Dorothy Ellen (Turner) Kissman

Dottie was born in Quanah, Texas on June 30, 1931 to Pauline and John Turner. Her family moved to Austin in 1936. She graduated from Austin High School in 1949 and then married William “Bill” Herman Kissman, Sr. on June 30, 1949 at St. Paul Lutheran Church. W. H. (Sonny) Kissman, Jr. and Phyllis Ellen Kissman Fletcher were born to them over the next several years. They enjoyed 69 years of marriage until Bill’s passing in 2018.

Dottie worked for Texas Department of Public Safety for several years after marrying Bill. She left DPS to focus on raising her children. In addition to her family, Dottie had several other loves in life. She loved to read and write poetry. Dottie won awards for her poetry and had many poems published in books. She was proud of her Southern heritage which strongly influenced her writings. Dottie was proud to be a political activist. She had over 100 of her letters to the Austin American-Statesman published over the 25 years she wrote to them. Dottie loved to play Bingo and the slot machines! Most of all she enjoyed the company of friends and family over coffee, lunch, or dinner. Dottie was known for her quick wit, sense of humor, and kindness to all. She lived a full and happy life with a smile.

Dottie was preceded in death by parents Pauline and John Turner, brothers John Jr., Wm. Gene, and Clifton Ray, sisters Betty Jean Turner, Mayzell Banta, Mertise Sewell, Frances Wallace, and son-in-law Randy Arlyn Fletcher.

She is survived by her son W. H. (Sonny) Kissman, Jr. and daughter Phyllis Ellen Kissman Fletcher as well as sisters Sherry Parker (husband R.L.), Paula Turner and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

A private family service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, May 23rd at Austin Memorial Park Cemetery. The service will be live streamed on Facebook at Weed Corley Fish Funeral Homes.

Following is a poem for your enjoyment:

Poet Laureate of the Past

by Dorothy Kissman

We have all read poems by the famous and great

Let us refresh our memories, examine and reiterate

Riley's “When The Frost is on the Pumpkin” did say

Get chores done early because Winter is on the way

Poet Dickenson wrote a short poem, “Ding Dong Bell”

Though they were short, she told her stories rather well

Lord Tennyson’s verse of “Lullaby” put baby to sleep

Told how baby waited for her father sailing the deep

Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee” then counted ways

Very interesting love story of how she spent her days

Robinson’s “The House on the Hill” does merely state

They have gone away there is nothing more to relate

Truly, Burns did write a love poem, “A Red Red Rose”

I really do admire his flair for elegance in this prose

Even after examining Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale”

I decided all those poets’ good work did surely pale.

Since Edgar Allen Poe remains my favorite and ideal

Many times I read “The Raven” vowed this one to steal

“The Raven” made me ponder as to who was Lenore

And what my pondering about this name did implore

When explained and shown in this his famous quote

Poe’s disgust for this bird revealed in words he wrote

“What’s this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and

ominous bird of yore meant in croaking ‘Nevermore’”

This poem was published by Noble House Publishers,

and earned a Poe medallion and a lapel pin for the author.