Dorothy Croswhite

Dorothy Fay Croswhite, 94, of Gladstone passed peacefully on Sunday morning, March 23, 2025. “Dotty” was born on January 29, 1931 in Smithton, Missouri to Everett and Lillie Lovern Momberg. She grew up in Sedalia and graduated in 1949 from Smith-Cotton High School where she played cello in the orchestra and piano for several choral groups.

During school she worked part-time at Tullis-Hall Dairy serving ice cream. After graduation she became a secretary for the East Sedalia Baptist Church. She attended Central Missouri State University where she earned a degree in elementary music in 1954. She again played cello in the orchestra and sang in the mixed chorus. And it was here that she was noticed by a tall, skinny boy in the Air Force who was there training and recruiting. Max and Dotty were married on June 28, 1953.

Once Max’s service ended and they both graduated from college, they began their teaching careers in Mexico, Missouri and soon moved to Gladstone after their first son Gary was born. Dotty took a break from teaching elementary music when David was born, but many children in the area will fondly remember her as their piano teacher. She was the organist for Linden Baptist Church for many years. Dotty eventually returned to teaching music in the Park Hill district, mainly at Graden Elementary and retired in 1991 after twenty years.

Dotty loved to grow flowers, especially roses, and was known as the “rose lady” by the staff at Antioch Middle School. She loved attending or transporting her grandkids to sporting events, music and dance performances, and gymnastics and cheerleading competitions. She enjoyed cross-stitching, jigsaw puzzles, word-search and was a voracious reader.

Dotty is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Reverend Donald Momberg, and her husband of 67 years Max Croswhite.

Dotty is survived by her sister Diane Wasson and family, sons Gary (Karla) and David (Jeanne); grandkids Kyle (Brooke), Katie Lundy (Kyle), Derek, and Kyle Lear; and great grandkids Charlee, Kinslee, Kaylee, and soon Theo.

Memorial donations may be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.

The family would like to thank the staffs of Liberty Hospital, Linden Woods Village Rehab Unit, Addington Place of Shoal Creek, and especially Luminos Hospice for their dedication and loving care of Dotty over the last two months.

A visitation for Dorothy will be held Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 11:00 AM at White Chapel Funeral Home, 6600 NE Antioch Rd, Gladstone, MO 64119, followed by a funeral service at 12:00 PM.