Doris Josephine Pflughaupt, 22 Jan 1929 - 04 Oct 2016

PFLUGHAUPT, BILLS, STONEKING, PARSONS, GLEASON, STARNES, COOPER, STAKE, DIETRICH, KEALEY, JANDIK, WHITNEY, DOCHTERMAN

Posted By: Sandy Ficken (email)
Date: 10/26/2016 at 16:05:31

Doris Josephine (Gleason) Parsons Pflughaupt was ushered into the presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on October 4, 2016. She passed away at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha, Iowa, ailing from Alzheimer’s disease and complications from pneumonia.

Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m. Friday, October 7, 2016 at the Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home Chapel of Memories officiated by Bob Gleason. The family will greet friends one hour prior to service at the chapel. Entombment will take place at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.

She is survived by her sister, Bernadine Starnes of Sikeston, Missouri; her son, Richard Parsons of Marshalltown; daughters Ruth (Roger) Cooper of Cedar Rapids; Kandi (Gary) Stake of Williamsburg; April (Dan) Dietrich of Cedar Rapids; Shaun (Bruce) Kealey of Rogers, Minnesota; and Tracy (Dean) Jandik of Robins.

Doris was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Bruce Allen Pflughaupt, her parents, sister Bueta Whitney, and daughter Robinette Dochterman.

She was born in Mount Vernon, Iowa on January 22, 1929. Doris is the daughter of Merle and Myrtle [Stoneking] Bills and Guy Gleason. As a little girl, she and her family moved to Marion. She was married to Donald Alfred Parsons from 1945-1954. Doris married Bruce Pflughaupt on March 24, 1956 in Cedar Rapids. The mother of seven children, Bruce and Doris adopted and raised three great-grandchildren. Doris has twenty grandchildren, thirty-one great-grandchildren, and a great-great-grandchild.

While raising her seven children, Bruce and Doris owned and operated the White House Restaurant and Iowa Parcel Service which later became D & B Transfer. Doris received her certification from Capri School of Cosmetology in 1978. She also acquired her CDL license and went on the road driving semi as a team with Bruce. In 1986 they moved to Florida where they resided until returning to Iowa in 2010.

At five years old, Doris sang in a band with her mother and eight aunts and won first place singing solo at the Iowa State Fair. A music lover, she assured that her children took vocal and instrumental music lessons. A very creative woman, Doris excelled in all that she did. As a result, she won many first place ribbons at the Iowa State Fair for crocheting and needlepoint works, ceramics, and porcelain dolls.

Exhibiting Christ-like love, Doris thought nothing of opening her home to friends and relatives for meals and for those who needed a place to live, support, or a listening ear. She loved and cherished her family.

The family wishes to thank the Mercy Hospital ninth-floor staff along with the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy for their compassionate, tender, and skillful care of our mother during her last days.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given in honor of Doris to the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy, 315 8th Avenue, Hiawatha, Iowa 52233.

Online condolences may be conveyed at www.cedarmemorial.com.

The Gazette, 06 Oct 2016, 8a