Dorothy Worrell, 86, Ellendale

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Funeral services for Dorothy Marie Worrell, of Ellendale, will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Community Lutheran Church in Geneva. The Rev. Philip Lewison will officiate. Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 until 7 p.m. at the Bonnerup Funeral Service Chapel in Ellendale, and one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in the Geneva Cemetery.

Mrs. Worrell died Sunday at St Marys Hospital in Rochester from complications of Parkinson&8217;s disease surrounded by her loving family. She was 86 years old.

Dorothy was born in Dows, Iowa, the youngest daughter of Bunyan and Mary (Mathis) Bailey, on May 18, 1921.

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She was united in marriage to Samuel B. Worrell on Jan. 27, 1937, in Marshalltown, Iowa; they recently celebrated 71 years of marriage. Sam and Dorothy were longtime residents of Geneva and in January of 2008 they moved to Whispering Oaks in Ellendale.

Dorothy worked many jobs in addition to raising her family, but primarily with her husband Sam, owned and operated restaurants in Geneva, Ellendale, Albert Lea and New Richland. She was an active member of the Community Lutheran Church in Geneva.

She had many interests during her life including ceramics, traveling and being a friend to many. Her family was very important to her and she cherished the time spent with them and family gatherings. Dorothy also enjoyed spending her winters in Arizona for 18 years.

She is survived by her husband Sam; daughter Mary (Ray) Dray of Byron, son Roger (Linda) Worrell of Cincinnati, Ohio, daughter Nancy (Jim) Cornelius of Geneva, and son James (Jeanni) Worrell also of Geneva. There are 13 grandchildren who affectionately called her &8220;Grandma Great:&8221; Susan (Scott) Anderson, Annette (Henry) Drewes, Douglas (Sandy) Dray, Kelly (Les) Gleason, Kent Worrell, Kristi Worrell, Kim Worrell, Tracy Worrell, Travis Worrell, Tad Cornelius, Cheryl Cornelius Taff (Jean) Worrell and Angela (Thad) Aaseth. She is also survived by one granddaughter-in-law, Kris Dray.

Also surviving are 17 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Lila Long and Gladys Burr of Blooming Prairie; three sisters-in-law, Mildred Bailey, Rosalie Bailey and Peggy Bailey, all of Iowa; and many nieces, nephews and special friends.

Dorothy was preceded in death by a son, Robert, in 1943; grandson, David Dray, in 2005; her parents; and five brothers, John, Charles, Frances, Wilbur and Chester Bailey.