Dorothy was born to Walter & Ila (Coutchie) Warner. She was born with corneal ulcers and had to have one eye removed and replaced with a prosthetic. During her many eye surgeries, her father, feeling sorry for her, would say "the poor little toot-toot." Soon, this turned into "Tootie" and became a lasting nickname. She was my Dad's younger sister. She was named after two of her mother's sisters, Dorothy and Mae.
Her father was married twice. His first wife, their infant son and only daughter all died within a year's time. That left him with his two oldest boys, Howard and Clarence, to raise. A few years later, he met and married her mother. They had four children together: Marcella, Walter "Brother" (my dad), Dorothy "Tootie," and Duane "Chum."
Aunt Tootie grew up in Flint and married Alfred LaVern Cole there on June 29, 1946. They lived in Pierre, South Dakota, where Vern was from, for a short time before returning to Flint.
They had six children together: Candy, Richard, Cathy, Greg, Jim, and Kristen. Kristen died in infancy. Tootie and Vern later divorced. After he left her, she had to work several jobs to support herself and her children. But, even after all of that, she wasn't bitter. She simply would say that at least he gave her some beautiful children.
After years of struggling to get by, she met a wonderful man. They waited until they were both retired to get married.
She married John William DeShano on June 10, 1987 in Georgia. About a year later, they moved to Daytona Beach, Florida. Tootie and John were like newlyweds even after nearly two decades of marriage. They made a cute couple.
Aunt Tootie was tiny-- barely four feet ten and a quarter inches and would always say "Don't forget the quarter." In her older years, though, she said we could forget about it because she'd shrunk.
She was little, but she made up for it in personality. She was a lot of fun.
John passed away July 24, 2006. Tootie was also in ill health and her daughters took her home with them to Michigan after John died because she couldn't care for herself. She was diagnosed with Celiac Disease about that time. But, she wasn't able to recover and she died at her daughter, Cathy's home September 2, 2006.
Her father was married twice. His first wife, their infant son and only daughter all died within a year's time. That left him with his two oldest boys, Howard and Clarence, to raise. A few years later, he met and married her mother. They had four children together: Marcella, Walter "Brother" (my dad), Dorothy "Tootie," and Duane "Chum."
Aunt Tootie grew up in Flint and married Alfred LaVern Cole there on June 29, 1946. They lived in Pierre, South Dakota, where Vern was from, for a short time before returning to Flint.
They had six children together: Candy, Richard, Cathy, Greg, Jim, and Kristen. Kristen died in infancy. Tootie and Vern later divorced. After he left her, she had to work several jobs to support herself and her children. But, even after all of that, she wasn't bitter. She simply would say that at least he gave her some beautiful children.
After years of struggling to get by, she met a wonderful man. They waited until they were both retired to get married.
She married John William DeShano on June 10, 1987 in Georgia. About a year later, they moved to Daytona Beach, Florida. Tootie and John were like newlyweds even after nearly two decades of marriage. They made a cute couple.
Aunt Tootie was tiny-- barely four feet ten and a quarter inches and would always say "Don't forget the quarter." In her older years, though, she said we could forget about it because she'd shrunk.
She was little, but she made up for it in personality. She was a lot of fun.
John passed away July 24, 2006. Tootie was also in ill health and her daughters took her home with them to Michigan after John died because she couldn't care for herself. She was diagnosed with Celiac Disease about that time. But, she wasn't able to recover and she died at her daughter, Cathy's home September 2, 2006.
Dorothy was born to Walter & Ila (Coutchie) Warner. She was born with corneal ulcers and had to have one eye removed and replaced with a prosthetic. During her many eye surgeries, her father, feeling sorry for her, would say "the poor little toot-toot." Soon, this turned into "Tootie" and became a lasting nickname. She was my Dad's younger sister. She was named after two of her mother's sisters, Dorothy and Mae.
Her father was married twice. His first wife, their infant son and only daughter all died within a year's time. That left him with his two oldest boys, Howard and Clarence, to raise. A few years later, he met and married her mother. They had four children together: Marcella, Walter "Brother" (my dad), Dorothy "Tootie," and Duane "Chum."
Aunt Tootie grew up in Flint and married Alfred LaVern Cole there on June 29, 1946. They lived in Pierre, South Dakota, where Vern was from, for a short time before returning to Flint.
They had six children together: Candy, Richard, Cathy, Greg, Jim, and Kristen. Kristen died in infancy. Tootie and Vern later divorced. After he left her, she had to work several jobs to support herself and her children. But, even after all of that, she wasn't bitter. She simply would say that at least he gave her some beautiful children.
After years of struggling to get by, she met a wonderful man. They waited until they were both retired to get married.
She married John William DeShano on June 10, 1987 in Georgia. About a year later, they moved to Daytona Beach, Florida. Tootie and John were like newlyweds even after nearly two decades of marriage. They made a cute couple.
Aunt Tootie was tiny-- barely four feet ten and a quarter inches and would always say "Don't forget the quarter." In her older years, though, she said we could forget about it because she'd shrunk.
She was little, but she made up for it in personality. She was a lot of fun.
John passed away July 24, 2006. Tootie was also in ill health and her daughters took her home with them to Michigan after John died because she couldn't care for herself. She was diagnosed with Celiac Disease about that time. But, she wasn't able to recover and she died at her daughter, Cathy's home September 2, 2006.
Her father was married twice. His first wife, their infant son and only daughter all died within a year's time. That left him with his two oldest boys, Howard and Clarence, to raise. A few years later, he met and married her mother. They had four children together: Marcella, Walter "Brother" (my dad), Dorothy "Tootie," and Duane "Chum."
Aunt Tootie grew up in Flint and married Alfred LaVern Cole there on June 29, 1946. They lived in Pierre, South Dakota, where Vern was from, for a short time before returning to Flint.
They had six children together: Candy, Richard, Cathy, Greg, Jim, and Kristen. Kristen died in infancy. Tootie and Vern later divorced. After he left her, she had to work several jobs to support herself and her children. But, even after all of that, she wasn't bitter. She simply would say that at least he gave her some beautiful children.
After years of struggling to get by, she met a wonderful man. They waited until they were both retired to get married.
She married John William DeShano on June 10, 1987 in Georgia. About a year later, they moved to Daytona Beach, Florida. Tootie and John were like newlyweds even after nearly two decades of marriage. They made a cute couple.
Aunt Tootie was tiny-- barely four feet ten and a quarter inches and would always say "Don't forget the quarter." In her older years, though, she said we could forget about it because she'd shrunk.
She was little, but she made up for it in personality. She was a lot of fun.
John passed away July 24, 2006. Tootie was also in ill health and her daughters took her home with them to Michigan after John died because she couldn't care for herself. She was diagnosed with Celiac Disease about that time. But, she wasn't able to recover and she died at her daughter, Cathy's home September 2, 2006.
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