Dorothy Jean Denbow

Dorothy Jean Carlson was born to William Carlson and Marie Anderson in Clinton, Iowa in the early morning of September 10th, 1928. She passed away on the 29th of August 2013 in Tarzana, California. Her childhood was harsh and at the age of 13 she was left to live on her own. She worked for room and board at the Pilgrim Hotel in Marshalltown, Iowa, where she lived high under the gables. During the day she attended school where she developed a life-long love for reading. She was mature for her age and her few remarks on that time were about how kind a judge had been to allow her to live on her own and how many people “looked out to make sure an abandoned little girl did not get into trouble.” Dorothy always regretted not graduating from high school, something she hid on job applications. On June 17th 1945, a few months before her 17th birthday, Dorothy lied about her age in order to marry a handsome young Marine, Robert Denbow, who had just returned from the Pacific. They were married for 53 years.

A highly intelligent and independent woman, after marriage Dorothy taught herself to draw through a two-year correspondence course–a skill that in 1960 landed her a job as a layout artist and advertising assistant at Sears in Rockford, Illinois. There she developed one of the first newspaper advertising inserts which, she reported, “had people lined up around the block.” Her success, along with her people skills, led to rapid advancement. In 1963 she was promoted to Personnel Manager over 300 employees. In 1973 she became Group Personnel Manager with responsibility for three Sears stores. Perhaps because of her childhood, Dorothy was always sensitive to those in need and kept an eye out for those who might need a little help. She implemented the affirmative action programs at her stores and was proud to have hired the first African American to work as a sales representative at Sears. Dorothy always interacted with others with respect and a quiet, wry sense of humor. When once asked, “Was it difficult to raise children?” She replied, “Not really. I just stuck my head out the door, looked up at the sky, and asked, ‘What do I do next.’”

Her personal life was full. She served on numerous church and community boards and was elected a Village Trustee for the town of Roscoe, where she served from 1968 to 1978. She was Chairman of the Roscoe Parks Commission for 8 years and was a central figure behind the development of Riverside Park. In 1977, she was appointed the first Police Matron in the Roscoe Police Department where she worked with women and juveniles. She was also chairman of the Rockford Vocational and Educational Advisory Board, and a member of the Regional Educational Advisory Board. In later years she enjoyed working as a volunteer with the Round Rock Police Department in Texas. In Roscoe, she had completed the State of Illinois Mandatory Firearms Training and, after moving to Texas, she was proud to be able to accompany the officers to the shooting range as a “pistol-packing grandma.”

Dorothy is survived by three children: Dr. James Denbow of Round Rock, Texas; Joyce Prescott of Tarzana, California; and John Denbow of Roscoe, Illinois. She has seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She was a love and inspiration to us all.