Dottie M Pence

Dottie M. Pence, 95, formerly of Wood River, NE died on Monday, January 20, 2025, at CHI Health St. Francis in Grand Island, Nebraska. A Memorial Service will be on Friday, January 24, 2025 at 10:30 A.M. with Pastor Terry Boshart officiating at Apfel Funeral Home in Grand Island. A gathering of friends and family will take place an hour prior to the start of the service. Burial of cremated remains will be in the Sutton Cemetery at a later date. Memorials are suggested to the family to be designated at a later date. 

She was born on July 17, 1929 at Los Angeles, California to Dottie Rogers and was adopted at age 10 to Edward and Metta "Louise" (Peterson) Yost. 

Dottie's early career comprised a commitment to foster parenting. Throughout the 1960s, she provided loving care for newborn infants in Los Angeles County, California, facilitating their placements into adoptive homes. Her nurturing spirit touched the lives of 35 infants over the span of six years.

In 1980, Dottie relocated to Bothell, Washington, where she became an Instructional Assistant at Boyer Children's Clinic and Preschool. For 19 years, she worked with children aged 18 months to three years who faced physical and developmental delays. Her commitment to education impacted countless young lives.

After retirement, she served as a "Hospital Auntie" at Children's Regional Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle, Washington, accumulating over 3,132 hours of volunteering. Her work in the hospital showcased her dedication, providing comfort to children in need. 

In 2003, she embarked on a rewarding experience as a Mini Missionary in Accra, Ghana, where she served in an orphanage for five weeks. 

In 2005, Dottie made Wood River, Nebraska her home. Her hobbies included reading, crafts, and sewing.

Dottie is survived by her children, Marjorie (Michael) View, Jon Caples, and Julie (Donald) Lazarowicz, along with many grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Dottie Rogers; her brother, Lavern Rogers; and her adoptive parents, Louise and Edward Yost.