Dorothy M. Cary

Dorothy M. Cary, 87, of Fort Madison, Iowa formerly of Mason City, died Monday, January 8, 2007 at the Fort Madison Community Hospital. Funeral services will be held 10:30 AM Saturday at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue with Rev. James Magelssen, Trinity Lutheran Church officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 PM Friday at Major Erickson Funeral Home and continue at the funeral home one hour prior to services. Memorials may be given to the Dorthy M. Cary Memorial Fund. Dorothy, one of six children born to Frank and Mamie (Moe) Skalicky was born on a cold winter day, December 19, 1919 in Mason City, Iowa. She was baptized and confirmed at the ?old? Trinity Lutheran Church on South Pennsylvania Avenue. She attended Monroe Grade School through 8th grade and graduated from Mason City High School in 1937. Following high school, Dorothy attended Hamilton Business College. On April 12, 1942, Dorothy married Harold M. Cary of Clear Lake, Iowa in Champaign, Illinois. They raised two sons, Harold Jr. and Roger and two daughters, Virginia and Linda. After being discharged from the US Air Corp. Harold Sr. worked as a mechanic at the Hunter-Sedars garage for a few years before farming near Otter Tail, Minnesota for 8 ½ years. During this time Dorothy devoted her time to helping Harold run the farm and raising their children. They later returned to Mason City where Dorothy worked as a secretary at Mason City Blueprint, Cerro Gordo County Courthouse in the Recorders office and Torgerson Realty. Following retirement, them moved to a home on the Mississippi River near Nauvoo, Illinois. After Harold?s death in 1993, Dorothy moved to Fort Madison and in October of 2003 she moved in with her daughter, Linda and remained there until her death. Dorothy loved to quilt, giving many quilts to her family. She also enjoyed crocheting, sewing and baking bread, doughnuts and cookies. Other favorite pastimes included word puzzles, crosswords, cyphers, computer games and e-mailing friends and family. Her favorite family activity was playing card games with the people she loved, even if such games resulted in waking the neighbors. She also collected Fiesta Dishes with a passion. Dorothy?s motto was, Live well, laugh often, love much. Dorothy is survived by her children, Harold Cary Jr. and wife Carol of Mason City, Roger of Red Banks, Mississippi, Virginia Creekmur and husband David of Skyland, North Carolina and Linda Schulz of Fort Madison; nine grandchildren, Harold Cary III, David Cary, Sandra Thompson, Barbara Kingery, Kim McKissack, Brent Cary, Dorinda Blankenship, Elizabeth and Emily Schulz; twelve great grandchildren; sisters, June Hanna and Frances Tibbits and husband Lawrence. Dorothy is preceded in death by her parents, husband Harold Sr.; brothers, Floyd and Harold Skalicky; sister, Marjorie Kaufman; sisters-in-law, Kate and Mary Skalicky, Amy Cary Sheldon Holstad and Doris Cary Johnson; brothers-in-law, Tom Hanna, C.E. ?Buck? Sheldon, John Kaufman and William Johnson; son-in-law, Gerald Schulz.

Visitation:
6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue on January 12, 2007 (map/driving directions) 12:30 PM to 12:30 PM at 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue on January 9, 2007 (map/driving directions)

Service:
10:30 AM at 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue on January 13, 2007 (map/driving directions)