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Obituary for Dorothy M. Mendenhall
Dorothy M. Mendenhall Dec. 29, 1922 – May 11, 2011 Dorothy M. Mendenhall passed away at a local care facility in Brookings on May 11, 2011. She was 88. Dorothy was born December 29, 1922 in Des Moines, IA to Charles and Isabelle (Brewer) Higdon. She grew up and attended school there until entering the US Navy during WWII. While in the Navy, she served as a nurse at the Naval Hospital in Long Beach, CA. While there, she met William “Bill” Mendenhall whom she would later marry in Long Beach on September 10, 1946. They moved to Santa Monica. Dorothy operated a dry cleaning company that served many of the producers and director in Hollywood. She and Bill retired to Brookings in 1989 where they were active in the Elks Lodge and Dorothy in the Emblem Club. She enjoyed playing cards, sewing, watching the Golden Girls and monthly trips to Lucky 7. Survivors include her sons, William “Willie” Mendenhall and his wife, Sally of Brookings, Charles A. Mendenhall and his companion, Jill of Brookings, grandchildren, Vanessa Degree and her husband, Lindsy of Sandy, OR, Jessica Carter and her husband, Zach of Oregon City, OR and Erika Cartwright and her husband, Joe of Kingman, AZ. Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Bill in 2009 and a brother, Leroy Higdon. Memorial contributions may be made to the S.M.A.R.T. Reading Program, 170 South 2nd Street Suite 205, Coos Bay, OR 97420. No public ceremony will be held.
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