Dorothy B. Newport

DOROTHY B. NEWPORT

Cedar Rapids

Dorothy B. Newport, 97, of Cedar Rapids, died Sunday, July 14, at Heritage Nursing Home in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Services: 11 a.m. Friday, July 19, at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home conducted by the Rev. Johathan Renfro. Family will greet friends

from 10 to 11 a.m. at Cedar Memorial Park Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.

Survivors include her children, Laurie Arnold of Tallahassee, Fla., Paul (Susan) Close of Iowa City, Barbara (Willis) Hoffmeier of Novi, Mich., and Elaine (Rob) Lanz of Cedar Rapids; nine grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren; and sister, Ruth Darling of Cedar Rapids.

She was preceded in death by her parents, William and Mary Hemmer; husband, Dale G. Newport (2006); husband, Paul H. Close (1944); grandson, Terry Simmons (2011); and great-granddaughter, Christina Simmons (2000).

Dorothy worked as a beautician and operated a couple of shops on the southwest side of Cedar Rapids in her youth. She owned and operated the West Side Garden & Craft Shop for years and still kept in contact with many of her customers. She was a silk flower designer and specialized in wedding designs for many years. She also worked with pine cones and won awards for her designs at the Iowa State Fair. In her later years, she crocheted more than 2,500 hats to give away. She loved rabbits and raised pedigree breeds for national competitions as well as promoted domestic rabbit meat. She wrote and published "Bunny Gourmet The Most Complete Rabbit Cook Book" in 1966. She held volunteer officer positions in the National Palomino Rabbit Breeders Association and the Flemish Giant Rabbit Breeders Association.

She was a member of the St. James Methodist choir for many years, where her father was the musical director. She also sang in the First Lutheran choir and First Presbyterian choir. She was active at Hope Lutheran and then Trinity Lutheran in Cedar Rapids. She loved crafts, music (especially accordion selections), fishing and traveling. She best will be remembered for her wonderful gourmet meals, which she would serve many family and friends throughout the years.

The family would like to thank the staff at Heritage Nursing Home for their wonderful care of "Miss Dorothy."

In lieu of flowers, a donation to Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy is appreciated.

Online condolences may be directed to the family at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.