Memorial
Dorothy Lou Brown, age 98, of Cedar Rapids, died Friday, July 18, 2014 at St. Luke’s Hospital.
A funeral service will be held 11:00 AM Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. The family will greet friends from 5:00 until 7:00 PM Monday evening at the funeral home. Interment will take place at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.
Dorothy was born October 20, 1915 in Clinton, Iowa to George and Clara (Barta) Hobel. After graduating from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids, she worked as a floral designer at the Hobel family’s Little Flower Shop, also in Cedar Rapids. After the flower shop closed in the early 1960s, she worked seasonally at local floral shops. She later worked as a receptionist at Collins, and retired from the Linn County Veteran’s Affairs Office.
Dorothy was a Past President of the Cedar Rapids American Legion Auxiliary. She was a current member of the Marion American Legion Auxiliary and the Cedar Rapids VFW. She was a member of the P3 Wilson Retirees, and started the BINGO program there.
Dorothy never lost her touch for floral design; even after her retirement, she loved to create floral arrangements for the Marion American Legion’s many events and fish fry dinners.
She is survived by two daughters: Sandra (Ronald) Umsted of Mesa, Arizona and Sharon (David) Harris of Cedar Rapids; three grandchildren: Kristi (Gary) Selker of Holly Springs, North Carolina; Kerry (Teri) Umsted of Chandler, Arizona; and Darcie (Mauro) Torres of Marion; four great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter; and a beloved grand-dog, Mocha.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Leo Heaton in 1965, and husband Raymond W. Brown in 1981.
Memorial contributions in Dorothy’s memory may be directed to the family.