Dorothy L. Heinze

Dorothy was born February 24, 1927, in Monmouth, Illinois to Lawrence and Violet (Fulton) Dodson. She graduated from New Windsor High School. She lived the first half of her life in Mercer and Rock Island counties in Illinois. She married Allen R. Heinze in Andalusia, Illinois on May 28th, 1948. They lived in Rock Island and had three children, David Edward, Denise Ellen, and Debra Elaine. Allen passed in May of 1980. She later married Melvin O. Heinze of Blue Grass, Iowa in 1986. They moved to Davenport in 1994. Melvin died in 2019. Dorothy continued to live in Davenport until August of 2025, where she relocated to Spring Lake, Michigan. In her early years, Dorothy worked as an office clerk at East Moline International Harvester and American Air Filter in Moline, Illinois. Following the birth of her children, she worked at Rock Island Millwork and Freeland’s sporting goods in Rock Island. Dorothy was a 75-year member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Andalusia chapter and served in many offices there, including Worthy Matron. She most recently attended Christ Church in Davenport.

In addition to Allen and Melvin, she was preceded in death by her parents, son David, three brothers and their wives Dean (Louise) Dodson, Ralph (Jackie) Dodson, and Gene (Kate) Dodson, and sister and brother-in-law Shirley and Cecil Kirkland.

Survivors include daughters Denise (Terry) Newell, Twin Lake, Michigan, Debra McGuinty, Fort Collins, Colorado, granddaughters Shelby (Jonathan) Groot, Charlote, NC, Natalie Newell, Chicago, IL, Madeline (Tom) Owens, San Francisco, CA, and Lauren (Tyler) Shimp, Greeley, CO. Additional survivors include great-grandchildren Caleb, Gavin, and Nathan Groot, Riley and Reagan Shimp, and Cieran and Finn Owen, and several nieces and nephews.

Per her wishes, a private funeral service for the family will be held at The Runge Mortuary and Crematory, Davenport, Iowa. Burial will be at Memorial Park, Rock Island, next to her first husband Allen.