Dolores M (Schoettmer) Lewis, 06 Dec 1930 - 03 Jul 2019

LEWIS, SCHOETTMER, METZ, KUZ, HARRIS

Posted By: Sarah Witte (email)
Date: 7/16/2019 at 13:34:10

Dolores M. Lewis, 88, originally of Center Point, Iowa, died Wednesday, July 3, 2019. The family will greet friends and relatives from 1 to 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, at Center Point United Methodist Church in Center Point. A funeral service will be held at the church at 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, with Pastor Mike Ellson officiating. Burial will follow at Center Point Cemetery in Center Point. Arrangements made by Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Center Point.

Born in West Amana, Iowa, and reared as a farm girl, Dolores enjoyed cooking, canning and sewing, and joined the 4-H club for four years. Dolores was a Benton County 4-H historian, Club Queen candidate and held other offices. She also enjoyed playing girls' basketball for two years and graduated from Van Horne High School. After high school graduation, she worked as a nanny for a doctor's family, the Northwestern Bell Telephone Co. as an operator and the Iowa National Insurance Co., all in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

While working in Cedar Rapids, she attended church roller skating parties at the C-mar Acres and met the love of her life, Samuel B. Lewis Jr. of Center Point, and they married June 1, 1951, at the EUB Church of Van Horne. They built and made their home of 63 years in Center Point.

Dolores did baby-sitting, worked for 15 years at the Tiny Tot Preschool as a teacher, was part of the EUB Church Esther Circle, UMW church group, volunteered for several church functions and was a choir member and Sunday school teacher. She became the first official secretary of the United Methodist Church in Center Point. She learned computer skills for the church office and even took fun classes under school teachers, such as cake decorating from Bernice Hand, understanding football from Coach Ted Rogers and, for a laugh, she and several friends took a short belly dancing class! For 13 years, she enjoyed bowling league with Laurel, her sister-in-law. During this time, she raised four children. Her first son, Rodney, was involved in Cub Scouts, and she was a den mother. Being empty-nesters, Dolores and Sam joined the Walker Community singing group that went into several nursing homes once a month.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Samuel B. Lewis Jr., in 2014; her parents, Albert and Frieda Schoettmer; brothers, Ernie, Albert Jr. (Sonny) and Robert and wife, Kay Schoettmer; and sister, Shirley, and husband, Bill Metz.

Surviving are her four children, Doretta (Brady) Kunz of North English, Iowa, Rodney (Tina) Lewis of Virginia Beach, Va., Sheri (David) Harris of Alice Springs, Australia, and Jeff (Stacey) Lewis of Sioux City, Iowa; brother, John (Jackie) Schoettmer; sister-in-law, Jean Schoettmer; 14 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren, two of whom are married; a great-grandchild on the way; and one great-great-granddaughter.

Memorials may be directed to the Center Point United Methodist Church. Please share a memory of Dolores at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.

Published in The Gazette on July 7, 2019