Memorial services for Dorothy M. Dedmon, age 81, of Bison, SD will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 2, 2011 at the Grace Baptist Church in Bison. Pastor Phil Hahn and Pastor Lloyd Veal will officiate.


Special music will be provided by Gloria Veal, pianist.


All of Dorothy's grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren are considered Honorary Bearers.


Dorothy Maude Bruning was born on December 27, 1929 in the home of her Grandmother Bruning to Nina Belle Etta (Conklin) and Leo George Bruning in Sioux Falls, SD. Dorothy attended school in Armour, SD until 1939 when her parents moved the family to Deadwood, SD. Her family again moved in May 1942 to Provo, SD. In Provo, her father helped build the Black Hills Ordinance Depot and Nina and Dorothy worked in the only café in Provo. Dorothy enjoyed waiting tables and was a wonderful waitress. In the later part of 1942, the family moved into housing in Igloo, SD; part of the Black Hills Ordinance Depot. Dorothy attended high school in Igloo. Dorothy's grades in high school were good enough that she was allowed to work where the ammunition was stored. It was a job that she enjoyed very much.


Dorothy married Luther Lonzo Mace in 1945. From their union, three children were born: Nina Dorothy "Patti", Carole Ann "Cammie" and Luther David "Luke". The family traveled extensively, due to Luther's Army career.


Dorothy and her three children moved from Mississippi to Oregon, then to Toolle, UT with Dorothy's mother, then to Las Vegas, NV. There, Dorothy met the one true love of her life, Billy Key Dedmon. On September 27, 1963, Billy and Dorothy were united in marriage. They lived in Henderson, NV for 23 years. During that time, Dorothy received her realtor's license and became an outstanding and successful realtor. Billy and Dorothy enjoyed buying houses and fixing them up so that they could rent them out. Dorothy was also the President of the Emblem Club (the woman's auxiliary of the Elks Club) from 1982 to 1984. Billy and Dorothy enjoyed entertaining friends and family in their home and enjoyed travelling, which they did often.
Following Billy's death, Dorothy and her granddaughter, Dorothy Key moved to Buffalo, SD. While there she was on the Sunday School Board and was also a driver for the EMT's. Five years later they moved to Belle Fourche, SD where Dorothy worked in the Assessor's Office and helped the local museum get up and running. Dorothy also enjoyed having lunch with a group of local ladies known as "The Lunch Bunch".


In 2005, Dorothy moved to Bison, SD where she helped with the family owned flower shop. She always had coffee on and something to eat for whoever stopped by. If you left her house hungry, it wasn't because she didn't try to feed you. She loved to sit around her kitchen table with her family and friends telling stories and jokes.


Dorothy loved music, playing the organ, dancing and taking care of her great-grandchildren. In her younger years, she played basketball and loved snow sports especially skiing and ice skating.


Dorothy passed away on Thursday, August 18, 2011 at the Western Horizon's Care Center in Hettinger, ND.


Blessed to have shared her life are her daughter, Carol "Cammie" Ann (Glen) Worthen, Bison, SD; son-in-law, Bill Smith, Lucedale, MS; daughter-in-law, Pam Mace, Wright, WY; brother, Leo (Esther) Bruning, in CA; sister, Virginia Tuning, Black Hawk, SD; 8 grandchildren; 22 great grandchildren; 14 great-great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.


Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, Leo and Nina Bruning; husband, Billy Dedmon; brother, Johnny Yoakum; son, Luther Mace; daughter, Nina Smith; and grandson, Chris Mace.