Dorothy R. Sommars

Dorothy Sommars, 84, of Culver City, California, died peacefully Friday, February 25, 2011 with her family beside her at Brotman Hospital, Culver City, California, just 7 days short of her 85th birthday.

She was born Dorothy Ruth Schortau on March 3, 1926 in Westgate, Iowa. She was the daughter of George and Ella (Greening) Schortau. The fifth of seven girls she was born at home with the help of a neighbor. She was baptized at St. Peters Church. The family rode to church in a horse-drawn sleigh when it was too snowy to drive the old car. She helped her Mother in the garden and with the canning and they churned their own butter from cream from the family cow. Making their own fun, the girls enjoyed dancing with each other at home. She graduated from Sumner High School, Sumner Iowa where she excelled in basketball. After high school she worked at Rath Packing Plant in Waterloo for seven years.

Dorothy was married to Larry Sommars on May 21, 1950. They had 3 sons. Larry moved the family to Los Angeles in 1956 where later Dorothy took in children for day care. The family enjoyed camping and fishing and loved playing cards together. They divorced in 1972. Dorothy then worked in customer service for Sears Roebuck for 17 years. She learned to square dance and enjoyed it very much. She met her special friend Ray Shy at square dancing.

Dorothy was devoted to her family and her church. She loved African violets and her living room was crowded with plants. She was a wonderful baker. She and Ray enjoyed going to the theatre and taking day trips everywhere traveling to museums and arboretums.

She was a member of First Lutheran Church in Venice, California for many years. She worked as a volunteer, assembling books for the blind and was a faithful helper folding church bulletins on Fridays.

She is survived by her three sons: Clyde (Carol) Sommars of Torrance, Ca., Mike (Melody) Sommars of Costa Mesa, Ca. and Paul Sommars of Long Beach, Ca. There are 8 grandchildren: Jewell, Rebecca, Amie, Danny, Jeffrey, Steve, David and Steven. There are 6 great grandchildren: Grace, Johnathan, Jacob, Josiah, Courtney and Rylan. She is survived by 5 sisters: Ivah Lawless of Fayette, Iowa, Eleanor Gehrke of Sumner, Ia., Helen Rapp of Cedar Falls, Ia., Adella (Jerry) Hohmann of Wheaton, Ill. and Alyce (Fred) Pink of Phoenix, Az. She leaves many nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents and sister, Mildred, she is preceded in death by an infant sister, brothers-in-law Floyd Lawless and Otto Rapp, nephew Steve Hohmann and her special friend, Ray Shy of Marina del Rey, Ca.

A Visitation and Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at First Lutheran Church of Venice 815 Venice Blvd, Venice CA 310-821-2740. The viewing will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. and the service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Fellowship time to follow service at Church.

A Memorial service will be held on Friday, March 4, 2011 at Woods Funeral Home in Fairbank, Iowa with interment to follow at Fairbank Lutheran Cemetery in Fairbank, Iowa where Dorothy will be laid to rest next to her parents.

Arrangements under the direction of Gates, Kingsley & Gates Smith Salsbury Funeral Directors, Culver City, CA.