Dorothy Cunningham
Dorothy A. Cunningham, 95, of Waukon died Friday, January 24, 2020 at Good Samaritan Center in Waukon. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, January 29 at 11 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon, with Fr. Mark Osterhaus officiating. Burial with military rites will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Waukon. Friends may call from 9:30 a.m. until time of service at the church Wednesday.
Dorothy Anastacia Cunningham was born June 28, 1924 on the Hanover Township, rural Waukon farm of her parents, Willard Frederick and Anna Marie (Healy) Cunningham. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Hanover, attended Hanover #4 Elementary School and St. Patrick’s High School in Waukon for three years. She graduated from St. Joseph Academy in Des Moines in June of 1942 while living with an older sister.
In March of 1943 she began work in Des Moines for the U.S. Department of Internal Revenue. In August of 1944, during World War II, she enlisted in the U.S. Army Corps. Upon completing basic training at Fort Des Moines in Iowa, she started active duty at Ft. Coffeyville Army Air Field in Coffeyville, KS. Later she was transferred to the 3rd Air Force Headquarters in Tampa, FL, and then to Langley Field in Virginia. Staff Sergeant Cunningham was discharged July 5, 1946.
Following a short time at home, she attended Drake University in Des Moines for a year and then joined the active U.S. Army Reserves until her discharge in 1963. By that time she had transferred to the V.A. Medical Hospital in Des Moines as Secretary to the Chief of Medical Services. After a total of 32 years of Federal service she retired and moved back to Waukon to live with her sister, Helen Cunningham.
Dorothy enjoyed being close to her extended family and family gatherings were always a treat. She traveled often to visit her older sisters and their families as their careers took them to many places across the country. After Helen’s death she found comfort with her brother Leo Cunningham’s children and their families. Her other siblings’ families were frequent visitors and kept Aunt Dorothy in the loop with letters and phone calls. She cherished her neighbors and attended church services at St. Patrick Church.
As her health failed, she became a resident at the Waukon Good Samaritan Center where she was grateful for the wonderful care she received. She always loved her Irish heritage with its humor and wit.
Dorothy was predeceased by her parents; all her siblings: Rita Schuster, Alice Cameron, Helen Cunningham, and Earl, Willard “Leo” and Thomas Cunningham; a niece, Rachel Smith; and a nephew, William E. Cunningham. Surviving are seven nieces and nephews: Joe (Mary) Cunningham, Ann Fossum, Dan (Sharon) Cunningham and Kay (Virgil) Johnson, all of Waukon, Elaine Schuster of Chicago, IL, John (Patricia) Schuster of Columbus, OH and Mary Ann (Doug) Evanoff of Park Ridge, IL. Numerous great-nieces and great-nephews and great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews are scattered around the country. Dorothy loved and enjoyed them all.
Casket bearers are Joe and Dan Cunningham, Virgil Johnson, John Schuster, Doug Evanoff and Steven Smith. Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
