Dorleen E. Witt Obituary (1923

Dorleen E. Witt, 91, of Cedar Falls, Iowa and formerly of Oelwein, Iowa died on Tuesday morning, May 6, 2014 at the Martin Health Center of the Western Home in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Funeral Services: 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, May 10, 2014 at the Jamison-Schmitz Funeral Home in Oelwein, Iowa; Officiating: Rev. Ruth Ratliff; Visitation: from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. on Friday at the funeral home and after 9:00 A.M. on Saturday; Interment: Eastside Cemetery at Elkader, Iowa at 12 Noon on Saturday. Memorials may be given in her name to the Cedar Bend Humane Society, the Western Home Foundation or directed to the family. Onlone Obituary at: www.jamisonschmitzfuneralhome.com Dorleen E. Aulerich was born on March 26, 1923, the daughter of Emil F. and Amelia D. (Schultz) Aulerich, at her parents farm home near Luana, Iowa. She was baptized at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Monona, Iowa. Dorleen graduated from Luana Consolidated School at Luana, Iowa in 1940 and received her BS degree from Iowa State College at Ames, Iowa in 1944. Following her graduation, she worked at North American Aircraft in Los Angeles, California as a riveter on a P-51 fighter plane assembly line. In 1945 she returned to Iowa and taught at Durant and then Elkader high schools. On August 7, 1946 she married Donald C. Witt. They established their home in Elkader where Mr. Witt was a partner in the William J. Witt & Sons Funeral Home. To their union were born three children: William (Karen Franczyk) of Cedar Falls, Carol of Fayette and Donna (Michael Mettler) of Indianola. Following her husband's death on February 6, 1971, Dorleen completed graduate work at the University of Northern Iowa at Cedar Falls, Ia. She worked as a supervisor in the Clayton County homemaker health aid service from 1972 to 1974 and then as consumer representative for Interstate Power Co. in Oelwein from 1974 until her retirement in 1988. Dorleen was active in church and community organizations. She joined the PEO Sisterhood in 1948 and filled many roles, served 19 years with the Oelwein Area council of churches including 3 years as president, was information director for the Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Iowa, volunteered for the United Way and several other groups. She was a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Oelwein and following her move to Cedar Falls she joined the congregation of St. Luke's Episcopal Church. In 1997 she was recognized in Who's Who of American Women. In retirement, Dorleen enjoyed traveling and attending Elderhostels. She was known for her love of animals and in particular for her care and rehabilitation of neglected and abused dogs. She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband. She is survived by her children and a sister, Florence Bruns of Monona, Ia.