A visitation will be held at the Ankeny Funeral Home, 1510 West First Street, Ankeny, IA 50023, on Wednesday, June 28, 2023 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Funeral Services will be the following day, Thursday, June 29, 2023 at the Ankeny First United Methodist Church at 10:30 am. Burial will be at the Nevada Municipal Cemetery, Nevada, Iowa following the service.
Dorothea Lorraine Hess was born September 3, 1928 to Vernon and Josephine Hess in Pipestone, Minnesota. Dorothea was the seventh of their eight children and the first to be born in a hospital. Dorothea was raised on the family farm southwest of Pipestone. Her early years were impacted by the Great Depression and World War 2. In this environment she learned many skills including throwing bales, milking cows, gardening, raising livestock, cooking, and cleaning.
She discovered her true passion while attending country school. During first through eighth grade she read every book in the small library, which opened doors that went far beyond the farm. At Pipestone High School she became a student library assistant in her freshman year which meant she could read any new book before it went into circulation. For the rest of her life she always had a book nearby. During high school she was crowned the Pipestone County Health Princess, which earned her a Greyhound bus ride to the Minnesota State Fair and her first trip to the big city.
After high school graduation, Dorothea attended Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa and earned her two year teaching degree in 1948. Always studious, she still managed to meet the love of her life, Harlan Stratton. When he transferred to Iowa State to continue his animal husbandry studies, Dorothea got her first teaching job in Roland, Iowa, just north of Ames.
Upon Harlan’s graduation, he and Dorothea were married on June 3, 1951. The couple farmed in Nevada, Iowa. Dorothea continued teaching until their first child, Jacqueline Mary, was born. As Harlan advanced through the county extension service, they moved to the Amana Colonies, then to Le Mars, and Malvern, Iowa. They welcomed two more children, Jolene Fern and John Harlan into their family.
In 1958 Harlan was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis which marked their rest of their marriage. Dorothea thought she would be a farm wife on the prairie, but instead they moved back to Le Mars so she could teach school, finish her education, and provide for a family while caring for a disabled husband. Dorothea remained there until her retirement in 1993 after 38 years of teaching. Dorothea steadfastly stood by her husband “in sickness as in health.” During those years she also earned her Master’s Degree and kept up the house, yard, and garden. After Harlan moved to a nursing home, Dorothea visited him and eventually her mother every day at suppertime, the only exception being trips to assist her children and grandchildren.
Dorothea was a dedicated caregiver and more. She was a talented seamstress and quilter, excellent cook, curious traveler, and cut throat Scrabble player. Her wit, her green thumb, her love of reading, and her determination were legendary.
After Harlan’s passing in 1997, she moved to Boone, Iowa to be closer to her children. She remained there until 2008 when loneliness and health concerns led her son John and his wife Valerie to welcome her into their home. She lived with them in Ankeny, Iowa for six years and then moved to a long-term care facility until her passing. In death she and her “darlin’ Harlan” are reunited in heaven, both healthy and whole.
Dorothea is remembered by her children Jacqueline Stratton and Louis Huether, Jolene and Hiram Philo, and John and Valerie Stratton. She will also be remembered by her grandchildren Benjamin Riggs (Katherine Connerton), Allen Philo (Cherrie Nolden), Leslie Stratton Gookin (John Gookin), Anne Philo Fleck (Kailen Fleck), Lauren Stratton (Hannah Nones), her brother-in-law Jim Hoey, four great grandchildren and 33 nieces and nephews, whom she loved fiercely. Dorothea was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her seven siblings; and two nephews.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.AnkenyFuneralHome.com for the Stratton family.
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