Dorothy Anna (Plinke) Meyer

Dorothy Anna (Plinke) Meyer, affectionately known as Dot, passed away on Tuesday, December 22, 2020. She was born December 12, 1926 in Lancaster, Ohio to Edward and Mabel Plinke. She was baptized at Emmanuel Lutheran Church on January 7, 1927 and confirmed her faith on March 17, 1940.

Dot was raised in Lancaster, and attended Valparaiso University where she earned a bachelors degree with majors in Physical Education and French in 1948.

It was at college that Dot met an aspiring medical student Warren Meyer. She taught high school in Chicago while Warren attended medical school there. The acquaintance became more serious and they were married February 18, 1951. They lived briefly on the east coast until the couple chose to settle in Wichita, Kansas in 1958.

Dot was a homemaker and loving mother to four children: Lorraine (Lorry), John, Mark and Jim. She was a faithful Christian woman and member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church and School, actively volunteering for church committees and organizations including the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML), Holy Cross Day School and Adult Education committees and Lutheran Braille Workers.

Dot was active with the Kansas Medical Society (KMS) Auxiliary/Alliance for over 50 years, serving as president of that organization from 1974-1975 and receiving the Lela May Young award for Volunteerism in 2009. She helped form both the KaMPAC and SedgPAC political action committees and served on their boards many years. She helped organize a Health Fair in 1970, was instrumental in organizing and converting a van which traveled the state to give free chest x-rays, and worked on an immunization campaign to vaccinate 250,000 children against polio.

Upon being appointed legislative chairperson for the Sedgwick County Medical Auxiliary, the political bug “put the bite on her and never let go”. Dot was extremely active and engaged in politics with the Kansas Republican Women and Sedgwick County Republican Party. In 1992, she was elected chairperson of the Sedgwick County Republican Party, increasing its membership, recruiting precinct chairpersons, and working on local and national campaigns.

Dot also served for 12 years on the Allen’s Lake Homeowners Association, and on the Larksfield Place Resident Council.

In her later years, her health and mobility declined and her memories faded. Regardless, she constantly and faithfully prayed to the Lord on behalf of family and friends.

Following a brief hospice, she passed from this earth into eternal life peacefully in her sleep with Warren her husband of seventy years holding her hand.

Dot is preceded in death by her daughter, Lorry. She is survived by her husband Warren, children John, Mark (Juliet) and Jim (Susan), grandchildren Christopher Ostermann, Jennifer Wagner, Christy (Luke) Kunze, Derek (Katherine) Meyer, Katie Wagner, Robert (Amy) Meyer, Natalie Meyer, and Daniel Wagner, and nine great-grandchildren.