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Doris Elaine (Clarkson, Banning, Ross) Dodd, age 97, of Brookfield, MO, passed away Friday, June 24, 2022, at McLarney Manor, Brookfield, MO.
Funeral services will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 2, 2022, at First Christian Church, Brookfield, with Reverend Mandy Tarpening officiating. Burial will follow at Parklawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 3:00 p.m. until the time of service at the church.
Doris was born March 16, 1925, in Brookfield, Missouri, to Chancey and Zella (Ward) Clarkson. Both sets of her grandparents lived in Brookfield. Grandpa and “Ma” Ward lived by the viaduct as her “Pa” worked on the railroad. Furthermore, she spent her childhood surrounded by an entrepreneurial family, in that her grandfather, Clarence, and father, Chancey, owned and operated Clarkson Butcher/Grocery Store on Crosby Street. Doris remembers that bananas were a big treat, and they got a shipment in about once a month. Her mother, Zella, operated Clarkson’s Beauty Shop on Crosby Street, charging one dollar for a permanent. Her Uncle Elliott (known locally by the nickname of Potsey) ran The Crystal Cleaners, a dry-cleaning shop in the Crosby Street location of what later became Sprague’s Locker. Eventually, Potsey opened the Yummy Crème, on John Street with his wife Adelia Stevenson, also Brookfield High School graduate (BHS). The Crosby Street businesses also included Reynold’s Dress Shop, a barbershop, a tailor shop, a car dealer, and garage repair shop.
In the days of Doris’s youth, Crosby Street was referred to as Clarksonville. This is because the Clarkson clan not only lived and operated their businesses on Crosby Street; also, they owned and rented (for $35.00 per month) most of the other business real estate and six 5-room homes that were situated on both sides of the street to the families who worked in their businesses.
Doris attended the Immaculate Conception Catholic School and then went on to Brookfield Public Schools and the New Adams School. Doris was a member of the Kilties Marching Group where she played the cello, trombone, and the drums. She was also active in the K Club, acting and tap dancing, in several school musicals. She was the queen of her senior prom, graduating from BHS in 1943.
Doris earned a two-year liberal arts degree from Christian College, an all-girls school in Columbia, Missouri, and then attended the University of Missouri-Columbia where she earned her degree in Elementary Education in 1947. While in college and for many later years, she was active in the Delta Gamma Sorority. She began teaching as a substitute teacher for several years and started teaching full time in 1960 at the Park School. Doris was a Brookfield R-3 Elementary teacher for 25 years until her retirement in July 1985.
Doris was united in marriage to Jack Brott Banning in September 1946. Doris and Jack started a business called The Shoe Box and a small children’s clothing boutique. Eventually, mom became a teacher and her first husband, Jack, managed the Ford dealership. In 1967, she was united in marriage to Bobby J. Ross. He preceded her in death in February 1977. On May 26, 1978, Doris was united in marriage to Clarence Dodd Jr. to whom she has been married 44 years.
Doris was a member of the Kiwanis Club, and First Christian Church, where she has served on the board, The Tanglefoot Square Dance Group, the High-Flier Bridge Club, the Linn County Retired Teachers and Public-School Personnel, and Beta Sigma Phi Sorority, where she was past president and received a 60-year certificate in 2007 for her service. She served on the Carnegie Library Board, instilling a love of reading in all her children. Through the years she used her teaching talents to provide numerous programs for Kiwanis, Mutual Improvement Club, and the Tourist Club. In 2015, in recognition of her outstanding service and achievements as a BHS alumnus, Doris was inducted into the BHS Hall of Fame.
Doris was baptized on April 4, 1936 and was an active member of the First Christian Church (FCC) throughout her life. When her children were young, she helped with church school and vacation bible school. She served as a Diaconate for two, three-year terms. She assisted in one of the 100-year FCC Centennial Celebration committees. During Brookfield’s 125th celebration, she spent hours looking though old church documents, with her historical committee ultimately being responsible for the pictures that hang on the wall of the church library. She was an active member in the Christian Women’s Fellowship Association, holding many offices though the years, and volunteering her home for meetings, and hosting in the church parlor. She served as the Courtesy Chair and was best known for her creative table arrangements and decorations she designed for church events. For many years, she oversaw the annual Christian Women’s Fellowship Christmas tea table. When the church bathrooms were updated, Doris added the finishing accents.
Doris is survived by her husband Clarence, of the home; her children, Julie Davenport, Jamie Auch, John Banning, Jim Banning, Greg Dodd, Craig Dodd, Linda Ewigman, Alan Dodd, Judy Toops; her grandchildren, Bob Davenport, Tom Davenport, Casey Auch, Brady Auch, Mitch Banning, Jackson Banning, Brian Ewigman, Eric Ewigman, Katie Dodd, Amy Dodd, Pam Gladbach, Kelli James, Tracie Gibler, and Jimmy Gibler; her great grandchildren Benjamin Davenport, Samuel Davenport, twins Blake and Ethan Davenport, Teegan Hobson, Bryce Hobson, Caroline McCone, and Owen McCone.
Doris is preceded in death by her parents, her sister and brother-in-law, Phyllis and Sam Williams, one daughter Jill Gibler, a daughter-in-law Cissy Banning, and two grandchildren John Davenport and Stevie Toops.
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