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Photo of Dorothy C. (Shannahan) Matern

Dorothy C. (Shannahan) Matern

3/18/1914 - 1/2/2000


Obituary


Dorothy Catharine Matern, 85, of Britt, passed away Sunday, January 2, 2000 at her home in Britt.

Dorothy, the daughter of Thomas and Regina (Gallaghar) Shannahan was born March 18, 1914 in Williamsburg, Iowa. She attended school in Ottumwa and graduated from Ottumwa Heights at the age of 16.  Dorothy then went on to college at the University of Iowa graduating in 1934. She taught school in the Wesley and LeMars, Iowa area until WWII.  During the war, she was employed with the Civil Service in Niagara Falls, and later in Ohio.

Following the war, Dorothy moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming where she was united in marriage with Frank H. Matern on April 24, 1946 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church. The couple made their home in Cheyenne and later moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota.  The family moved to the Britt area in 1954, where they were engaged in farming.  Dorothy obtained her Library Science degree in 1968 and was the librarian at Britt High School until 1978.

Dorothy was a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Britt, the Rosary Society, and served on various committees at the church.  She was the first director of St. Patrick's Religion Program.  Dorothy also enjoyed her work with the Hancock County Little Theater.

Dorothy is survived by five children: Melinda West of Ventura, Michael of Britt, Marcia and her husband, Darrel Courrier of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mark and his wife, Joyve of Britt, and Mary and her husband, Forrest Klippenstein of Oral, South Dakota; ten grandchildren; one brother Joe Shannahan and his wife Katie of Williamsburg; two sisters-in-law Ruth Shannahan of Williamsburg and Dorothy Jean Shannahan of Cedar Rapids.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Frank, two brothers and two sisters.