Obituary of Dorothy Lavonne Thomas

Dorothy Lavonne Thomas, daughter of Ed and Annetta "Netta" (Troxel) Wittrock, was born September 2, 1928 at Sutherland, IA. She spent her youth on a farm near Sutherland, attending school there through the 8th grade. When the family relocated to a farm south of Hartley, Dorothy completed her education at Hartley, graduating from Hartley High School with the class of 1946. After completing Normal Training through the Hartley Public School, she received her Teaching Certificate, and began teaching country school south of Hartley on her 18th birthday. In August of 1948, Dorothy was united in marriage to Harlan Anderegg at Washington, D.C. where they both worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The couple was blessed with two children: Michael and Patricia. Upon returning to Iowa, Dorothy became a farmer's wife when she married Levoy A. Thomas on November 30, 1954 at Worthington, MN. Together they farmed in the Hartley and Primghar areas. Being in the country suited Dorothy! She enjoyed helping with the day-to-day chores around the farm and caring for their flock of chickens. She planted and tended a huge vegetable garden every summer, which, of course, also involved canning the produce taken off of it. Between the home-grown canned vegetables and the chickens she dressed for the freezer, Dorothy's family ate very well, and she found great satisfaction doing it. When outdoor work would allow, Dorothy spent many hours at the sewing machine, sewing most of her daughter's clothes. Along with working the farm, Levoy and Dorothy took several trips together. Most memorable was traveling to Hawaii to celebrate their 25th Wedding Anniversary. They both enjoyed playing cards with neighbors and friends, which was something Dorothy continued to do after moving to town. As a young girl, Dorothy had a fascination with amusement park rides, especially the roller coaster. In 2014, at 84 years "young", she took her last ride on the big roller coaster at Arnold's Park along with her great-grandkids! She was a devoted member of the United Methodist Church in Hartley where she served as 4th Grade Sunday School teacher for several years. Dorothy passed from this life on Thursday, January 26, 2017 at the age of 88. Preceding her in death were her husband, Levoy Thomas; her parents, Ed and Annetta Wittrock; brothers: James, Keith and Richard Wittrock; sister, Betty Stone; her son, Michael Anderegg. Grateful for having shared her life are her daughter, Patricia (Mike) Pfeiffer of Hartley, IA; three grandchildren: Eli Anderegg, Christina Pfeiffer, Trever Pfeiffer; three great-grandchildren: Chandler Pfeiffer, Morgan Pfeiffer, Jackson Drezelo; other relatives and friends. Celebration of Life Dorothy L. Thomas Born ~ September 2, 1928 Died ~ January 26, 2017 Age ~ 88 years 4 months 24 days FUNERAL SERVICE Monday, January 30, 2017 10:30 a.m. Hartley Funeral Home Chapel Hartley, Iowa Clergy ~ Rev. John Mutombo Guitarist ~ Mike Pfeiffer Musical Tributes "On Angels Wings" Michael Joncas "Leaves" Mike Pfeiffer Pallbearers Trever Pfeiffer Chandler Pfeiffer Jackson Drezelo Jim Thomas Doug Wittrock Eli Anderegg Bruce Stone Interment Pleasant View Cemetery Hartley, Iowa *Family will be present for the visitation from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon.