Dorothy Curran

Dorothy Curran, 91, of 62 Lakeview Drive, died Thursday, May 3, 2007 at the Muse Norris Hospice Inpatient Unit. Funeral services will be held 10:30 AM Monday at the First United Methodist Church, 119 S. Georgia with Rev. Jim Stiles officiating. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 PM Sunday at Major Erickson Funeral Home, 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue. Memorials may be given to the Dorothy Curran Memorial Fund. Dorothy was born November 11, 1915 in Britt, Iowa the daughter of Cleo and Veronica (Victoria) Foster. She graduated from Britt High School, then worked for Pritchard Auto Company prior to her marriage. Dorothy married Leigh R. Curran March 10, 1937 in the Little Brown Church, Nashua. The Currans moved to Mason City in 1937. Dorothy was an active member of the community volunteering her time and talents for many groups and organizations in North Iowa. She was an active member of the First United Methodist Church, served on the board of Trustees and Church Council, past president of United Methodist Women, and was a delegate to General Conference, Jurisdictional Conferences as well as Iowa Annual Conference. Dorothy was a 4-H leader for 28 years and on the 4-H County Committee, Farm Bureau Women County Chairperson, taught Red Cross First Aid and Home Nursing Classes and served on the Disaster Team. She served as secretary to her husband in the Iowa Legislature and was voted Queen of the Senate. She was a member of Eastern Star, White Shrine, PEO Chapter DZ, Questors and was past president of the YWCA. Dorothy served on the North Iowa Medical Center Foundation Board, the hospital?s philanthropic arm, was a charter member of the Mason City Foundation and a member of the screening committee for the Elizabeth Muse Norris Charitable Fund since its inception in 1983. Some of her numerous awards include Seratoma Mankind, Seventh Day Adventist Community Service Award, Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizen, Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship Award, American Hospital Association Volunteer Award and in 2000 Dorothy received the Meredith Willson Heritage Award from the Mason City Foundation. Dorothy is survived by her daughters, Kaye McDonald of Moraga, California, Jane Burley of Eden Prairie, Minnesota and Gail Curran of Alexandria, Virginia; grandchildren, Michelle Smith and husband A.J. of Alabaster, Alabama, Curtis McDonald and wife Mary of Pleasant Hill, California; great grandchildren, Kayla, James, Victoria, Laura and Valencia; sister, Merry Lou Shaw and husband Alfred of Wayne, Pennsylvania; sisters-in-law, Mary Beth Foster of Mason City, Colleen Foster of Mason City and Lucile Cannon of San Diego, California; brother-in-law, Marvin Schoneman of Garner; many niece and nephews. Dorothy is preceded in death by her parents, husband, Leigh; brothers, John and David Foster; sisters, Victoria Thorley and Kathleen Schoneman; son-in-law, Robert Burley.

Visitation:
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue on May 6, 2007 (map/driving directions) 12:00 PM to 12:00 PM at 111 N. Pennsylvania Avenue on May 4, 2007 (map/driving directions)

Service:
10:30 AM at on May 7, 2007 (map/driving directions)