Dorothy "Dottie" Mae Hart Weissenberger

Dorothy Mae Hart Weissenberger, beloved spouse of retired Col. Lawrence J. Weissenberger, sister of Mrs. Hazel J. Gray, daughter of Thomas J. and Laura Hart of Lone Wolf, OK, was born September 7, 1923. Sister, Opal Laura Houts, preceded her in death in 1981 and “Penny” Gray, her remaining sister, died July, 2008. Dottie joined the First Methodist Church in Lone Wolf at an early age. Her earlier years were happily spent in rural Lone Wolf where she was class valedictorian. After graduating from Lone Wolf High School, she joined her sister, Hazel “Penny” in Oklahoma City. She enrolled in Blackwood-Davis Business College and also studied at the Federal Arts School. On November 10, 1942 in Tampa, FL, she married her lifetime partner, Lt. Lawrence Weissenberger of Leonia, NJ, as a war bride. Upon return from his overseas assignment of two years including Normandy Beachhead, they settled in Denver, CO where Larry enrolled in Electrical Engineering College. On his graduation and the simultaneous death of their only child, infant Dan Hart Weissenberger on August 26, 1949, they moved to OKC. There, “Dottie” assumed her role as a housewife. She had experienced many pleasant hours studying books on floral art and establishing a garden. She became accomplished in growing, arranging and exhibiting flowers. In 1961, she became the President of the Oklahoma City Council of Garden Clubs, having joined the Apogon Iris Garden Unit. It was at this turning point in her life that she understood the task of bringing the Will Rogers Exhibition Building into reality. In order to do so the involvement meant presenting the idea to the City Council, then as Garden Council President, working to procure the passage of a bond issue. Once accomplished, she then became involved with the planning and also allowed her name to be placed as an Officer on the Mayor’s Watchdog Committee to assure its construction. On the completion of that facility she became its first Director, helping establish its policies in its infancy. She then embarked upon a business career, opening her own store, the Granada Floral in Shepard Mall. Dottie was accepted into the American Academy of Florists in 1973 in San Diego, CA. Her heart remained with her Granada Floral that she had established in 1964. One of these loyal employees was David A. Thompson, whom she had trained as a florist. He was given the reigns to Granada Floral after her 28th year in business. It was in April of 1984, while fighting cancer, that she saw the fulfillment of a dream begun many years earlier. This was a new headquarters facility for the Oklahoma State Garden Clubs, Inc. at the OSU Tech Institute. Dottie was an active member of the OKC Chamber of Commerce while service as the President of the OKC Council of Garden Clubs in 1961 and 1962, and continued that interest into the first organization for the beautification of OKC, the Mayor’s Committee, where she rose to the position of Executive Director. At the time of her injury she was heading the Ladies Division of the new Oklahoma City Beautiful. During that time, it was her pleasure to see the accomplishment of the planting of 500 Oklahoma Rose bushes on the annex of the Capitol grounds for the Oklahoma City Beautiful organization, the first major beautification project in 1964. In March ’06, she was recognized as an icon in gardening with the coveted Distinguished Service Award. Dottie’s activities both as an amateur gardener and a professional florist touched many lives. While serving as president of the judges’ council, she gained chairmanship on the Oklahoma State Board where she later served as chairman of the building committee for the State garden clubs. After she secured funding for the office facilities for State Headquarters, she was named an honorary chairman. After accomplishing the proclamation of the Oklahoma Rose as our State flower, she was recognized as an icon in the State Poetry Society, another organization, Pilot International. Many in the area are aware of her philanthropic efforts through the Oklahoma Hospitality Club, Christian Women’s Group (West) and Ladies Music Club. In recalling the highlights of her life, the celebration of her 65th anniversary was the most cherished memory. As a professional florist her acceptance by the Academy of Florists, symbolizing professional ethics and integrity was perhaps her greatest memorable achievement. The highlight of her amateur career as a gardener was culminated in the spring of 1992 when she responded to a call to come to Milwaukee National Garden Organization’s convention. There, it was her honor to be recognized for her more than 40 years of volunteer civic service to her community of OKC. Her most recent honors include acceptance by the National Society of Professional Business Women. Funeral service will be at Guardian West Chapel Friday, November 8 with interment at the Hobart Rose Cemetery on the Hart family plot with her infant son and her beloved Larry.