Walthall, Dorothy L.
Dorothy passed away at the Garden Valley Nursing Home in Kansas City on October 31, 2008. She had recently celebrated her 92nd birthday. Her goal was to exceed the 91 years attained by her brother, James Brown of Independence, Kan., who passed away in 2004. Dorothy is to be cremated, and a memorial service held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 4, at New Life Community Church, 10500 N. Central, Kansas City, Mo. The service will be followed by a brief ceremony at Green Lawn Cemetery, 8251 Hillcrest Road, Kansas City, Mo., where Dorothy will be buried beside her husband, H. Donald Walthall, who passed away in 1981 at age 69. Dorothy was born in Coffeyville, Kan., the only girl in a family of five children. Her parents were Joseph Augustus Brown and Bessie L. (Estes) Brown. Her four brothers, Jim, Jack, Warren, and Joe, are deceased. Three of her brothers served in WW II. Jack survived without physical impairment, but would never again sit behind a steering wheel. Warren was reported missing in action in 1943, and Joe died in 1995 of wounds suffered in the war 50 years before. Dorothy graduated from Field Kindley High School in Coffeyville in 1934, and attended Coffeyville junior college for several years. From 1936 to 1940 she worked as a clerk in Coffeyville's employment office. It was during this period that she met the young aviator and photographer who would become her husband. Don Walthall was also born and raised in Coffeyville. It is where he learned to fly, and went on to become a flight instructor. One of his most memorable pupils at the flying school was a gentleman named George Barnes. Don was later shocked to discover that Mr. Barnes was actually Ray Terrill, a notorious gangster of that era. Don was also interested in photography, and quickly developed a high level of expertise in that area. For a while, he was a partner in Coffeyville's MarDon photo shop. In 1939, he attended the World's Fair in California, and returned to Coffeyville so impressed that he decided to make California his home. He soon departed permanently for San Francisco and found work in his chosen field of photography. On May 5, 1940, Don returned to Coffeyville just long enough to marry Dorothy. Immediately following the ceremony, they were chauffeured to Independence, Kan., and boarded the Santa Fe Super Chief bound for Los Angeles. From L.A. it was on to Oakland, where Don had established residence. Less than two months after the birth of their son Phillip, Pearl Harbor was attacked. Widespread fear that California might be next prompted Don and Dorothy to return to Kansas. Dorothy had vivid memories of the car trip back to Kansas, and she loved to tell the story of her experiences in that fearful time while traveling as a new mother with a tiny baby. Back in Kansas, Don found work at the Boeing plant in Wichita. Defense factories all over the country were gearing- up for the war. In Wichita, this equated to a demand for housing that far exceeded the supply. The family was forced to split-up. Dorothy and baby Phillip lived in an apartment in Winfield, Kan., while Don lived in an apartment in Wichita. Don drove to Winfield on weekends, but they could not afford the phone service needed to communicate on a daily basis. After living apart for nearly a year, Don and Dorothy moved into a house in Wichita's "Hilltop Manor", an area of new housing for defense workers. At the end of the war Don was laid off at Boeing, but the family continued to live in Hilltop until shortly after the birth of their son Rex in late 1954. Following the layoff at Boeing, Don got back into photography. As a salesman he was required to work long hours, while Dorothy's full-time job was looking after the kids. There was never enough money for a family with four children, but somehow things worked out. For a while, Don supplemented his income by teaching color photography through the extension division of the University of Kansas. Then came the recession of 1958, and Don was laid off again. The family was also forced to split-up again. Dorothy and the kids remained in Wichita while Don found work in Kansas City. For about a year he lived alone in a small apartment, sending most of his paycheck to Dorothy. Finally, in August of 1959, Don rented a truck and moved the family to KC. Year after year of working long hours on his feet behind a sales counter took its toll on Don. So did his smoking habit and the bullet embedded above his left knee from an accidental gunshot wound at age 12. Don passed away in 1981, shortly after he and Dorothy had moved to the Garden Apartments in North Kansas City. Dorothy continued to live in North KC until 1998 when she moved to the Garden Village Apartments. In recent months her health deteriorated, making it necessary that she move to the adjacent Garden Valley Nursing Home. Although life was never easy for Dorothy she always made the best of what she had, and was a wonderful mother. Her childhood was bittersweet, but she concealed the bitter parts and told stories about the good times she had with her brothers and cousins. In addition to her own wonderful mother, Bessie, Dorothy was especially grateful to her grandmother, Josie Brown, and her aunt, Mary (Brown) Stumbaugh, for all their love and kindness. In 1926 Dorothy received a Bye-Lo baby doll as a Christmas gift from her aunt Mary. The doll became her most prized possession and has remained so for all these years, even providing comfort toward the end. Dorothy loved her Kansas heritage and enjoyed returning to southeastern Kansas for family reunions, high school reunions, and to visit with relatives. Her mother's branch of the Estes family migrated from North Carolina to the Cherryvale area in 1889, and their descendants continue to farm in southeastern Kansas. Her grandfather, Sealy Brown, came from England about 1860, and went first to California before coming to Kansas. In an interesting twist of fate, it was while in California that Sealy Brown forged a bond of friendship with Albert Estes, who was a brother to Dorothy's other grandfather, James Patterson Estes. Albert Estes brought Sealy Brown to Kansas. Don's family, the Walthalls, came from England in 1656 and settled in Virginia. His particular branch of the Walthall family left Virginia in 1833, migrating first to Indiana, then to Iowa in 1850. They came to Kansas in 1857, and farmed near Osawatomie. Survivors include - children: Phillip (Elizabeth), Eugene, Sheryl (David) Alexander, Rex; - grandchildren: Timothy Walthall, Rachel (Eric) Atwood, Christa Walthall (Scott Stultz), Jay Walthall, Denise (Michael) Redding, Paul (Meggin) Alexander; - great grandchildren: Grace, Gabriel and Jackson Atwood, Addison Stultz, Chloe and Lauren Redding, Noah Alexander.
Published in the Kansas City Star on 11/1/2008
Walthall, Dorothy L.
Dorothy passed away at the Garden Valley Nursing Home in Kansas City on October 31, 2008. She had recently celebrated her 92nd birthday. Her goal was to exceed the 91 years attained by her brother, James Brown of Independence, Kan., who passed away in 2004. Dorothy is to be cremated, and a memorial service held at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, November 4, at New Life Community Church, 10500 N. Central, Kansas City, Mo. The service will be followed by a brief ceremony at Green Lawn Cemetery, 8251 Hillcrest Road, Kansas City, Mo., where Dorothy will be buried beside her husband, H. Donald Walthall, who passed away in 1981 at age 69. Dorothy was born in Coffeyville, Kan., the only girl in a family of five children. Her parents were Joseph Augustus Brown and Bessie L. (Estes) Brown. Her four brothers, Jim, Jack, Warren, and Joe, are deceased. Three of her brothers served in WW II. Jack survived without physical impairment, but would never again sit behind a steering wheel. Warren was reported missing in action in 1943, and Joe died in 1995 of wounds suffered in the war 50 years before. Dorothy graduated from Field Kindley High School in Coffeyville in 1934, and attended Coffeyville junior college for several years. From 1936 to 1940 she worked as a clerk in Coffeyville's employment office. It was during this period that she met the young aviator and photographer who would become her husband. Don Walthall was also born and raised in Coffeyville. It is where he learned to fly, and went on to become a flight instructor. One of his most memorable pupils at the flying school was a gentleman named George Barnes. Don was later shocked to discover that Mr. Barnes was actually Ray Terrill, a notorious gangster of that era. Don was also interested in photography, and quickly developed a high level of expertise in that area. For a while, he was a partner in Coffeyville's MarDon photo shop. In 1939, he attended the World's Fair in California, and returned to Coffeyville so impressed that he decided to make California his home. He soon departed permanently for San Francisco and found work in his chosen field of photography. On May 5, 1940, Don returned to Coffeyville just long enough to marry Dorothy. Immediately following the ceremony, they were chauffeured to Independence, Kan., and boarded the Santa Fe Super Chief bound for Los Angeles. From L.A. it was on to Oakland, where Don had established residence. Less than two months after the birth of their son Phillip, Pearl Harbor was attacked. Widespread fear that California might be next prompted Don and Dorothy to return to Kansas. Dorothy had vivid memories of the car trip back to Kansas, and she loved to tell the story of her experiences in that fearful time while traveling as a new mother with a tiny baby. Back in Kansas, Don found work at the Boeing plant in Wichita. Defense factories all over the country were gearing- up for the war. In Wichita, this equated to a demand for housing that far exceeded the supply. The family was forced to split-up. Dorothy and baby Phillip lived in an apartment in Winfield, Kan., while Don lived in an apartment in Wichita. Don drove to Winfield on weekends, but they could not afford the phone service needed to communicate on a daily basis. After living apart for nearly a year, Don and Dorothy moved into a house in Wichita's "Hilltop Manor", an area of new housing for defense workers. At the end of the war Don was laid off at Boeing, but the family continued to live in Hilltop until shortly after the birth of their son Rex in late 1954. Following the layoff at Boeing, Don got back into photography. As a salesman he was required to work long hours, while Dorothy's full-time job was looking after the kids. There was never enough money for a family with four children, but somehow things worked out. For a while, Don supplemented his income by teaching color photography through the extension division of the University of Kansas. Then came the recession of 1958, and Don was laid off again. The family was also forced to split-up again. Dorothy and the kids remained in Wichita while Don found work in Kansas City. For about a year he lived alone in a small apartment, sending most of his paycheck to Dorothy. Finally, in August of 1959, Don rented a truck and moved the family to KC. Year after year of working long hours on his feet behind a sales counter took its toll on Don. So did his smoking habit and the bullet embedded above his left knee from an accidental gunshot wound at age 12. Don passed away in 1981, shortly after he and Dorothy had moved to the Garden Apartments in North Kansas City. Dorothy continued to live in North KC until 1998 when she moved to the Garden Village Apartments. In recent months her health deteriorated, making it necessary that she move to the adjacent Garden Valley Nursing Home. Although life was never easy for Dorothy she always made the best of what she had, and was a wonderful mother. Her childhood was bittersweet, but she concealed the bitter parts and told stories about the good times she had with her brothers and cousins. In addition to her own wonderful mother, Bessie, Dorothy was especially grateful to her grandmother, Josie Brown, and her aunt, Mary (Brown) Stumbaugh, for all their love and kindness. In 1926 Dorothy received a Bye-Lo baby doll as a Christmas gift from her aunt Mary. The doll became her most prized possession and has remained so for all these years, even providing comfort toward the end. Dorothy loved her Kansas heritage and enjoyed returning to southeastern Kansas for family reunions, high school reunions, and to visit with relatives. Her mother's branch of the Estes family migrated from North Carolina to the Cherryvale area in 1889, and their descendants continue to farm in southeastern Kansas. Her grandfather, Sealy Brown, came from England about 1860, and went first to California before coming to Kansas. In an interesting twist of fate, it was while in California that Sealy Brown forged a bond of friendship with Albert Estes, who was a brother to Dorothy's other grandfather, James Patterson Estes. Albert Estes brought Sealy Brown to Kansas. Don's family, the Walthalls, came from England in 1656 and settled in Virginia. His particular branch of the Walthall family left Virginia in 1833, migrating first to Indiana, then to Iowa in 1850. They came to Kansas in 1857, and farmed near Osawatomie. Survivors include - children: Phillip (Elizabeth), Eugene, Sheryl (David) Alexander, Rex; - grandchildren: Timothy Walthall, Rachel (Eric) Atwood, Christa Walthall (Scott Stultz), Jay Walthall, Denise (Michael) Redding, Paul (Meggin) Alexander; - great grandchildren: Grace, Gabriel and Jackson Atwood, Addison Stultz, Chloe and Lauren Redding, Noah Alexander.
Published in the Kansas City Star on 11/1/2008
