Doris Laverne Allenbaugh was born on September 27,1927 to Fredrick and Magdalean Kleingartner in Bowdle, South Dakota. Doris passed away February 1, 2014, at the age of 86. She was married to Jack Allenbaugh from 1954 to 1978, and together, they had four children: Kim, Bruce, Joanne, and Julie. Doris was a loving mother and very proud of her children's accomplishments, never hesitating to brag about her kids to anyone she met!
Doris was also blessed with eight wonderful grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren: Kim's children are Courtney (Jackson and Eliza) and Nick; Bruce's children are Jack and Peter; Joanne's children are Casey (Jude, Levi and Naomi), Josh (Owen and Jesse), and Chelsea; and Julie's child is Kelli. Doris was a devoted grandmother who faithfully attended countless games and recitals in support of her grandchildren.
Though born in South Dakota, Doris spent most of her childhood in North Dakota until her family moved to Seattle in 1943. She attended Cleveland High School, graduating in 1945, and enjoyed participating in many class reunions in the following years.
After graduating from high school, Doris took courses in secretarial work and became very skilled in shorthand. In the 1970s, Doris studied hard to attain her executive assistant certification. After receiving her certification, she found great success and pride in her role as an executive secretary for Lone Star Cement and Gravel. Over the years, she used her secretarial skills at various places of employment including a stint at the Union Gospel Mission where she spent some holidays serving meals to the homeless.
Doris was a vibrant and active lady who was rarely found sitting still. She loved to golf, play bridge, and attend theatre productions. She enjoyed attending church with her family. One of her greatest passion was downhill skiing. For years she displayed a picture of herself and a group of skiing buddies on the slopes in Sun Valley, a treasured memory that captured her great love for skiing and her lively personality. She passed her love for skiing on to her children, enrolling them all in lessons from an early age. The joy she found in skiing is now carried on through her children and grandchildren, many of whom are avid skiers.
Ballroom dancing was another passion of Doris's. Many evenings were spent with her singles group dancing to big band tunes. In her later years, she often attended afternoon tea dances at various senior centers and was still dancing when she moved into her first assisted living residence.
Doris took great pleasure in her involvement with stock investment groups. Each member would research different stocks that the group would then decide if they were worth investing in. She followed Starbucks and McDonald's stocks very closely and, thanks to her savviness, came out on the plus side with each of these investments. Her grandchildren will remember with great fondness receiving shares of stock for birthdays and Christmas as presents.
Though in her final years she battled the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, she never lost her joy for life or her love for her family. Regardless of circumstance, Doris was a sweet, friendly, classy lady with a great sense of humor and a smile that could light up a room. She was beloved and adored by her friends and family and will be greatly missed.
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