Dorothy “Dot” Frances (Ganz) Warthen, daughter of the late Henry and Maude Ganz, was born April 27, 1931, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and departed this life September 19, 2023, in Springfield, Missouri. She was 92 years. 4 months, and 23 days of age.
Dorothy grew up in the northwest and met her husband, William Harold “Hal” Warthen, while she was working as a car hop and Harold was in the military. She followed him all over the world, living in Puerto Rico, where she had their first two children. They came back to the United States and had two more children in New York and Colorado. Of all their travels, Greece was probably her most magical place to live and the longest of his military career. The family eventually settled down in Michigan where her children finished their schooling.
The happy couple then moved down to a quaint city in Missouri, called Grovespring, where she raised cattle, enjoyed walking with neighbors and friends, and bowling. She also Clogged with the “Clogging grannies”, joined “TOPS”, and ran the bingo at the senior center prior to having a stroke that left her homebound. Her favorite memory of late was her 92nd birthday, when her family came into town and gave her a Hawaiian luau! She was loved by everyone she touched, and she will be so missed.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, William Harold Warthen, in 2007, and by her parents, Henry and Maude Ganz,
She is survived by three sons, David Warthen and his wife, Debra, Rick Warthen, and Russell Warthen, one daughter, Kathy Francavilla and her husband, Robert, six grandchildren, Georgia Mae, Tyler, Zachary, Rachael, Brittany, and Dylan, one great-grandchild, Aubrey, and many friends who will miss her.
