Dorothy V. Heinze Jones

PORTAGE –  Dorothy V. Heinze Jones, age 98, of Portage, Wisconsin, died in Portage on June 27, 2012.

Dorothy was born on February 20, 1914 in the township of Lewiston, on the home century farm, the daughter of William and Laura Vandervort Heinze.  Dorothy attended first grade in a rural school adjacent to the farm.  For her remaining elementary and high school years, Dorothy attended Portage schools.  During high school, Dorothy played the cornet in the band.  She graduated from Whitewater College in 1936.  During the spring semester of her freshman year, Dorothy earned the first chair cornet position and played for the band and the orchestra.  In the spring of her senior year, Dorothy won a contest for writing the words to Whitewater’s alma mater.  Following college graduation, Dorothy taught sixth grade in Portage for two years.  A third year contract was not offered in the Portage district because she would be married by August that year.  On August 6th, 1938, Dorothy married Charles E. Jones in the Presbyterian Church in Portage.  After a honeymoon in northern Wisconsin and Michigan, they moved to Beloit, Wisconsin.  Charles initially taught in the high school and subsequently earned the principalship of Roosevelt Junior High.  Later Charles served as Superintendent of Schools in Beloit, and Dorothy did substitute teaching in the district.  While in Beloit, Dorothy sang in the Second Congregational Church choir and directed the church’s junior high chorus.  She also started a nursery school in the church basement to help working mothers.  In 1961 Charles and Dorothy moved to Manitowoc, Wisconsin where Charles served as Superintendent of Schools for eleven years.  In Manitowoc, Dorothy took voice lessons from an outstanding voice teacher, Mary Pearson.  She then joined the Manitowoc Choral group which sang for special occasions and did a TV show in Green Bay once a year.  In 1972, Charles retired and they did some traveling in their much-loved trailer.  By 1981 Dorothy and Charles had built and moved into a home near Mauston on the Wisconsin River that was affectionately called the “House in the Brush”, by all who knew them.  This home served as the gathering and celebrating location for the extended family and friends for many happy years.  Dorothy continued singing solos in the Presbyterian Church in Mauston.  She also directed a children’s choir at that church.  The organist in the Mauston church, her dear friend, Margaret Mitchell, persuaded Dorothy to play the pipe organ when Margaret had to be away.  Many times Dorothy and Margaret performed organ and piano duets.  Dorothy sang with the Wisconsin Youth Chorale under the direction of Dr. Erickson from Appleton College (now Lawrence University).  She was recruited to sing with this group because she could hit a high “A” consistently.  In 1977, at age 63, Dorothy accompanied the Chorale on a sixteen day trip to Europe, visiting many locations.  They were asked to perform at the Vatican on a Sunday, and sang Schubert’s Mass in G.  Following their performance, all chorale members were invited to visit Pope John Paul VI at his summer home, but they had to decline in view of their demanding schedule.  John Paul wrote a very nice “thank you” note to each chorale member.  After Charles died on September 8, 1996, Dorothy stayed in their home on the Wisconsin River for two years, then moved to Terrace Heights in Mauston, a home for retired persons.  After several years there, Dorothy developed a weakness in her legs and soon could walk only with a walker.  After a fall, Dorothy went into assisted living at Crest View in New Lisbon, Wisconsin.  As soon as there was an opening in Portage, she moved to Maple Ridge, then to Heritage House, and finally to Our House.

Dorothy is survived by two daughters, Barbara Stuart (Glenn) of Midland, Michigan, and Sandra Selby (Stephen) of Huntington Beach, California;  her grandchildren, Matthew Hodges (Jennie), Grand Rapids, Michigan, Katherine Tonnos (Joe), Haslett, Michigan, Lauren Selby, N. Hollywood, California;  four great grandchildren, Gavin Charles Tonnos, Amelia Antoinette Tonnos, Ryan Thomas Hodges, and Kyle Patrick Hodges, Michigan;  and many loving nieces and nephews.  Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, a daughter, Joan Marie, her sister, Carol and her husband, Al Jirsa, her brother, Leon and his wife Ruth Rodgers, her brother, William and sister-in-law Carolyn Heinze, and granddaughter, Beth Ann Hodges. 

Funeral arrangements to be determined.  The Pflanz Mantey Mendrala Funeral Home in Portage is assisting the family.