Dorothea A. (McNamara) Nichols

Dorothea Nichols, 89, of Fort Worth, Texas passed away Friday April 17, 2015.  Burial will be in the Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion, Iowa, where Dorothea lived for 67 years before moving to Fort Worth in March, 2014.

Funeral services for Dorothea Nichols  will be held at 10:30 AM on Monday, April 27, 2015 at the First Lutheran Church, 420 1st Street North West in Clarion, with Pastor Grant Woodley officiating. 

Visitation will be held on Sunday, April 26, 2015 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Ewing Funeral Home, 1801 Central Avenue East in Clarion, and will continue one hour prior to the services at the church on Monday.

Dorothea Ane McNamara was born July 20, 1925 in Mason City, Iowa to Ellsworth and Dorthea (Andersen) McNamara.  Dorothea attended country school until 3^rd grade, then Nora Springs, Iowa schools, graduating from Nora Springs High School in 1943.

Dorothea received a nursing scholarship, and attended nursing school in Sioux City, Iowa, then Mason City, graduating with her R.N. from St. Joseph Mercy College of Nursing in September, 1946.  She worked at Mercy Hospital in Mason City for a time.

Dorothea was united in marriage to Herbert Lester on August 18, 1947 at Evangelical Lutheran Church in Nora Springs.  The couple made their home in Clarion, Iowa, where they raised their 4 children.  Dorothea worked as a nurse at Clarion Bird hospital, Clarion Community Memorial Hospital, and the Clarion Clinic until 1985, when she retired.  After retirement she did volunteer nursing in the community, and was active in First Lutheran Church in Clarion.

Herb and Dorothea shared similar interests, enjoying golfing and playing bridge and other card games.  They loved to travel and spend time with their children and grandchildren.  Many family gatherings included a friendly game of poker.

After Herb died in 1999, Dorothea was united in marriage to Eugene Nichols on July 29, 2000 at First Lutheran Church in Clarion.    Dorothea and Gene both volunteered at the Clarion hospital, traveled around the country, and loved spending time with all their children and grandchildren.  Many of their trips included stops at casinos, where Dorothea loved to play the slots.

Dorothea is survived by: daughter Maureen Lester of Fort Worth; daughter Karen (Roger) Stromsness of Fort Worth; son Craig Lester of Haltom City, Texas;  son Dave (Shirley) Lester of Polk City, Iowa;  grandchildren Thad (Cathy) Pearson, Angela (Keith) Larsen, Kelly (Chris) Bennett, Chad Stromsness, and Michael Littlejohn; 8 great-grandchildren; sisters Alice (Don) Rector and Joyce (Bob) Arndt; sisters-in-law Joan McNamara and Marilyn Schmidt; step-son Robert (Marsha) Nichols of Cedar Falls, Iowa and family; step-son Ronald (Cathy) Nichols of Hiawatha, Kansas and family; step-daughter Rita (Ron) Becker of St. Joseph, Iowa and family; step-daughter Rebecca (Rob) Steiner of Clarion and family; step-daughter Rochelle (John) Graham of Burt, Iowa and family; step-daughter Royann (Lance) Rutledge of Algona, Iowa and family; and a host of other loving family and friends.

Dorothea was preceded in death by her parents, her first husband Herb Lester, her second husband Gene Nichols, her brothers Howard McNamara and Jerry McNamara, and an infant sister Joyce.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:  First Lutheran Church in Clarion, your local Hospice organization, the Alzheimer's Association (online at alz.org or by mail to PO Box 96011, Washington DC, 20090-6011), or a charity of your choosing.