Dottie was born in Rochester, New York at the start of the depression in 1927. Her mother, Dora died when she was 5 years old and her father Albert, concerned about raising her alone, soon remarried. Albert & Cornelia had a son George, Dotties only sibling. Dottie was raised in a strict German-American household during the depression. Life was not always easy and often the simplest needs, such as being able to buy a small notebook for school, went unmet. During the second world war, Albert bought some land on the outskirts of town and the family planted & tended a large Victory Garden, the produce of which was then sold door to door to supplement their income.

After high school she went to work, first as a telephone operator and then as a billboard silk-screener. She spent her free time with friends, including Rexford Sherwood. Thru him, she met his cousin Dean, who had recently arrived from Pennsylvania on return from the service. They began seeing each other and after dating for about a year, Dean proposed marriage. The following spring they were wed.

After 5 years of marriage & apartment living, they bought a house and began a family.

Their three children, Dora, Duane & Donald, kept Dottie busy as a mother and housewife. In the late 1960s, as the children got older, Dottie took on office temp work to bring in some extra money.

Dean died suddenly in 1969, leaving Dottie to raise & provide for her children during an era of social upheaval. It was a challenge to her faith which resulted in a stronger sense of religious conviction. Her temp job became a full-time position lasting 25 years until her retirement in 1994.

She spends her time these days with her family & grandchildren, and is a respected elder member of the church she was married in. She recently remarked that Dean would roll over in his grave if he knew how much time she spends watching football on TV.