Dorothy E. Mckeighan

Dorothy Elizabeth McKeighan, 102, died at 6:32 am on August 18, 2016, at Lavender Ridge Dignified Memory Care in Mount Vernon, Illinois.
She was born on November 7, 1913 in Westphalia, Iowa, one of Martin and Anna (Greiner) Kaufmann’s 13 children. She married Earl McKeighan at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Westphalia, Iowa on September 6, 1938. He preceded her in death on November 10, 2000.
Dorothy was also preceded in death by her parents as well as all of her brothers and sisters, including the eight who survived to adulthood: brothers Pete, George, Joe and Pat; sisters Cecelia, Emma, Mary, and Rose; infant son, John, and an adult daughter, Melinda McKeighan Powers.
Dorothy and Earl raised their family in Denison, Iowa. She relocated to Mount Vernon in 2002 and resided, until recently, at GreenTree Assisted Living.
She is survived by three daughters: Dr. Ann M. Lee of Summerfield, Florida; Mary K. Sanghvi and husband Ajit of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Teresa M. Clark and husband James of Mount Vernon, Illinois. Dorothy was blessed with eleven grandchildren: Kathleen Bain and husband Bruce of Novato, California; David Compton and wife Melissa of Fishers, Indiana; Anne-Marie Turner and husband Mark of Ocala, Florida; John Compton and wife Jennie of Sarasota, Florida; Lance Powers of California; Nilam Sanghvi and husband Stephen Fogdall of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Kristin Miller and husband Scott of Sycamore, Illinois; Brendan J. Clark and wife Catherine of Denver, Colorado; Sean Clark and wife Claire of Berwyn, Illinois; Kyle Clark and wife Caitlin of High Ridge, Missouri; Colin Clark and special friend Jill Murphy of St. Louis Missouri; fourteen great-grandchildren: Caitlin Bain; Hannah and Austin Compton; Kayla and Zachary Oetjen; Jack Compton; Nathan, Lucas, and Joshua Miller; Keighan and Callum Clark; and Eva Teresa Clark; step great-grandchildren: Collin & Zach Hartman; several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
As a member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Denison, Iowa, Dorothy was involved in the music ministry as an organist and served as President of the Altar Society. She was presented with the Catholic Marian Award for outstanding leadership in Girl Scouting and was an active volunteer in the Crawford County (Iowa) Hospital Auxiliary and the local chapter of the American Cancer Society. Never one to have idle hands, she also made layettes and rosaries for the missions. In her 90’s, she was named a “Christmas Angel” and featured in the local paper for her work in knitting countless washcloths used in the care of Hospice patients.
Dorothy supported Earl’s successful business ventures in Denison, operating a Standard Oil service station and then owning and operating a car dealership. She was an accomplished seamstress, running a sewing business in her Denison home. While at GreenTree, she continued sewing for other residents. Her “profits” were always used to do something special for her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She loved planting and tending flower and vegetable gardens with Earl and planting an orchard that included blackberries, raspberries, grapes, nut and fruit trees. Grandchildren’s visits to Denison found them assisting Grandma and Grandpa in their orchard and gardens and filling feeders that welcomed feathered friends and hungry squirrels alike.
Most of all, Dorothy loved to listen and observe as family members socialized and told stories around a cup of coffee and her homemade pies and cakes. The secret to her longevity was the many cups of coffee she enjoyed daily, well into her second century.
Denison, Iowa is the hometown of Oscar winner Donna Reed, who starred in the Christmas classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Dorothy enjoyed a wonderful 102 years of life in Iowa and Mount Vernon, Illinois, surrounded by family and friends and people who cared about her.