Dorothy Ellen (Dot) Lee was born on Sept. 3, 1927, in Elsie to Alice and Oscar Lee. She passed from this life peacefully on Jan. 3, 2022, in Greeley, Colorado at Fair Acres Manor. Dot moved from place to place growing up wherever her father found work as a farm hand. She finished her education in Ogallala, and it was there she met and married Vernon Zimmerman in 1947. Vernon and Dot continued to move around Colorado, Nebraska and Ohio with Vernon working for Great Western Sugar. To this union, six children were born, Ron, Linda, Carol, Marlene, Allen and Mark. Carol died as an infant and Allen passed of a heart attack at the age of 42 in 1998. Dot and Vern had many happy years together until his passing of cancer in 1978. In 1984, she married Richard (Dick) Ward in Greeley, Colorado, and moved to Loveland, Colorado. Three more children were happily added to the family, Beth, Garth and Donald. They also bought a cabin in the Poudre Canyon where the family gathered for many years to fish, hike, cook and relax together. Dick was very skilled at woodworking which led to many projects together building things like hutches, cabinets and decks. Dot's attention to detail made her perfect for the job of "sander." Dick passed away in 2008. Dot also enjoyed arrowhead hunting, garage sales and dancing. She spent many hours combing the pastures for arrowheads and garage sales for good deals! In her later years she would gather her friends and attend many of the senior dances in the Northern Colorado area. In 2017, when she entered the assisted living in Loveland at Columbine, they were amazed at how her 90-year-old friend Betty Sheneman would come pick her up and the two would go off to a dance on Friday night! She loved the annual Lee family picnic in Ogallala and attended every year until her health kept her from traveling. Dot could be found attending school and athletic events for all her grand- and great-grandchildren as long as she was able. She was fun and full of energy. She is preceded in death by her husbands, Vernon and Richard; son, Allen; sons-in-law, Gene Elder and Phillip Sprague; daughter, Carol; sisters, Ann, Donna and Kay; and brothers, Bob and John. Dot is survived by her children, 14 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, six great-great-grandchildren and a brother, Dale Lee of Gordon. An open house memorial will be from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23, at Windsong Estate Event Center, 2901 Saddler Blvd., Severance, Colorado.
Published by North Platte Telegraph on Jan. 16, 2022.