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Dorothy Frances Ferda Williamson was born September 25, 1933 to Melo and Frances Buresh Ferda, on a farm 5 miles west of Caldwell, Kansas.
She attended her first 4 years of school at Blackstone school west of Caldwell. Her parents only spoke the Czech language at home which made school difficult for her. Her teacher encouraged the family to speak English at home, so Dorothy could learn, and have an easier time at school.
The family moved to Bluff City, Kansas, where she began 5th grade. She graduated high school there in 1951, Salutatorian of the class. In later years, she attended a few classes at NOC College in Tonkawa, Oklahoma.
She married Wayne Williamson on October 28, 1951, at Bluff City, Kansas, in the Methodist Church. They were married 64 years.
Dorothy worked at the Grant County Tag Office, was manager of the Eureka School lunch program, and spent 10 years as a pre-school teacher at Medford, Oklahoma.
She was a member of the Methodist Church for many years and later attended the Christian Church in Medford. She served on the administrative board, was a trustee, was on the finance committee and was secretary of the church committee in the Methodist Church. She also sang in the choir for many years.
Dorothy was a member of ZCBJ Lodge, Eureka Star Home Demonstration Organization serving in all offices, as well as county offices, and received a 50-year pin. She was also a member of Spring Creek Club, and a member of Sunday school classes at church.
In 1953, she and husband Wayne, were both baptized at the Caldwell Methodist Church, where they attended until about 1970. At that time, they began attending the Methodist Church in Medford. In August 2017, she began attending the Christian Church in Medford. Church was very important to her and her faith carried her through the hard times in life.
Her hobbies included crafting, quilting, singing for 40 years in the church choir, and sewing. She was a talented seamstress making clothing for family, formals, tailored coats and men’s suits. She sewed many lap robes for nursing home patients. She also loved sewing for her grandchildren as long as her health permitted.
At the age of 9 her beautiful singing voice was discovered by her music teacher when preparing for a Christmas church program. As she grew up, she spent many years singing at various programs, weddings, funerals, and social events all around Kansas and Oklahoma. Dorothy always felt God richly blessed her with her voice.
She loved being a mother and grandmother. Two of the happiest days of her life were when Teresa and Jack joined their home.
Dorothy worked side-by-side with her husband on the farm, from hauling wheat, to drilling wheat, but never accomplished a straight row.
Later in life, in 1998 she took a trip with her dear friend, Bonnie Skrdla, to Finland to visit her daughter and family. They also visited Sweden and Estonia. In 2008, she took “the trip of a lifetime” when she, and daughter Teresa, made a trip to Czech Republic where she met and visited with 13 relatives. This was her father’s “Homeland” as he traveled by himself to America at age 11. On this trip she also visited Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Hungary, France, Lichtenstein, Poland, Finland, and Slovakia.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Wayne Williamson; three children, an infant baby, daughter, Gaylene, and son Roger; son-in-law, Vesa Eskelinen; grandchildren, Sean Williamson, Baron Werntz, Alexander Roork, and Aliyah Rose Roork; brothers, Everett Ferda and wife Rose, and Johnnie Ferda and wife Corky; parents, Melo and Frances Buresh Ferda.
She is survived by daughter Teresa Eskelinen, and son Jack Williamson and his partner Jennifer Markam; grandchildren, Steven and Christina Fox, Robbie and Lindsey Fox, Bridgitte and Josh Beck, Jeff and Hollie Roork, Tyler Werntz and Sara Eskelinen; great grandchildren, Anna, Ethan and Sadie Fox, Oren Fox, Baron, Jason, Isaac, Scarlett, Cayd, Aurora, Aiden, Connor and Tristan Beck, Yuriel, Ariyah and Lailah Roork, Sofie, Cia and Jonas Eskelinen; as well as cousins, nieces and nephews, and their families, and other relatives.
Funeral Service will be Friday January 31, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at the Medford First Christian Church. Viewing will be at the Church before the service. Burial will follow in Caldwell Cemetery, Caldwell, Kansas.
Arrangements are by Lanman Funeral Home, Inc. of Medford. www.lanmanfuneralhome.com
Memorials may be made to the First Christian Church of Medford.
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