Dorothy Ann Aldridge Max was born in Wellington, Colorado, June 20, 1925. When Dorothy graduated from high school, she started working for United Air Lines, which was actually, at the time, contracted work for the government, preparing B-17s for war. Dorothy was an official “Rosie the Riveter,” riding a bus every work-day from Wellington to Cheyenne with her dad. The young women signed their ‘work’ when they were finished, and Dorothy got plenty of notes and a few marriage proposals written on the planes when the planes returned.
When Dorothy’s father passed away, Dorothy and her mother visited Phoenix, and Dorothy got a job there with the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Co., known as ‘Ma Bell’.
In February 1947, she met Charles Max and they were married the following November. Two years later, they moved back to Colorado, this time, to the Denver area.
After settling, Dorothy took a job with the Air Force Accounting and Finance Center, and put in 23 years with the ‘fed’.
Her husband, Charlie, traveled a lot, as much by train as they could. Charlie had a special affinity for trains, having been a professional ‘hobo’ during the depression. Hobo’s work for their food, and he was proud of that, but the stories of riding the rails are treasured to this day.
They were privileged to have ridden almost all over the world over the years, from the Swiss Cogwheel, South Africa, the Orient Express, North America, Europe, India, and Australia. What an experience that was in some places, but she always enjoyed the journey.
Charlie passed away 3 months before their Fiftieth Anniversary. There was not much Dorothy enjoyed more than a great party, so it was a disappointment to the grief, but Dorothy built family again with her special cats.
From Dorothy, “I have had a very interesting life, and a great set of friends and family. I would like to leave you with this thought. Never cry because it is over, Smile because it happened.
With that, my friends, may God bless you all. Bye for now.”
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.CrownHillFuneral.com for the Max family.
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