Dorothy C. Gannon

FOREST CITY - Dorothy C. Gannon, age 89, formerly of Forest City, died May 23, 2011 in Phoenix, AZ. Mass of the Resurrection will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 4, 2011 at St. James Catholic Church in Forest City with Father Dennis Miller officiating. Burial will be at St. James Catholic Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 PM on Friday, June 3, 2011 at the Petersen Lund Funeral Home 505 N Clark Street in Forest City and will continue an hour prior to service at the church. Dorothy Catherine Gannon was born on January 23, 1922 at Dell Rapids, SD, the daughter of Peter and Clasina (VanDam) DeGreeff, recent immigrants from the Netherlands. She was the oldest of 10 children. Her first job was as a telephone operator in Lake Milson, MN and later in Farmington, MN where she met her future husband, Edward Gannon. The two of them were married on December 28, 1941. The couple had five sons. She also worked for an optometrist in Pipestone, MN. Dorothy and her husband were in the restaurant business for years. She was the main cook and also tended bar in most places while raising her boys. She was a hardworking woman and a wonderful cook. The family owned and ...[more]

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rated a steakhouse in Hatfield, MN, a restaurant in Lake Wilson, MN and a restaurant and bar in Forest City, IA. After Edward passed away in 1987 she moved to Waseca, MN to be near her sister. She lived there until 1994 when her sons in Phoenix, AZ convinced her the Arizona climate would help her arthritis. She made Arizona her home until passing away. She was a lifetime member of the 3rd Order of St. Francis and the Catholic Daughters. Dorothy is survived by her sons: Michael and David of Phoenix, AZ; Jerry of Everett, WA and Darryll of Northfield, MN; 12 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Also surviving are brothers Nick DeGreeff of Zimmerman, MN, John DeGreeff, Peter DeGreeff and Arnold DeGreeff, all of Slayton, MN, Steve DeGreeff of Spicer, MN, and sister Rosemary Drager of Zimmerman, MN. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Edward, son Donald, sisters Catherine and Nellie and brother James.