Dorothy Gongwer

DOROTHY E. GONGWER

Cedar Rapids

Dorothy E. Gongwer, 102, of Cedar Rapids, passed away Sunday, Aug. 18, 2019, at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House in Hiawatha. A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, at Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery, section: Greenlawn, with the Rev. Brad Brown officiating.

Dorothy Elizabeth Gongwer was born Nov. 4, 1916, to Jay and Clara Hohman Felgar in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Dorothy graduated from Grant High School in 1934 and then attended Mercy Hospital School of Nursing. She enjoyed many years of nursing at St. Mary's Hospital in Rochester, Minn., doing general and private duty. She often told about a patient with pneumonia who rapidly recovered after receiving newly discovered penicillin. She also worked for Dr. B.F. Wolverton as an office and lab nurse. She taught home nursing at the YWCA during World War II and worked in Beloit, Wis., for VNA and part time as an industrial nurse for Warner Electric Brake Co. She owned and operated Jack and Jill Preschool Inc. for 20 years.

She married Jack Park in 1942. They later divorced. On Sept. 29, 1950, she was united in marriage to Simon Gongwer. He passed away Dec. 5, 2003.

She is survived by children, John (Pat) Park of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Gregg (significant other, Dee DeHaven) of Delhi and Gary Gongwer of Austin, Texas; grandchildren, Jim (Andrea) Park, Renee (Joel) Schwamman and Brittney (Linnie) Weems; great-grandchildren, Eli, Gracie, Aubree, Johnathan, Alex, Tanisha and Dominque; and great-great-grandchildren, Elliot, Jameson, Abbi and Killian.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Concordia Lutheran Church or the charity of choice. Online condolences and memories may be directed to the family at www.cedarmemorial.com under obituaries.