Obituary of Dorothy M. Weedman

Dorothy Marie (Wilkening) Weedman, 91, of Coralville, died on Thursday, October 19, at Windmill Manor in Coralville, Iowa.

Dorothy was born in Chicago Heights, IL, the daughter of Harold Wilkening and Anna (Anderson) Wilkening. She graduated from Bloom Township High School in Chicago Heights, IL, and went on to earn her BA from Carleton College. She met her husband, William (Bill) Weedman in Freshman Psych, where she caught his attention with her excellent notes in shorthand. They married in 1953, two days after their graduation.

While her husband fulfilled his military obligations, she worked as a secretary at Fort Knox, Fort Benjamin Harrison, and Fort Meade. After Bill’s military service, the couple moved to Defiance, OH, where their first child, William Jr, was born. Dorothy and Bill then moved to Kaukauna WI, where their daughter, Ann, was born. When her kids were very young, Dorothy was a stay-at-home mom. In 1966 she completed Elementary Education courses at Western Michigan University to become a third-grade teacher in Battle Creek, Michigan.

In 1971, she earned a Masters Degree in Library Science from Rosary College (now Dominican University), and served her community in a variety of positions in the Oak Park, IL and River Forest, IL public libraries. She continued to be a strong proponent for reading, believing that if you could read, you could teach yourself anything.

After she and her husband retired in 1988, they opened a business called Pottery House in Door County, WI. They enjoyed their years selling American-made pottery and dinnerware, but after 10 years decided to sell the business to spend their time volunteering. She enjoyed delivering Meals on Wheels and volunteering at a food bank. After the death of her husband, Dorothy moved to the Iowa City area to be near her daughter’s family and her sister.

Dorothy was a great cook and baker who loved to feed family and friends. She was an avid vegetable and flower gardener, and made a plethora of pickles, and many varieties of jam and preserves. Not surprisingly, Dorothy had a massive collection of cookbooks. Her father once observed, “Dorothy reads cookbooks like they’re novels.” One of the legacies Dorothy leaves to her family are her Christmas cookie recipes written in her own handwriting and her vast selection of cookie cutters.

Dorothy was a life-long Lutheran, who only missed church on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day, when she stayed home to prepare huge meals for the extended family. She enjoyed volunteering Sunday mornings in her church’s nursery and as a substitute organist. Dorothy loved children: her own kids and grandkids, her students, the children at church, and the kids who visited her libraries. The highlight of her last few months of life was seeing daily photos of her great-granddaughter, Veronica and getting updates on her development.

She was an avid Chicago Cubs fan who loved her team whether they won or lost, though she was thrilled when her team won the World Series in 2016.

Dorothy is survived by her son, William (Bill Jr); daughter, Ann Roller; son-in-law Richard; grandchildren, Katharine and Benjamin; granddaughter-in-law, Chloe; and great-granddaughter, Veronica. She is also survived by her Wilkening nieces and nephews in Virginia and Florida and other extended family in Texas.

Dorothy’s family would like to thank the caregivers, staff, and fellow residents at Windmill Manor for their kind and nurturing care of Dorothy.

A short memorial service will be held at Windmill Manor, 2332 Liberty Dr., Coralville, on Saturday, October 28 at 10 am.  The burial will take place next spring in Illinois on Dorothy's birthday.

Memorials in Dorothy’s name can be shared with your favorite food pantry or public library – institutions about which Dorothy herself felt passionate.