DORMA HADFORD obituary

JOPLIN - Dorma Johnson Hadford, 90, of Joplin died of natural causes at the Liberty County Nursing Home in Chester on Monday, May 2, 2005.

A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Bethel Church in Joplin. Burial will follow at the Joplin Cemetery.

She was born Dorma Vera

Heydon on May 15, 1914, at Chester to Frank and Effie (Taplin) Heydon, who farmed 12 miles northwest of Joplin. Dorma received her early education at the Meldrum country school near the farm. She finished her schooling in Joplin, where she graduated from Joplin High School in 1932.

Dorma married Paul Jennings "Boosty" Johnson on June 27, 1935, at Havre. They made their home on the Johnson farm north of Joplin, where Dorma worked diligently as a homemaker and mother of five. Boosty died unexpectedly in 1958. Dorma moved to Joplin and began working as a waitress and cook at the Rudyard bowling alley. Later, she took a job as a postal clerk at the Joplin post office.

She married her second husband, Elmer Hadford, at Joplin on Nov. 14, 1964. They made their home on the Hadford farm west of Chester. After suffering a stroke in 1999, Dorma entered the Chester nursing home, where she lived the rest of her days. Elmer died in 2002.

Dorma was a longtime member of the Bethel Lutheran Church in Joplin. She was active in the ALCW, taught Sunday school, and sang in the church choir. Many years ago, she served as the clerk at the Tingdahl country school.

Her hobbies included bowling, square dancing, crossword puzzles, and listening to broadcast basketball tournaments. In her quiet time at home, she enjoyed crocheting. She made literally hundreds of baby afghans over the years for family and friends. She also loved to play cards with her grandchildren. She was not a worldwide traveler, but she enjoyed a memorable trip to the Mall of America in Minnesota when she was 81.

In addition to her parents and two husbands, Dorma was preceded in death by twin sons in infancy; grandson, Glenn Elling; sisters, Lois Aspevig and Havreen Frydenlund; and brothers, Cecil, Franklin, Clyde, Lloyd and Lyle Heydon.

Survivors include her daughters, Elva (Fred) Elling of Rudyard and Elaine (Dick) Kline of Nashua; sons, Stanley (Bonnie) Johnson of Chester, Duane (Jean) Johnson of Joplin and Calvin (Candy) Johnson of Missoula; sister, Fern Keith of Moorehead, Minn.; brother, Ferroll Heydon of Dragoon, Ariz.; 13 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; and many nieces and nephews.

Arrangements by Rockman Funeral Chapel, Chester.