Doris Jean Dodd

Doris Jean Dodd, of Shelbina, MO, passed away on Friday, September 8, 2023 at Salt River Community Care in Shelbina, MO.
Doris was born January 24, 1935, in rural Shelbina, MO, to James Harry and Ruby Merle (McClure) Blackford. She was united in marriage on April 18, 1953, to Robert Lee Dodd at the Christian Church in Shelbina, MO. He preceded her in death on January 31, 1997. Doris was the oldest of ten children and married into Bob's family of twelve children.
Doris went to Beatley country school from first grade thru eighth grade. She was married at 18 years old and after graduating Shelbina High School in 1953, joined Bob as an army wife in Fort Sill, OK. After completing basic training, they moved to Fort Hood, TX. After discharge from the Army, Bob worked for Railway Express Agency and they moved to several towns as a relief employee loading and unloading trucks as other employees took vacation. After REA closed they moved to Shelbina, MO, where Bob worked at John Duffy's MFA gas station and Doris was a checkout clerk at Rose's IGA foodliner. After Doris' parents retired and when Mike was a baby, they bought her family farm from Jim and Ruby Blackford. She worked alongside Bob on the farm and cooked and sewed for the family. She would feed the hay crews a big fried chicken meal and make doughnuts for the neighbors that came to unload the seed shipment. After the kids were raised, she worked as the board clerk and part-time secretary for Public Water Supply District # 1 of Shelby County for 23 years. Some of her proudest moments were seeing her siblings graduate from high school. She enjoyed following the family history and sharing it. She liked the competition of playing games with her brothers, sisters, kids, and grandkids. Through the years Doris enjoyed being present when the grandkids participated in baseball, basketball, football, band, choir, cheerleading, blue grass music, fiddling, and quiz bowl. She had a special joy of rekindling old friendships and cherishing new friends at Salt River Nursing home, while playing 11 point pitch, dominoes, and dice games. Doris was baptized as a member of Kendall Mount Olive Church and had a special fondness of the companionship of the Sunday school class. She sewed with them for the church's missionary work.
Doris is survived by three children, Patrick Dodd (Sherry) of Neosho, MO, Peggy O'Laughlin (Randy) and Michael Dodd (April) all of Shelbina; six grandchildren, Andy Dodd, Mark O'Laughlin, Jaimee (O'Laughlin) Witmer, Johnny O'Laughlin, Jason and Adam Dodd; great-grandchildren, Larkin Witmer and Emma and Gunnar Dodd. She is also survived by six sisters and brothers, Ann Chilcoat of Midland, TX, Rita Wilkerson (Raymond) of Paris, MO, Faye Chitwood of Elizabethtown, KY, Alan Blackford (Lannette), Lester Blackford (Ida), and Jimmy Blackford all of Hunnewell, MO. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, sister and brother-in-law, Molly and Johnny Latimer, brother, Harry Blackford, brother and sister-in-law, Ben and Marilyn Blackford, and brothers-in-law, Jim Chilcoat and Bob Chitwood.
Funeral services will be held at 11am on Saturday, September 16, 2023 at Greening-Eagan-Hayes Funeral Home in Shelbina, MO. A visitation will be from 9 am to 11 am on Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will be held in the Kendall Mt. Olive Cemetery, located near Shelbina, Missouri. Memorials may be made to Neighbors Helping Neighbors or Kendall Mt. Olive Cemetery.