Dorothy J. Vaughan

Dorothy Jean Vaughan, age 88, of the Fairmount area in Leavenworth County, Kansas, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025. Visitation will be held from 6-8 pm on Thursday evening, Sept. 18th, at Alden-Harrington Funeral Home. The Funeral Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 19th, also at the Funeral Home, with the burial to follow in Edwardsville Cemetery. Memorial Contributions can be made to Children's Mercy Hospital.
Dorothy was born on November 11, 1936, in Horton, Kansas, and was the oldest of four children born to Sam and Agnes (Tollefson) Soyland. She grew up in the Everest, Kansas area and graduated from Everest High School in the Class of 1954. Dorothy moved to Topeka and was working in a Bank when she met Harry Charles, who was serving in the U.S. Air Force. They married in 1956, and from this union, three children were born. Later, she married John E. Vaughan, Jr., and together they merged their families into one. She retired from a career in Banking in 1997 and had also worked for Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, MO. Over the years, Dorothy had served as a Den Mother with the Cub Scouts in Wolcott, was a member of the Busy Bells club, a chapter of the Wyandotte County EHU extension, and enjoyed writing and attending the Basehor Library Writers Club. She also enjoyed Square Dancing, all of Elvis' movies and music, the Wizard of Oz, and when traveling out of state, she always enjoyed introducing herself as "Dorothy from Kansas". She could talk to anyone and everyone, and never knew a stranger. In her later years, she enjoyed going to the grandchildren's and great-grandchildren's school and sporting events.
She was a member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Everest, Kansas. After moving to Wolcott in 1960, she attended the Wolcott Baptist Church until it closed its doors. She then attended the Basehor Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John Vaughan, Jr., her parents, a sister, Kathryn Bennaka, and brother Lester Soyland. Stepdaughter Diana Vaughan, grandson Gregory Johnson, and son-in-law Tom Ward.
Survivors include her son Tom Charles (Dee Dee) of Basehor, KS., two daughters: Theresa Ward of Leavenworth, KS., Jo Ellen Johnson (David) of Edwardsville, KS., step-sons John E. Vaughan, III (Janice) of Kansas City, KS., and David G. Vaughan (Zanelle) of Kansas City, KS., one sister Donna Lanter (Richard) of Horton, KS., 11 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren, as well as several nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.