Dorothy Mae Baumhoegger

Dorothy (nee DeBacco) Baumhoegger of High Ridge, Missouri, was born July 29, 1926 in St. Louis, Missouri to Frank and Ethel DeBacco and entered into rest Saturday, March 8, 2025 in Cedar Hill, Missouri at the age of 98 years.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Ethel DeBacco; husband, Frederick Baumhoegger Jr.; daughter, Rebecca Miller; brothers, Johnny DeBacco and Jerold DeBacco.
She is survived by her children, Bob (Linda) Baumhoegger and Frederick (Jo) Baumhoegger III; grandchildren, Rita, Daniel, Ricky, Holly, Chance, and Gina; 11 great-grandchildren, Michael, Harley, Olivia, Cody, Sophia, Fred "Quin" V, Charley, Mathew, Cherrie, Preston, and Delia; sister, Norma Jean Newner; along with numerous other extended family and friends.
Dorothy would tell stories about driving horse and wagon up the hill of Little Antire Road to help get firewood. Her brother Jerold told us of a time (underage Dorothy) stole his car and drove it to High Ridge. They had to come and get her because she did not know how to back up.
According to her brothers, she could be very stubborn. She married early and had her daughter, Becky. The marriage did not last long but thank God, because she met the love of her life Fred and married June 30, 1946 and remained married for 75 years. She was baptized that same year. Bob came along about a year later and 5 ½ years later she gave birth to her favorite son, Frederick John Baumhoegger III. She was very happy when her sons gave her grandkids and great-grandkids.
Dorothy was always active in the Church and sang in the choir with her husband and sons. She was active in the American Legion. She was at least one time the President of the Ladies Auxiliary. She stayed close to her family, visiting with them here and there in Louisiana, where she loved to fish and fish for crabs. She loved to fish and would eat anything and everything she caught. She was very fond of camping and fishing. She was very proud of the 4lb 10oz Trout she caught at Bennett Spring. She loved traveling and camping with her sister Norma and brother-in-law Bob and their kids Jeff, Brian, Bootie, and Eric.
Mom could be loving and harsh. She would show us baby mice and hold them and pet them and said how cute they were and then take them out to a flat stone in front of our outhouse and drop a sledgehammer on them.
She was also very proud of some track medals she had from school meets. She was very fast as my brother and I can contest to as she would lift her shirt and chase us down with a peach tree branch.
She could fix a car with a hair pin or by tapping on the battery post with her high heel shoe. She could drive any car, stick shift or auto. She loved animals. We always had cats and dogs, mostly dogs which I inherited her last dog, Bella. She would let us ride on the running board of the car or pull us behind the car on a sled (if she did that today they would put her in jail).
She was a den mother for the cub scouts, played in the bowler league. She almost always had a garden, taught us how to smoke grape vine. She loved having a martini with my brothers or anyone else for that matter. She once won the Daniel Boone trophy for marksmanship after they let her enter the Daniel Boone Men's competition instead of the Annie Oakley for women (the men were not happy).
Visitation will be held on Thursday, March 20, 2025 from 10:00 a.m. until the start of the Funeral Ceremony at 11:30 a.m. at Chapel Hill Mortuary, 6300 Highway 30, Cedar Hill, MO 63016. Interment will immediately follow at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made on behalf of Dorothy to the American Legion Post 400 in Fenton.
Family and friends can review and share stories, photos and condolences online at www.stlfuneral.com and follow details of this event and others in the community at www.facebook.com/stlchapelhill.