Funeral services for Dorothy Ware, age 86 of formerly of Bedford, who died Tuesday, March 16, 2010 in Albuquerqu, New Mexico will be held Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. at the Ritchie Funeral Home in Bedford. Visitation will be Sunday from 1:00 until service time with the family greeting friends. Interment will be held in the Ohio Cemetery in Burlington Junction. Memorials may be directed to the United Presbyterian Church in Bedford. Memories can be shared with the family at www.ritchiefuneralhome.com. Arrangements were entrusted to the Ritchie Funeral Home of Bedford. Dorothy Mae Ware was born May 11, 1923 in Burlington Junction, MO to William and Ulva Walton of Omaha , NE. She lived in Omaha until the seventh grade when her family moved to Maryville, Missouri. She lived there for two years and then her parents moved to Burlington Junction, Missouri. Dorothy attended high school there until her senior year when at the age of 15 she married William Ware and became a farmer’s wife for the next forty years. Dorothy had other occupations besides being a farmer’s wife and Mother. She worked at the Hopkins Journal and wrote a popular column called “Dot’s Dashes.” She obtained her GED in 1967 and in the fall of 1968 her son Mick and daughter Linda enrolled her at Northwest MO State University as a freshman. At the time Linda (the youngest) was a senior, Mick (the next youngest) was a junior, and Dave (the oldest) was a sophomore. She received her degree in Art Education 1972, and taught at Clearfield, IA for several years. Dorothy was a talented artist and enjoyed oil and water color painting, making jewelry, and making pottery. She was very skilled as a seamstress and made many of her children’s clothes while they were growing up. She designed and made all the clothes for her daughter Linda’s wedding as well as baking and decorating the wedding cake. She did lots of other arts and crafts and gave them as gifts to family and friends. She was very literary, wrote poetry and had two of her poems published in a volume of MO poetry. She will be remembered in St. Joseph, Missouri, where she lived for some years, as being a master quilter. Dorothy joined a quilting group when she returned to Bedford and enjoyed many good times with her fellow quilters. She pieced and hand quilted many beautiful works of art that she has shared with her family. After Bill’s retirement they traveled extensively in Europe, England, Alaska, and the U.S. They spent their winters in Texas and summers in Woodland Park, Colorado where they kept a summer cabin. With the death of her husband, Bill, in February of 2006, she decided to move to Albuquerque, New Mexico to live with daughter Linda. Her furry best friend, “Tigger” the cat, accompanied her. While living in Albuquerque she and Linda took several trips throughout the U.S. and Canada. Dorothy filled her time by quilting, reading lots of mystery novels and going to lunch with friends. Dorothy leaves behind three children—Dave Ware and his wife Rickie of Mountain Home, Idaho, Mick Ware and his wife Diane of Bedford, IA, and Linda Ware of Albuquerque, New Mexico; six grandchildren—Theresa, Michael, Paul, Amy, Joe, and Jason (who preceded her in death in 2002) and four great-grandchildren—Ryan, Hunter Lynn, Ryleigh Belle, and Kaitlyn. Dorothy Mae Ware will be remembered for her warmth, compassion and wonderful sense of humor. She was blessed with great family and friends, all of whom she loved dearly. She will be truly missed.

Source:  www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/dorothy–ware-obituary