Dorothy Marie (Burns) THORINGTON

BURNS, THORINGTON, RICHARDSON, GRABAU, FJARE, YOUNG, KRANENBURG, DIETZ

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 4/7/2015 at 15:23:47

July 10, 1920 --- January 11, 2012

Dorothy Marie Burns Thorington died peacefully just before dawn on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012 at the Powell Valley Care Center. She was 91. Dorothy was born in Webster City, Iowa on July 10, 1920 to Robert and Muriel (Richardson) Burns.
Dorothy's youth was spent in Webster City helping her father Bob in his sporting goods store, and he was instrumental in developing Dorothy's love for fishing. Dorothy graduated from Webster City High School in 1938, then attended Webster City Junior College. During her school days, she was introduced to her husband, Cecil Thorington, at a dance. It was love at first sight, and they were married June 9, 1940 in the backyard of her Webster City home.

The newlyweds spent a year in Winnebago, Neb., while Cecil taught high school, and later, since Cecil had graduated from Iowa State College in agriculture, "Dot" and "Cec" rented a farm south of Stratford, Iowa, the community from which he had graduated high school. One Sunday afternoon in 1941 Dorothy and Cecil heard the news that Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor, and Cecil was eventually drafted, sending him to Europe. The next few years of marriage were spent with Cecil in post-war Germany, while Dorothy stayed in Iowa and Corpus Christi, Texas where they were previously stationed. In 1947 they purchased their own farm in rural Hamilton County near Stratford, where Dorothy was a farm wife and mother, and they farmed for 33 years. During that time, both Dot and Cec loved to fish and spent summer vacations fishing in Minnesota and Canada with their two children and close friends. They were active members of the United Methodist Church in Stratford.

Retirement began in 1980 with the sale of the farm, spending two years in Avoca, Iowa, near their married children's homes before moving west to Montana where they lived in West Glacier for 10 years. Later they moved to Powell to be closer to their son and his family. Dorothy's husband died in October of 2003.

Dorothy is survived by her son, Jay and wife Annette (Grabau) Thorington of Powell; daughter Joy Fjare and husband David of Council Bluffs, Iowa; grandchildren Ben and Emily Fjare Young of Dallas, Texas, Matthew and Jennifer (Kranenburg) Fjare of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Zachary and Dana (Dietz) Thorington of Powell, and SSG Samuel Thorington of Sierra Vista, Ariz; and six great-grandchildren. Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband Cecil, her parents, and a sister who passed away before Dorothy was born. Cremation has taken place. According to Dorothy's wishes, and that of her husband, a service and interment for both will be held at a later date in Webster City, Iowa. Thompson Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Powell Tribune - Powell, Wyoming
January 17, 2012

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{Dorothy and her parents lived for a short time in Eagle Grove, Wright County, Iowa]