Elizabeth M. Dull

Elizabeth Margaret Dull, age 101 of Ft. Wayne, born December 26, 1911, died April 11, 2013 at 7:45 AM. Today we celebrate her life. Elizabeth was proud of her longevity and her independence and attributed her success to long walks in the park and chocolate. She spent numerous hours creating a pristine, formal garden, and enjoyed an occasional tea party in the garden with her visitors. In 1970, the Ft. Wayne News Sentinel featured Elizabeth and husband, Otis Dull, with their miniature doll house replica of their beautiful home, handmade from recycled pop cans and homemade materials. Their formal garden was featured in the newspaper’s Almanac for Gardener’s in the mid 60’s.

Elizabeth was a historian at heart. Through her journaling, documentation, and photo albums she forever captured the lives of her family and friends on paper and gave us a glimpse into the social conventions and events of her time. A survivor of the Depression, she was a veracious saver and a recycler; she was Go Green before it was ever fashionable. Until the day she died she used the old fashioned crank washer and hung her clothes on a clothesline to dry. She made numerous scrapbook albums using picture from newspapers and magazines, and pages from recycled grocery bags. Elizabeth made cozy warm colorful quilts from recycled clothing that kept one warm and toasty on a cold winter night.

As grandkids we have fond memories of yearly visits from Grandma and Grandpa, and the excitement we had when their RV would roll into the drive. We knew there were fancy new clothes, patent leather shoes, sloppy kisses, dominoes, picnics in the park, and walks across the rickety bridge overlooking the Skunk River in Iowa. Some summers, we would visit them in Ft. Wayne and relish in rummaging through the attic treasures, and taking walks in Foster Park, with the occasional stop to catch a bug.

Grandma had her eccentricities; Heaven knows she could be unyielding and direct. We believe it was all part of that tenacity that kept her alive and independent for 101 years.

Long before Hilary Clinton wrote, It Takes a Village, Grandma was applying the concepts of community involvement in child rearing, to her baby, a formal garden sanctuary. Enlisting her next door neighbors to protect the roots of her pristine young plants, she waged an assault on all violets; cautioning of the dangers of the wily purple little weed that would play havoc, with even the most skilled garden aficionado, and giving strict instruction to pull on sight any of these little fiends before they reached her premises.

Elizabeth celebrated her 100th birthday with the family of her former neighbors and friends, Jill and Craig Eakright at her favorite fast food restaurant, Wendy’s. Complete with cake, balloons, gifts, and hoopla, Elizabeth was queen for a day.

A native of Ossian, Elizabeth lived in Ft. Wayne since 1953. She was a member of the First Christian Church, its Naomi and Sewing Circles, the Progressive Class, the Creative Garden Club, and Gamma Omicron.

Preceded in death are her parents, Burr and Dollie Simerman, her brothers, Ralph, John, and Roger Simerman and sister, Irene Slater; her husband, Otis Dull, and her daughter, Betty Ann Lartius of Ames, Iowa. She is survived by 5 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, and 4 great-great grandchildren.

As the grandchildren of Elizabeth, we extend a special thank you to Elizabeth’s very good friends, Richard Harber, Jill Eakright, and Denise Mitchell, and family members, Judy (Simmerman) Parker and Sue Simmerman, who supported, loved, and looked after Elizabeth especially in her final days. We also extend thanks to the staff members of Ashton Creek Health and Rehabilitation Center who didn’t know Elizabeth long but who took special interest in her care and comfort.