Obituary of Dorothy Pierce

Dorothy Bernice Pierce nee Schechla, of Vancouver, WA, aged 93y, born 04/13/19 in Wilsonville, OR, last resided in Vancouver, WA. Her family and faithful little dog, Skeeter, at her side, she gently closed her eyes and with a final, soft sigh, transitioned at 9pm, 03/03/2013 to rejoin her long departed family and friends. For a long, difficult three years she suffered progressive debilitation due to severe osteoarthritis and congestive heart failure. A final bout of pneumonia became the immediate cause of her demise. She was strong in both body and spirit which helped her to endure her long trial with faith, good grace and humor. She left behind a world very different from the one she joined in 1919 on her family's pioneer farm in Wilsonville. She retained her childhood values of faith, hope and, above all, charity. Her parents, Mary (Kosmalski) and Joseph Schechla also instilled the ability to "kill snakes" by virtue of a tempered and determined work ethic. She very much enjoyed the company of her seven siblings who all preceded her in death: Theresa, Henry, Frances, Harry, Agnes, then herself (with a six year gap before and after), Lois and baby brother Raymond and his twin George who died of whooping cough, age 18mo. She leaves behind her eldest daughter, Lynne Perry (dear son-in-law Francis), and youngest daughter Mary Anne Gutierrez. Lynne's children, granddaughter Tabitha (Alex) and grandson Patrick (Bridget) were with her as well as Lynne and Francis at her passing. Patrick has one son, Colton. Mary Anne lives in Sacramento, CA as do her two sons, Ryan and Adam and three great grandchildren. As well as Skeeter, who does not know he is "just" a Chihuahua, her great grand-dogs, Tabitha's "kids," also often visited. Her love of animals and they for her were a great comfort as was her caregiver, Martha Hunter, who brought much happiness with her kind and cheerful, musical nature. She made Mom smile. As did Jim Jubert who regularly brought her Holly Communion. A special thanks goes to them both. Mom's greatest accomplishment was and is her family who she dearly loved. She was an accomplished and excellent secretary taking dictation via shorthand and typing it up perfectly at 100 words a minute. She attended Wilsonville's only grade/middle school, with Miss Wood as her favorite teacher. She graduated from West Linn High, class of 1936. With money earned from her first job, she bought and drove her own Model A Ford. She retired in 1982 from CRD at Crown Zellerbach in Camas, WA.. She was married for the first time, in 1939, age 19, to Lynne and Mary's handsome soldier father, Floyd Dawson. This marriage ended in 1955, yet despite living only 14 feet away, she was kind enough to allow her first husband to move in 2001 into Lynne and Francis's spare apartment for the final year of his life. In 1956 she married her true love, Sidney E. Pierce, who passed in 1980. She will be buried by his side in Washougal, to continue their dance throughout eternity. Her burial will be held at Washougal Cemetery at 11am, Friday, March 8 to be followed at 1PM by a burial Mass at her final parish, St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Vancouver, WA. There will be a light repast served after Mass. As it is Lent, in lieu of flowers, consult Brown's Funeral Home for a list of her preferred charities for donations or you may donate to St. Joseph's Catholic Church following Mass.