Doris A. Dowling

Doris Dowling

HASTINGS — Doris A. Dowling, 91, died June 20, 2023, at Perkins Pavilion Good Samaritan Society-Hastings Village, Hastings.

Services of Christian Burial were June 24 at First United Methodist Church, Hastings, with Rev. Lance Clay officiating.

Burial was June 24 at Randolph Cemetery, Randolph.

Visitation was June 23 at the funeral home, and one hour before the service at the church.

The service was also live-streamed on Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home’s website. To view the service, go to Doris’s obituary and click the play button shown toward the bottom of the page.

Doris was born Jan. 27, 1932, to William and Nina (Castor) Cunningham on a farm five and one-half miles north of Randolph. She was baptized and confirmed in the Randolph Methodist Church. Doris attended District 93 Cedar County School, graduating eighth grade, then attended Randolph High School, where she was inducted into the National Honor Society and graduated in May 1950. As an adult, she joined the Methodist Chapter EA, PEO, Methodist Women’s Society, and several Church Circles. Doris married William C. “Bill” Dowling Oct. 28, 1950. Doris and Bill had 63 wonderful years together before he passed away.

Doris worked as a bookkeeper and clerk for the carpenter crew at Carhart Lumber, Randolph, where Bill was the manager. She held this position for 17 years until Bill took a job in Hastings, with Wheelers St. Regis Lumber, as a salesman. Doris then went to work in November 1974 for the State of Nebraska in the Patient Trust Office at Hastings Regional Center for 22 and one half years,until retiring in July 1996. From 1996-2022 she volunteered weekly at First United Methodist Church.

Doris’s family came first. She was a homemaker and mother to her two sons. Her hobbies, which she dearly loved, were cooking, baking and canning, and she was known by her family, friends, work and church for planning large functions with big meal, including baked rolls, decorated cakes, pies, cookies, meatballs and potato salad.

Doris was preceded in death by her parents; husband, William “Bill” Dowling; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Orville and Mildred Dowling; three infant daughters, Debra Ann, Sally Sue, and Trudi Ferrel; son, Terry Dowling; greatgrandson, Blake Shipman; great-granddaughter, Peony Dowling; grandson-in-law, Michael Maggart; sisters and spouses, Aulda Cunningham, Vera and Rick Remington, Velma and Norton Dowling, Mary “Eva” and Jim Dowling, Irma and Clarence Remington, Helen Burgel, Leila and LeRoy Brummels, Audrey and George Hinrichs, Flo and Paul Lenzen, and Wilma and Fred Weimers; and brothers and spouse, Boyd and Ellen Cunningham and Dale Cunningham.

Survivors include, son and daughter-in-law: Danny and Debra Dowling, Hastings; Travis and Trinity Dowling – Omaha; Melissa Maggart, Hastings; greatgrandchildren, D’Andre Shipman, Hastings; Quorra Maggart, Hastings; Michael (Canaan) Maggart, Hastings; Zella Dowling, Omaha; Abraham Dowling, Omaha; Karson Kinnaman, Omaha; Maverick Dowling, Omaha; Emery Dowling, Omaha; sister and brother-in-law, Alice and John Moehlenhoff, Creighton; sisters-in-law and spouse: Betty Cunningham, Norfolk; Angie and Lyle Neuhart, Wisner; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be directed to First United Methodist Church.