Doris Maxine Berger, born December 10, 1926, died April 2, 2024 at the age of 97 years old. Doris was the youngest of three children born to Neil and Flosse Baskett. She was born in Springfield, Missouri.
Her older sister and brother were Velma and Ivan. The family moved to Emporia, Kansas when she was one year old, living there for two years. Then her family moved to Wichita in 1929 where she spent her early childhood, starting Kindergarten at Sunnyside Grade School on East Kellogg. When Doris was 8 years old, her family moved to Chanute, Kansas. Doris' family moved to Ottawa, Kansas when she was 12. After a year, the family moved back to Chanute for 6 months and then they moved to Wichita where Doris attended 8th grade at Roosevelt Jr. High. Doris graduated from East High School in 1945.
As a child, Doris really looked up to her big sister, Velma, and wanted to do everything like her. Velma was like a second mother to Doris. However, Doris loved to fight with her brother, Ivan, or at least a lot of time was spent in that activity. When Doris was in high school, Ivan went to World War II in 1943 as a paratrooper with the Airborne Division and Velma got married on February 21, 1943. So for a few years, Doris was the only child at home.
Doris liked animals. One dog they had was a small terrier mix, named Tippy, and Doris always had a cat. The cat was never allowed on the bed. However, in grade school, Doris was sick a lot (maybe stress from moving so often). When she was sick, her cat would always lay on her bed, curled up at her feet and her mother never said a word. After a sick spell, for a day or two, when Doris felt better, her mother would always cut up a Milky Way Candy Bar and let her eat it. Doris especially loved horses, although she never owned one, and she loved to ride them.
Doris started sewing in the 7th grade. The person who actually taught her to sew on a treadle sewing machine was her step-grandmother, Grace (Berger) Darter, the aunt of her future husband Woody Berger. She was around 12 years old and was at her step-grandmother's house when she requested her step-grandmother to mend a dress on her doll. Her step-grandmother told her she could learn to do it herself. Then her step-grandmother taught her how to sew. Doris took off on sewing and loved it. After this, Doris also took a sewing class in school where she actually learned how to make something. By the time she was 15, she was making many of her own clothes. When she was in high school, Doris took all the art classes she could such as freehand drawing, charcoal, and ceramics. She won an honorable mention in the City Scholastic Art Competition for a ceramic piece she had made. Doris' father, Neil Baskett, made a spinning wheel, spun wool on it, made a loom, and wove the spun wool into fabric from which Doris sewed a dress for herself.
After high school, Doris went to work at a photography film processing company, Mid-Co, in Wichita for a year. She printed black and white contact pictures. Then she went to work at the Wichita Shirt Company on East Douglas and Hydraulic for a couple of years. At this company she embroidered monograms on shirts and learned how to run a chain stitch machine. Then she went to work at Buck Department Store. When Doris applied for the job at Bucks, the owner showed her a machine they had, which he didn't know what it was for. It was a chain stitch machine, and she showed the owner how to set it up and run it. After she showed him what it did she was hired to operate it. On the machine she lettered baseball and basketball uniforms and made chenille letters on athletic letter jackets. Sometimes she ran a button press. The department she worked in was part of a big fabric department, where they covered all kinds of buttons, made belts, and did machine quilting. While Doris was working at the department store she also took a modeling course. She enjoyed fixing her hair and make-up during the modeling class and then going out on a date with Woody after class.
After Doris married Woody Berger on June 12, 1949, she worked for 6 months and then retired to become a full time homemaker. Over the years, she has sewn many items of clothing for herself and other people. She did seamstress work out of her home. She sewed many wedding dresses, including the three she made for her daughter-in-laws. She was also an Avon Representative from 1976 to 1984. She was an avid doll collector and has many Madam Alexander dolls and other antique and new collectible dolls. She also liked to decorate and has enjoyed redecorating her home. She liked to do crafts that involved her sewing talent.
She was very proud of her three sons, Mark, Tim and David. She was involved with their activities including being den mother for the boy scout troop. She attended Cleveland Avenue Church of Christ which became Central Church of Christ, and then Riverwalk Church of Christ for 76 years. She was active in church and a prison ministry where she corresponded with prisoners. She got to meet a few of them after they left prison and continued to correspond with them. She did foster care for the babies from the church sponsored children's home before they were adopted. Se liked to travel and went on many bus trips with Woody.
Doris was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Woodrow W. Berger; brother, Ivan Baskett; and sister, Velma Kingsley.
She is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Mark and Virginia Berger, Tim and Kris Berger, and David and Sandy Berger; grandchildren, Amy Bullock, Mike and Stephanie Berger, Abbie and Doug Broadstreet, Jason and Stefanie Berger, Emily Martinez, John and Jesse Berger and Eric and Breanna Berger; five great-grandchildren, Sydney and Trey Guzman, Robert Berger, Serenity Martinez, Gavin Berger and Garrison Berger.
Visitation will be held on Friday, April 5, 2024 from 4-6 p.m. at Hillside Funeral Home West, 2929 West 13th Street North, Wichita, KS 67203. A funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 6, 2024 also at Hillside Funeral Home West. Committal will follow at 12:00 p.m. at White Chapel Memorial Gardens, 1806 N. Oliver Ave., Wichita, KS 67208.
In lieu of flowers the family asks you donate in her memory to an organization of your choice.
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