Dorothy Waggoner

A livestream of the Funeral Mass is available below. 

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing to eternal life of Dorothy Ann Waggoner, 97, of Urbandale, Iowa, on April 11, 2025. Dorothy (Dottie) was born on July 22, 1927 in Anamosa, Iowa to Wenceslaus Marek and Alvina T. Bakula. She was the youngest of seven siblings.

Dottie and some of her siblings attended a one room school, but that did not impede her ability to flourish academically. She proudly attended Iowa State University and was a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority. After attending Iowa State, she helped her older brother Durward set up his veterinary practice. Another of Dottie’s older brothers, Maynard, introduced her to his good friend Leo Waggoner at a family party. Leo told Maynard that Dottie was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The rest, as they say, “was history.” Dottie and Leo were married on August 16, 1947 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Stone City, Iowa. They spent 63 blissful years as husband and wife and welcomed seven children who they lovingly nurtured together and were their greatest source of joy.

Dottie displayed a wide variety of talents as a wife and mother. She baked homemade glazed donuts and superb wedding cakes. She was an expert seamstress that could sew dresses for her daughters, whole outfits for her children, curtains for the family home, as well as upholstery covers for treasured pieces of furniture. Her talents extended to the outdoors and Dottie was an incredibly skilled gardener as well. She took special pride in the wide variety of Hosta plants contained in her home garden. Her children fondly recall Dottie and Leo traveling to their homes, some over 300 miles away, with a load of Hostas to be transplanted to extend the reach of Dottie’s gardening expertise.

While Leo traveled the state working for the Iowa Farm Bureau, Dottie took on a multitude of roles at home to support their children. In addition to the traditional jobs of a wife and mother, Dottie also was a cheerleader, religious counselor and disciplinarian. She was the ultimate multi-tasker and spent a tremendous amount of time chauffeuring her seven children to a wide variety of activities, including team sport lessons and games, theatrical classes and debates, to name just a few. She engaged in all of these tasks with great love and exceptional intelligence but always imbued with the commitment to her Catholic faith.

Dottie and Leo and the family enjoyed annual family vacations in their Porta Camper and RV camper, visiting many national parks, such as Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone and the Tetons. A special favorite location of Dottie and the family was the cabins at Lake Okoboji, Iowa. Dottie was especially pleased when the children married and their own families joined in the fun at the Lake. She always made sure that there was enough homemade food for everyone.

After Leo’s passing in 2010, Dottie’s home continued to be the center of many family gatherings, especially the extraordinary annual Thanksgiving feasts. Dottie would make pies, Rice Krispie treats and “puppy chow” for everyone and was especially pleased when her grandchildren would enjoy the extraordinary Grandma Dot cuisine. When the crew arrived, Dottie would often say, with a chuckle, “I don’t have much food in the house” but after the main meal, the two refrigerators would be overflowing with leftovers.

Dottie’s deep and powerful love for all of her family was evident in everything she did – from completing the mending of clothes brought to her by a child in large bags to sending a birthday card to every family member until her failing eyesight kept her from writing out the cards. Her limitless love for her family was only rivaled by her profound Catholic faith. She supported her parish by bringing homemade kolaches and divinity to Church activities. She enjoyed attending daily Mass and then meeting after Mass at Hardee’s with a group of fellow churchgoers for coffee and sharing stories of their families’ activities. When she could no longer drive to Mass, she then began watching daily Mass online. Her devotion to the Blessed Virgin was reflected in the lovely statues in her hosta garden, as well as her frequent recitation of the holy rosary.

While engaging in conversations with her children and grandchildren, Dottie’s extraordinary intelligence and wit were always present. Much like Leo, if requested, she would offer wise counsel on topics from home repair to planning of family events. She was always compassionate and sympathetic to the plight of others – be it a family member, friend or a stranger. Her classic words of wisdom to her family were “If you do not have anything nice to say about someone, do not say it at all.”

Dottie is survived by four sons, David (Lisa), Greg (Carol), both of Crystal Lake, Illinois, Brad (Kathy) Waukee, and Brian (Julie) Clive and three daughters: Mary Ann (Craig) Athen, Omaha, Nebraska, Cathy (Jim) Porter, Madison, Wisconsin, and Sue (Bob) Cimino, Omaha, Nebraska; twenty-three grandchildren, twenty-seven great-grandchildren, with three more great-grandchildren expected in 2025.

Dottie was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Leo Waggoner on July 29, 2010, and her siblings; brothers: Edward Marek, Durward Paul Marek, Maynard Marek and sisters: Alvina Boos, Irene Ayers, Mary Delores Marek.

The family wishes to express a special thank you to Dottie’s very exceptional caregivers. They include Sarah Waggoner, the Home Instead team, St. Croix Hospice staff, Mary Lee Phelan, a dear friend who brought Dottie Holy Communion to her home, numerous priests from St. Pius who visited Dottie and Joe and Ella Waggoner. Thank you for giving Dottie so much genuine love and thoughtful care.

The Mass of Christian Burial for Dottie will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on April 14, 2025 at St.Pius X Catholic Church, 3663 66th St. Urbandale, Iowa 50322. A visitation will be held at the church from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. prior to the Mass. A coffee and donut reception will be offered immediately following the Mass at St. Pius X. The family will have private graveside services at Resthaven Cemetery, West Des Moines, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Pius X Catholic Church, 3663 66th Street, Urbandale, IA at: www.stpiusxurbandale.org.