Dorothy Power

Dorothy Power, 79, long time Wiota resident, died peacefully and surrounded by family on Thursday, December 11, 2014, at Caring Acres in Anita, Iowa.

Dorothy Jean Richter was born in Adair, Iowa, on Christmas Eve, 1934, to Bernald "Slim" and Mary (Yurich) Richter. She grew up the oldest of eight kids in Wiota, attended and graduated from Wiota High School in 1953. Later that fall, on October 7, 1953, she married her high school sweetheart Roger Power at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Wiota. They had three children, Richard, Rebecca and Robert. Early on, the family lived in Wiota, Atlantic, Clear Lake and Council Bluffs, Iowa, Clarks and Fairfield, Nebraska, before returning to Wiota for good in 1965.

Dorothy was an active wife and mother and worked outside the home as a waitress, grocery clerk, and later spent many years working for the Anita Public Schools. She is remembered for driving the Wiota school bus route and then parking the bus to go in to the high school and serve as the secretary to the principal. Dorothy also served as Wiota City Clerk for many years and worked at J&R Tax in Atlantic. She was also employed as a receptionist at the Heritage House in Atlantic for many years. She enjoyed fishing with family at Uncle Joe's pond and Lost Island Lake, playing cards, and spending quality time with family and friends on her patio in Wiota as well as traveling to visit friends and family.

Dorothy is survived by her daughter, Rebecca of Wiota; sons, Richard (Virginia) of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Bob of Madison, Wisconsin. She was a proud grandmother to Rachel (Erik) Johnson of Wiota, Curt (Joy) Power of Denver, Colorado, Amanda Petty and Kyle (Alicia) Power of Salt Lake City. She has 7 great-grandchildren, Rylee, Jayden, Derek, Logan, Isaac, Noah and Abraham. She is also survived by her sister, Barb Sisler of Atlantic; brothers, Larry (Mardell), Don (Ruth), Jr. (Ruth) of Atlantic, Ron (Ellen) of Aurora, Colorado, Bill of Boone, Iowa; sisters-in-law, Roxanna Richter of Beatrice, Nebraska, and Judy (Pat) Ryan of Atlantic. She is further survived by aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews scattered across the country.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Roger in 2008; her parents, Slim in 1988, Mary in 1990; her in-laws, Roy in 1976 and Emma in 2000; her brother, Tom in 1996; sister-in-law, Ellen Richter in 2001; brother-in-law, Ward Nissen in 2004; brother-in-law Dick Sisler in 2009; sister-in-law, Virginia Nissen in 2014; nephews, Jeremiah Sommerer in 1981, Carlin Richter in 1983, Scott Sisler in 1993 and Chad Sommerer in 2003; and her niece, Sue Isaacs in 1996.

There will be a prayer service at 5:30 p.m., with family visitation to follow until 8:00 p.m. on Monday, December 15, 2014, at Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic, Iowa.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, December 16, 2014, at SS Peter & Paul Catholic Church in Atlantic, Iowa. Burial will be in SS Peter & Paul Catholic Cemetery in Atlantic.