Dorothy Burras

Dorothy “Dot” Burras, 87, of Mason City and formerly of Clarion and Boone, died Friday, March 5, 2021, while surrounded by family at MercyOne North Iowa Hospice in Mason City.

Private funeral services will be held Tuesday, March 9, 2021, at Ewing Funeral Home in Clarion with Rev. Grant Woodley officiating. Burial was in Evergreen Cemetery in Clarion.

         Dorothy Mae, daughter of Clifford and Ida (Block) Jordanger, was born May 1, 1933, in Kanawha. She attended country school before graduating from Kanawha High School in 1950. Later that same year, on Nov. 5, she married Roger Burras, also of Kanawha, in a private ceremony in Minneapolis. When they were married, Dorothy told Roger she thought “we should go for our 75th anniversary.” They nearly made it. The couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Nov. 5, 2020.

Dorothy and Roger lived the first four years of their marriage in San Diego and in Hawaii while Roger was stationed there during the Korean War. After the war ended, the couple returned to Iowa in 1956 and made their home first in Hancock County and later Wright County where Roger farmed for 40years, and Dorothy stayed at home to raise their four children. In 1988, Dorothy and Roger moved to Clarion where they lived until 1998 when they moved to Boone to be closer to family. They were there until 2006when they moved back to Clarion. In 2018, they moved to Country Meadows in Mason City.

         Family was the most important thing to Dorothy, and she loved her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She loved the Lord and taught Sunday school and organized Christmas programs for many years at St. John’s Lutheran Church of rural Kanawha. She loved her friends and looked forward to annual high school class reunions and to reunions with friends from the USS Silverstein. She also liked to garden, cook, bake, entertain, go on picnics, watch birds, listen and dance to Big Band Music at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, and have morning coffee with friends. She and Roger traveled to all 50 states and “never traveled a bad mile.” 

         During their travels, Dorothy enjoyed beautiful scenery, the mountains, oceans and the farmland where she spent the majority of her life. “This is my Father’s world, and I am happy I was part of it,” she would say. She also loved sunrises and sunsets. While living on the farm, most nights she would go to a west-facing window to see the sunset. If it was beautiful, she would say, “Kids, come here, you’ve got to see the sky.”

         In the years following their move back to Clarion, Dorothy would watch the sun come up each morning. “I would go to the window to see if I could see any stars.” Whether she did or didn’t, she would say, “Good morning, Lord, and thank you for the night.”

         Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents and one brother, Merle Jordanger. She is survived by two sisters, Lois Cushman and Phyllis (Richard) Bivona; husband, Roger Burras, of Mason City; daughter Vickie (David) Snyder, of Clear Lake; son Rick (Lori) Burras of Decorah; daughter Rene’ (Gary) Worrall, of Ankeny; son Todd (Stephanie) Burras, of Ames; grandchildren Alece (Tim) Hall; Maggie Worrall; Danielle Burras (Anna Rajdl); Ryan (Elizabeth) Burras; Aria (Tyler) Behne; Hannah Worrall; Jace Snyder; Rachel (Darrek) Elwood; Annie Snyder; Andrew Burras and Elizabeth Burras; and great-grandchildren Charlotte Hall; Henrietta Burras; Eleanor, Raegan and Caroline Burras; Brayson and Emery Behne; and Ava Elwood.

In lieu of flowers and customary remembrances, Dorothy’s family suggests memorial contributions be directed to the Shriners Children’s Hospital or MercyOne North Iowa Hospice, and sent to the family’s attention at Ewing Funeral Home, P.O. Box 363, Clarion, Iowa, 50525.

www.ewingfh.com