By: John Winright
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
What a pleasure it was to meet with Dorothy Walter and two of her daughters, Janet and Kay, at the Pioneer Senior Center, where a birthday party was taking place in her honor.
Dorothy Walter was born on May 11, 1915 on the family farm in Quinshan, which is close to Gibsonburg, OH. Her parents were Iler and Osie Fausey. She has one brother, Iler, Jr.
Growing up on the farm Dorothy remembers her parents would set the kids under a tree with a blanket where they could watch them as they worked in the fields. Also as they grew older the kids would help out on the farm as needed and one of the fondest memories was delivering homemade bread to various folks in the community.
She also remembers having baby chicks upstairs in the house to keep them warm during the colder parts of the calendar year.
Being raised on the farm has left many fond memories for her over the years and it has impacted her life in a very positive way.
She attended grade school in Towney, Ohio and high School in Gibsonburg. In high school Dorothy played basketball and was very good. Other schools actually wanted her to attend their schools because of her talent. She also was on the track team where she ran anchor as she was the fastest one on her team. Dorothy and a friend were the smallest ones on the team, but the most talented runners. Dorothy also played the trumpet in the band.
Dorothy was married to Charles Clark in 1934. Charles played the tuba and she played the trumpet in the church orchestra and they also participated in the choir.
She remembers getting their first TV in the 1960’s, which of course was black and white as color had not been introduced yet. She was actually home sick that day, and the delivery of the TV lifted her spirits substantially.
Then in 1970 she married Berton Walter and they moved to Fostoria where he was a mailman.
She is the proud mother of five daughters, Carol Keesecker, Ann Lane , Betty Hughes, Janet Pertner and Kay Oldham. In addition she has nine grandchildren, eleven great- grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
While raising her daughters, Dorothy never missed an event that they were participating in and was a Brownie Leader and Girl Scout Leader. One highlight of these years was attending Girl Scout Camp at Kelly’s Island in Lake Erie.
In the 1960’s she was employed at Atlas industries, where they manufactured crankshafts in Gibsonburg.
It was also in the 1960’s that Dorothy took her first plane ride in a prop airplane which she did not enjoy but years later in the early 2000’s she had the opportunity to fly to Colorado and she enjoyed that trip very much.
Over the years she has enjoyed going to Hocking Hills State Park and hiking. Going into the caves and also looking for “Jack in The Pulpit” flowers along the trails. She still goes there whenever she gets a chance.
She loved going to camp sites in a pop-up camper at KOA and fellowshipping with everyone, especially while sitting out by the campfire in the evenings.
She did spend a few years “snow birding” in Texas which she enjoyed very much.
Dorothy’s son-in-law was in charge of the Boy Scout Camp just outside of Pioneer here in Williams County, so in the 1980’s Dorothy made the move here.
Her home just outside of Pioneer consists of several acres with a pond and Dorothy mowed and maintained this property until 2013 or the age of 98. This is something that she tremendously enjoyed for several years.
Along with that Dorothy has always enjoyed gardening, camping, her dogs, cats and birds, butterflies, and flowers.
In Pioneer Dorothy has attended the United Methodist Church, The Pioneer Senior Center, and enjoyed attending concerts in Bryan, Ohio.
Dorothy leaves a very positive impression on one with the life she has lived and with what she has learned over the years. She says she never smoked or drank and when
asked what she has learned in her life, she says, “Stay on the go and keep busy and you will live a long time”.
What do you enjoy? “Angel Food Cake on my birthday.” And on the center table at the senior center there sat a big angel food cake for this wonderful lady!
John may be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com