O'Brien, Dorothy E.

KIESER

Posted By: Michael (email)
Date: 9/22/2003 at 20:20:09

Dorothy E. O’Brien, 83 died Sunday, September 21, 2003 at her home surrounded by her family.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated 10:30 am on Friday, September 26, 2003 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church by Rev. Joseph Van Phung. A Celebration of Her Life Party will be held from 4 to 8 p.m;. Wednesday at the University Athletic Club, 1360 Melrose Ave., Iowa City. Friends may call Thursday from 4:00 to 8:00p.m. at Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service where a parish vigil service will be held at 7 p.m . Burial will be in Oakland Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Ronald McDonald House, 730 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, IA 52246, or Iowa City Hospice,1025 Wade, Iowa City, IA 52240.

Dorothy was born May 20, 1920 the daughter of William and Lillian Narbert Kieser in St. Louis, Missouri. In October, 1937, she married Robert James Mills II. They established Mills Pharmacy in 1947 in Waukegan, Illinois and a second store in 1951 in Mundelein, Illinois. He died September, 1949. She later married William E. O’Brien on March 14, 1953. He died in February, 1995.

In 1958 they moved to Iowa City to open the first McDonalds in Iowa City on Riverside Drive. This was a major achievement for a woman in that she was the first woman franchisee of McDonalds. She opened the second store in Coralville on First Avenue in 1977 and a third at Sycamore Mall in 1990.

Dorothy and Bill were instrumental in developing and supporting the Midlands Tennis Tournament and the Iowa City Boys’ Baseball. In 1985 she helped establish the Ronald McDonald House of Iowa City where she served on its Board of Directors. They were gracious contributors to Iowa City’s charities and were awarded the “Service to Mankind” award from Sertoma.

Dorothy was a very determined, positive and unstoppable woman with a very positive outlook on life. She had a strong work ethic and took tremendous pride in her business and her customers. Dorothy loved her family, her grandchildren, her trips to Florida, orchids, and her garden. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Survivors include her daughter, Jeannine D. Mlynski and her husband David of Naperville, Illinois; her sons, Robert J. Mills III of Chicago, Illinois, Kevin W. O’Brien and his wife Jil of Iowa City, Iowa; stepson, Thomas O’Brien and his wife Laura of Danbury, Connecticut; eleven grandchildren, Robert J. Mills IV and his wife, Cathy, Bradley Danaher, Kristen Heraty and her husband Shawn, O’Brien Mills and his wife Anna, Michael Mills, Elizabeth Gracey and her husband Peter, Ryan O’Brien, Heather Ruzicka and her husband Bill, Jr., Alexander O’Brien, Lauren O’Brien and Lillian O’ Brien; five great grandchildren, Braiddey Ruzicka, Karter Ruzicka, Hannah Hearty, Lauren Heraty and Jack Heraty.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Robert J. Mills II and William E. O’Brien; her son, Walt O’Brien; and her grandson Graham Mills.