Doris Marie (Damewood) Nicholson

Funeral services for Doris Nicholson, age 84, of Bedford, who died Thursday, June 16, 2011 at the Bedford Nursing & Rehab Center will be held Tuesday, June 21, 2011 at 10:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church in Bedford. Visitation will be held Monday at the Ritchie Funeral Home from 3 to 7 with the family greeting friends from 5 to 7. Interment will be held at Fairview Cemetery in Bedford. Memorials can be given in her name. Memories can be shared with the family at www.ritchiefuneralhome.com under Obituaries. Arrangements were entrusted to the Ritchie Funeral Home of Bedford.

Doris Marie Damewood was born February 15, 1927, the daughter of Stanley Damewood and Donna Jobe Damewood on their farm home south of Siam, Iowa. Doris grew up attending the Fine and Siam rural schools in Taylor County, graduating from the Bedford High School with the Class of 1944. She then attended Northwest Missouri State University and taught school for three years in Taylor County. In July of 1947, she was united in marriage to Harry Northover and they moved to the State of Washington. They resided in Tacoma, Yakima and Seattle where Doris was employed as a service representative for the Bell Telephone Company. In 1954, they returned to Iowa, living in Gravity where they operated a greenhouse. In 1963, Doris joined the U.S. Postal System as a Clerk in Gravity, later transferring to Bedford. She retired in March of 1987, after completing 23 years of service. Harry died in 1992, after 45 years of married life.

Doris was united in marriage to Walter Nicholson in June of 2000. They made their home in Bedford. To each of them, this was a joyful end to years of loneliness and sadness. Each felt very blessed and continued to thank God for giving them each other at their age in life!

Doris joined the Methodist Church at Siam early in life later transferring her membership to Bedford and Gravity. She was a member of the Bedford American Legion Auxiliary serving as Chaplin for many years. She was also a long-time member of the United Methodist Women’s Organization.

Left to cherish her memory are her loving husband of eleven years, Walter Nicholson of Bedford; two cousins, Wilma Anderson of Bedford and Mary Lou Miller of Lenox; a nephew Larry Newkirk and wife Linda and their two daughters; along with three step-sons, Eric, Norman and Lynn Nicholson and their families; along with a community of friends.

Preceding Doris in death are her parents, Stanley and Donna Damewood; her husband Harry Northover in 1993; her sister Helen Ruth Newkirk; her brother-in-law Roy Dwight Newkirk; and a brother at infancy.

Doris will be missed by her family and many friends.

We will hold the memories of her humor, wit and kindness as a gift.

She will live on in our hearts forever.