Dolores Daudt

1919 - 2021

Dolores Daudt
Dolores Daudt passed away at Bickford of Midland with family present on July 1, 2021, having celebrated her 102nd birthday exactly one month earlier.
Dolores Christine Dirlam was born June 1, 1919 in Corning NY to John and Agnes (Richter) Dirlam. She was the third of three children, two sons and a daughter.
Dolores graduated from Corning Free Academy (high school) and later from Cornell University. Her career included teaching at Wellsville High School in Wellsville NY and then serving as assistant director of halls at Vassar College, Poughkeepsie NY. She discontinued outside employment to dedicate herself to homemaking when she married.
On June 30, 1944, Dolores was married to William Herbert Daudt in Corning, NY. Dr. William Daudt was part of the early Dow Corning team, located at Corning Glass Works. In 1949 he was transferred to the company's headquarters in Midland, MI. Dolores and their two pre-school daughters moved to Midland as soon as housing was available. This was an exciting time, and Dolores enjoyed her participation in the opportunities that were part of that stage of Dow Corning's development.
Dolores was very involved in many ways in her community. She and Bill were long-time members of Memorial Presbyterian Church (since 1950). Dolores served as a Sunday School teacher, as an elder, was active in women's groups; she was a conscientious supporter of the church's food bank, and a regular contributor of baked goods for various activities in the church. Dolores was an honorary life member of the American Association of University Women, a member of the En Avant Club, and a charter member of the Midland Lioness Club. She remained active in each organization for many years.
Dolores is survived by three daughters and two sons: Christine (Rev. Arthur) Zeilstra of Kitchener, Ontario, Canada; Sylvia (Arnim) Bledow of Koenigsbronn, Germany; Stephen (Sharon) Daudt of Mead, CO; Valerie Temple of Osprey, FL; and Dr. Carl (Judy) Daudt of Upland, IN. She is also survived by ten grandchildren, many great and great-great grandchildren, nieces and nephews, for whom Dolores has been especially important, particularly in these last years when she has been the last surviving family member of her generation. Dolores was pre-deceased by her husband, William Daudt (2000), her brothers Arthur Dirlam and Kent Dirlam, her brother-in-law and his wife, Louis and Elizabeth Daudt, and by her son-in-law, James Temple.
Travel was something that Dolores enjoyed. As a child, her parents had taken her on various road trips, which was unusual for that era. When she married Bill, train travel became more than just a means of transportation – it was an experience they both loved. Dolores and Bill also travelled extensively by car, and by plane. Together, Dolores and Bill visited all fifty U.S. states, Canada, Puerto Rico, New Zealand, and Europe. Dolores' and Bill's trips were thoroughly documented – a project that followed each trip. The Daudt travel journals reveal not only the wonderful scenery they had seen, and the trains they ALMOST missed, but also mention the many people they met; Dolores and Bill maintained contact with some of these people for many years. During their years as children and teenagers, the Daudt children were included in various trips, sometimes being singled out to travel alone with their parents, while their siblings were left in someone else's care; in later years, grandchildren sometimes had opportunities for trips with Grandma and Grandpa Daudt.
After Bill's death, Dolores made many trips with their adult children and families. If anyone was sharing travel plans or recounting stories of a trip they had taken, Dolores was keen to vicariously enjoy the details. She had an incredible memory, and she was able to identify with an amazing number of people and places.
Home was important to Dolores. She had put down deep roots in Midland and was always concerned about the community. She loved giving hospitality. Visitors were WELCOME. Dolores never failed to have the freezer stocked with food she had prepared, always "at the ready." Dolores remained in her home of 64 years until mid-June of this year, when she moved to Bickford of Midland. The Daudt family is grateful to the devoted and engaging staff.
A memorial service for Dolores is scheduled to be held on September 18, 2021, 11:00 a.m. at Memorial Presbyterian Church in Midland, Rev. Wallace Mayton III officiating. Visitation will be held at the church immediately prior to the service, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
In keeping with Dolores's expressed wishes, any donations may be given to Memorial Presbyterian Church or Chippewa Nature Center in Midland, MI.