Doden, Connie (1927-2015)
DODEN, GERNAEY, MEYER
Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 7/27/2015 at 11:55:50
Connie Doden
(July 30, 1927 - July 3, 2015)Corinne Doden, 88, of Buffalo Center, Iowa, died on Friday, July 3, 2015, at Hancock Memorial Hospital in Britt, Iowa.
Corinne “Connie” Frances (Gernaey) Doden, a daughter of Gabriel and Hulda Gernaey, was born on July 30, 1927, in Rock Island, Illinois. Educated at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School, she graduated in 1945. After attending Marycrest College in Davenport, Iowa, she, eventually, graduated with a B.A. in Music from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, in 1949.
Mrs. Doden’s father, Gabriel, was a concert violinist, and she continued the family tradition by becoming a concert pianist. She, also, taught music in Illinois public schools until she joined the U.S. Air Force in 1952. Following Officer Candidate School in Alabama, she was commissioned as a lieutenant and was stationed at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio, Edwards AFB in California, and Elmendorf AFB in Alaska. Honorably discharged in 1956, she returned to teaching vocal music and piano in high schools in both Pocahontas and Thompson.
On July 7, 1958, Connie married Arnold Doden of Woden, Iowa. In addition to raising their two sons, Corinne helped operate her husband’s farm and his trucking company. Following his death in 1975, she continued both businesses for several years. She, then, pursued her business and personal interests with a great passion, always learning as much as she could about the many subjects she found interesting. She returned to giving private piano lessons in the 1980s and had many fine students from the north Iowa area.
Interested in flower gardening for years, Corinne grew a wide variety of flowers on her farm. For thirty-five years, she, also, raised Doberman Pinschers and typically had two or three dogs at a time. Although not an athlete herself, she became interested in sports when her sons began to compete. Faithfully, she attended football, wrestling, and track and field events over the years, cheering on her sons as well as their friends. Her sons were always the most important part of her life, and she supported them in all their pursuits.
As a serious reader, Mrs. Doden accumulated a substantial home library covering a wide range of subjects including flower gardening, genealogy, politics, dogs, science, history and more. In the late 1990s, she taught herself to use a personal computer. Despite her age, she took on this challenge with her usual vigor and, consequently, the Internet opened up an entirely new world of learning and resources to her. With this knowledge, she expanded her interests in flower gardening and genealogy (among other things) and corresponded with relatives and new friends with similar interests from around the world. Indeed, she continued to work on her computer until the day before she entered the care center in June of this year. She kept her keen intellect until the very end.
She is survived by her sons, Arnold Gabriel Doden, of State College, Pennsylvania, and John Douglas Doden, of Woden, Iowa, and by Arnold’s wife Judith Meyer. She, also, leaves behind her beloved Dobermans, Jack and Annie.
Visitation will be on Thursday, July 16, 2015, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Winter Funeral Home. Graveside services will take place at 11:00 a.m., Friday, July 17, 2015, at Graceland Cemetery, Buffalo Center, where she will be laid to rest next to her husband.
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