bowl and rubbed the goldfish until it came back around and started swimming again. She liked animals. She had a dog named, FiFi (FyeFye- not to be confused with FeeFee) that slept with Lawrence. They used to tie him in a makeshift cradle of blankets and bed sheets and lower him to the ground from the second floor to go potty in the middle of the night, whenever nature called. After he finished, FiFi, would climb back into the blanket basket and Lawrence and Dorothy would haul him back up to the second floor again.
On the farm there were many things to do, but we especially loved to play in a broken down tree that had fallen and remained on its side for over two years. We had so much fun playing in the branches of that particular tree. We all had characters that we played: Imogene was John Smith, I was Pochahontas and Dorothy was Sitting Bull. (She always loved Indian things.) We played in the tree for a couple of years until it got cleaned up. By that time, I was known as Poke (short for Pochahontas).
Great memories of a great cousin. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Verna
Dorothy Was My Nanny
Dorothy came to help my Mother when I was born. Things were difficult for my Mother. When I was born, Mother was taking care of my Grandmother who was dying of cancer. Mother also has my 2 brothers(the 3 of us were not much more than a year apart). She also taking care of my Grandfather. Times were hard at the end of the depression and my Father was away trying to find a job. The house had no running water and furnished wood heat in one room. Mother told me I did not get held much till Dorothy came. Dorothy told me later, I wasn’t even named for a time so she called Dotty. In her letters, she always called me Dotty. I told her once, that I don’t remember her when I was baby but I remember her as a child when Mother would take us to visit her. I told her, she must given me so much love, I seem to get warm “fuzzies” and felt loved when ever I thought of her. I will miss her letters and I will always think of her with love.