In Loving Memory

Doris Irene (Lutes) Dennis, 98, of Auburn, CA died on November 23, 2016. She was born in a stone farmhouse outside of Minerva, Ohio in January 1918 before the end of World War I. The stone farmhouse was completed by her great grandfather after the Civil War. Her farm experiences were in another generation without a radio, without electricity, without indoor bathrooms, and without a tractor. Her father had two work horses (Maggie and Queenie). There were seven cows to milk mornings and evening. Her father would take the wheat to a mill on the wagon for the grinding into their flour. The only items purchased in town were coffee, sugar and spices.

Doris attended Enterprise School, a one room schoolhouse, located outside of Minerva. Doris remembered helping the younger children with their lessons, discovering the gratification at a young age of teaching a simple lesson. The water for the school was carried from a neighboring farm in buckets. The bathroom for the school was an outhouse. Her fifth grade teacher, Mr. Inihoff, said to her, "You should become a teacher," beginning her dream of teaching. Doris attended Augusta and Minerva High School, graduating from Minerva High School in 1935. Minerva High School placed Doris into their Hall of Fame in 1997.

A young girl of seventeen, during the Great Depression, left her family farm. After her graduation from high school, Doris worked for several years saving her money for the continuation of her education. Doris worked for Mary Crawford from December 1935 until the fall of 1938. Mary encouraged Doris to become a teacher. After two years at Kent State University, working for her room and board, including summers, she received her teaching certificate for the state of Ohio. Doris taught for 2 ½ years in Ohio. In her first year of teaching a combined 1st and 2nd grace class with 42 students, she earned $90 per month. During the summer breaks in 1941 and 1942, she worked in an armament plant, painting shells.

The United States Marine Corps started to accept women, during World War II. Leaving teaching mid-year in 1943, Doris entered the United States Marine Corps., entering the Corps within the first group of women. Her basic training was a Hunter College in New York with additional training in storekeeping at Indiana University. Doris was stationed at a Naval Air Station in Southern California, supervising aviation stock control. As her assignment within the Marine Corps, she was supervising men, realizing she could accomplish the same job as any male counterpart.

After her honorable discharge from the Corps, Doris continued the same job as a civil service employee. Doris met her husband, another Marine, at the El Centro Naval Air Station, moving to southern California after his discharge. Doris attended the University of Southern California (USC), earning her B.S. Degree and her Master's Degree in Education Administration. As a teacher, she taught for over 33 years in the elementary school system in California, enjoying the experience and the challenge.

Doris has chosen her final resting place next to her grandparents at the Mt. Zion United Methodist Church Cemetery near Augusta, overlooking the stone farmhouse where she was born. As a young girl she attended Sunday School at the church overlooking the family farm. Her brother, Frank Lutes still resides at the family farm.

In addition to her brother, she is survived by a son, Denny Dennis, of Auburn, CA . She is preceded in death by 4 sisters, Lela Madison, Edith Lutes, Lois Kimble and Gladys Meadd and a brother, Howard Lutes.

A graveside funeral service will be held Saturday at 9:00 am in Mt. Zion Cemetery with Rev. John Carpenter officiating. Full military honors will be provided by the Minerva VFW Post # 4120. Memorial contributions may be made to the Minerva High School Alumni Association.