Dorothea Gingerich

Dorothea Gingerich, 98, died Wednesday, August 17, 2022, at Pleasantview Home in Kalona.

Dorothea was born October 24, 1923, in Etna Green, Indiana, the daughter of Peter and Emma (Mullet) Graber. As a young woman, she worked as a nanny and at a country store stocking the shelves, pumping gas, and working the soda fountain. On February 12, 1948, she was united in marriage to Jacob M. Gingerich at her family home near Etna Green, Indiana. The couple moved to rural Riverside, Iowa, in 1948 and were blessed with three children.

Dorothea loved people.  She made lifelong friends in first grade, in her Sharon Center neighborhood, her church, her egg route in Iowa City, and at Pleasantview. She enjoyed gardening, tending to flowers, quilting, crocheting, cooking and baking and was known to be a wonderful hostess.  Most of all Dorothea loved her family. She was baptized in her youth and was a member of the Sharon Bethel Church.

Dorothea is survived by three children Earl (Diane Funk) Gingerich of Iowa City, Inez (Mark) Houk of Spokane, Washington, Maynard (Carol) Gingerich of Riverside; 10 grandchildren, Ethan Gingerich, Aliese Gingerich, Jonathan (Marjorie) Houk, Brandon (Virgina) Houk, Mahlon (Laura) Houk, Ashlee (Derek) Whittington, Chase (Angie) Gingerich, Clinton (Hillary) Gingerich, Collin (Charity) Gingerich, Cameron Gingerich; 10 great grandchildren; two sisters Ruth (Joe) Graber of Spooner, Wisconsin, Susie (Homer) Hershberger of Leon; brother Paul (Anna) Graber of Campbell Hill, Illinois; brother-in-law Eli Kuhns of Etna Green, Indiana and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Jacob, four siblings Mary (Olen) Schrock, Amanda Kuhns, Martha Kaufman, and Ralph Graber, and 9 sisters-in-law and 9 brothers-in-law. .

Funeral service will be held 1:30 pm Sunday, August 21, 2022, at Sharon Bethel Church, and live streamed through the Sharon Bethel Facebook page.  Burial will follow in the Sharon Bethel Cemetery. Visitation will be held 2:00-4:00 and 6:00 -8:00 pm on Saturday, August 20, 2022, at the Sharon Bethel Church. A memorial fund has been established for the Pleasantview Home and the Sharon Bethel Church. The Yoder-Powell Funeral Home is caring for Dorothea and her family.