Crum, Dorothy Anne

Dorothy Anne Crum passed away Oct. 10, 2013, at Mercy Iowa City.

Dorothy was born in Lovilla, Iowa, to Stanley Charles Papich and Catherine Jakovich Papich. She graduated from Ottumwa Heights Academy and Marycrest College, where her interests and majors included philosophy, creative writing and ethics. Following formal study Dorothy worked as an English teacher in Des Moines and for the Iowa Department of Public Health. She met her husband of more than 50 years, Don Crum, during this time. After residing in both St. Louis, Mo., and Dubuque, Iowa, Dorothy and Don settled in Iowa City, where they spent more than 40 years as active community members.

While her two children, Donald Nicholas Crum and Poppy Anne Carrie Crum, were young Dorothy devoted her time to helping build community efforts and providing volunteer support during nascent stages of development to many significant Iowa City organizations, including The Preucil School of Music, Project Green, the Iowa City Community Theatre and the University of Iowa Swim Team to name a few.

After her children completed elementary school, Dorothy returned to her love of words and rhetoric. She began an active business as an editor and providing graphic layout to scientific journals and local magazines, including Iowa Woman and The Penfield Press. Dorothy's relationship with the founder of The Penfield Press, Joan Liffring-Zug-Bourret, included a great friendship and a working relationship that spanned nearly 30 years and a diverse world of content. Dorothy's savvy with words is captured as she edited all titles published by Penfield Press.

Dorothy is survived by her two children, Donald Nicholas Crum of Rock Island, Ill., and Poppy Anne Carrie Crum of San Francisco, Calif.; her granddaughter, Hanna Vance-Crum of Iowa City; and her eldest brother, Stanley D. Papich of Bloomington, N.Y., who all greatly miss her love, creativity and intellect.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Donald M. Crum; an infant son, Christian Crum; an older brother, William Papich; and her parents, Stanley C. Papich and Catherine J. Papich.

Published Dec. 22, 2013, in The Gazette