Individual Details

Info from Fulton Co. Ohio pg 302
no children
Living in Wauseon area in 1976
She was born in downtown Wauseon, in an apartment above a variety store operated by her parents. She graduated from Wauseon High School in 1916 and started work at People's State Bank the next day.

Toledo Blade, Saturday February 22, 2003 Pgs 1&5 Sec B
Longtime Wauseon resident celebrates birthday
This 105 year old hasn’t mellowed with age and doesn’t plan to do so
By Jane Schumcker
Wauseon- If you want to keep up with Dorothy Biddle- who drove her Olds 98 daily less than three months before her 105th birthday- you’ll need great genetics and her feisty attitude, her doctor says.
“At my age, I should have been gone a long time ago” said Mrs. Biddle, who celebrates her 105th birthday today.
Mrs. Biddle doesn’t know anyone who’s older than she is. Many of the people in her exercise class at the Fulton County Senior Center, her clubs and her lunch dates are in their 70s or much younger.
“But I feel an young as you are sitting here.” She added, perched on the sofa in the Wauseon home where she has lived since 1964.
Standing up, however, she started to feel a bit wobbly after a bout of poor health this winter. In the past few months, she has not been in the choir procession at Christ United Methodist Church in Wauseon, where she has sung for 92 years- since age 13.
This week she wouldn’t have strutted across the stage alone the way she did last fall when more than 1500 Ohio Order of Eastern Star members gave her a long standing ovation for her 80 years of membership.
“There were these reserved old ladies and they just cheered and clapped,” said Becky Thatcher, a fellow Eastern Star member. A convention announcer has said the was the first time the organization awarded an 80-year pin to someone who was able to be in attendance.
Mrs. Biddle is the most independent 105 year-old ever seen by Dr. Richard Grieser, whose Wauseon family practice is weighted toward geriatrics. His oldest patient ever, Meta Buehrer, who turned 105 Jan 15, gets much more assistance from the relatives with whom she lives.
Today, Mrs. Biddle has strong opinions. She wonders, for instance, if President Bush would be as anxious to attack Iraq is he had sons in the military instead of daughters in college.
“I do not want to see all of these people killed,” she said. “And I don’t think war ever did a lot of good anyhow.”
She’s seen plenty of wars- She was a teenager during World War I, in her mid 40s during World War II, and in her 70s when the United States withdrew from Vietnam.
As a newlywed, she voted Republican like her parents. But during the Franklin Roosevelt administration she became a Democrat like her husband, Clark Biddle, who was a livestock breeder and past president of the board of Peoples Savings Bank of Delta.
He died in 1972, a month after they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They did not have children.
She was born in 1898 in downtown Wauseon, in an apartment above a variety store operated by her parents. She graduated from Wauseon High School in 1916, and started work at People’s State Bank the next day.
The Biddles supported many causes, including 4-H Camp Palmer, south of Fayette in Fulton County. This week, the camp’s executive director, Allison Dowell, took a lunch to Mos. Biddle’s home for an early birthday celebration.
A similar lunch date about six years ago fell through during a snowstorm. Ms. Dowell had been scared go going out to eat as they p\had planned - What is Mrs. Biddle slipped and dell on the ice? - and called to say that she would bring carry-out over instead. But when she arrived, she found Mrs. Biddle had shoveled the sidewalks.
In 1991, Mrs. Thatcher and Mrs. Biddle were driving through a snowstorm near Bluffton, Ohio, when the van they were in broke down. Mrs. Thatcher was miffed and nervous. Mrs. Biddle was excited about a new experience, saying “I’ve never been stranded in a snowstorm,” Mrs. Thatcher recalled.
Mrs. Biddle loves to read and true to form she doesn’t need large print. “I read all the time,” she said.


Toledo Blade August 28, 2003:
105-year-old from Wauseon gives $1.25 million for park speeding Field of Dreams work
(THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH)

`I always tell people Wauseon is the best place in the world to live,' says Dorothy Biddle.

By ERICA BLAKE
BLADE STAFF WRITER

WAUSEON - On a large pad of paper, Jeff Robinson wrote a zero, then another in front of it, slowly revealing how much money 105-year-old Dorothy Biddle - the guest of honor - was giving to the city's park project.

The city law director and Wauseon Rotary member stopped at $254,000.

"Oh," he said, returning to the board, "I forgot a number."

A packed room at Rotary Park gasped when Mr. Robinson added the number one, announcing that Mrs. Biddle had donated more than a million dollars - $1,254,000 to be exact -to a project that was 14 years in the making.

"I really don't deserve all this," said lifelong Wauseon resident Mrs. Biddle.

"I've been around the world, and I always tell people Wauseon is the best place in the world to live."

What had been known as the city's Field of Dreams project - a planned park of baseball diamonds, soccer fields, and walking trails to be built from 73 acres of farmland on Linfoot Street, north of Glenwood Avenue - will now be known as the Dorothy B. Biddle Park.

Wiping tears, Mrs. Biddle thanked the crowd yesterday for their support and love during her 105 years as a Wauseon resident.

Her gift, she added, was just a way of giving back.

Mrs. Biddle, a slight woman full of spunk, is as well known in her community as the project to which she donated.

She was grand marshal of the Wauseon Homecoming parade in 2001 - at age 103 - and could be seen until just a few months ago driving her blue Cadillac with the license plate COB-4 around town.

It was just a few months ago that Mrs. Biddle realized just how much money she earned from stocks she had collected more than 50 years ago. Because she did not have any children and worried that any inheritance she left to others would be overtaxed by the government, it did not take her long to find a good use for her money.

"It's kind of unusual to see my name up there," she said of the mockup pictures showing her name on a large park sign.

"This has always been my home. I'm never, never, never going to leave it," she said.

Friends, family members, and civic leaders all gathered yesterday to learn of the generous gift and to thank the woman who made it a reality. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) was among those who came to honor Mrs. Biddle, who was born at a house on Main Street in Wauseon on Feb. 22, 1898.

With her late husband, Clark, Mrs. Biddle has supported many local organizations, including 4-H Camp Palmer, south of Fayette in Fulton County. These actions, and others, have served as an inspiration to others, Miss Kaptur said.

"What Dorothy Biddle has contributed, personally and financially, is profound," she added.

"It is that show of selfless generosity that builds real community, and we don't see enough of it."

The Field of Dreams project was first discussed in Wauseon more than a decade ago by members of the local Rotary Club looking for something to undertake.

One look at the city's fields - or lack thereof - and the group knew what it wanted to accomplish.

Rotarian Larry Lammon reviewed the condition of the city's fields yesterday, citing examples of how many youngsters were playing sports compared to the limited number of fields available.

He pointed out that soccer teams play on fields made of clay and that those young people playing T-ball are not in fact playing on a ball field but instead are in the front yard of Wauseon High School.

"There's a real need," he said. "When people say we don't need another park, I want everyone in this room to look them in the eye and say, `We're not building another park, we're replacing a park that has no room.'"

The city has been seeking grants and the Rotary Club has held annual auctions to help pay the approximately $3 million bill to build the park. Mayor Jerry Matheny said yesterday that Mrs. Biddle's donation will make the park a reality about five or six years ahead of schedule.

Paul Zumfelde waited until most members and guests left the shelter at Rotary Park yesterday before approaching the woman he has known since he was 5 years old.

Gently shaking Mrs. Biddle's delicate hand, Mr. Zumfelde, 59, summed up the sentiments that many residents of Wauseon have at one time thought.

"Thanks for all you've done for young people all your life," he said.

From the Toledo Blade 1/13/05

BIDDLE Dorothy Bernice
________________________________________
Waldron
Dorothy Bernice Waldron Biddle died January 12, 2005, at Fulton Manor in
Wauseon. Dorothy was born February 22, 1898, and was 106 years old. She had
fallen at her home on October 4, 2003, breaking her hip resulting in her
move to Fulton Manor. Her positive attitude about recovery and her
determination to regain her active social life amazed those throughout the
health care community.
Dorothy was proud of her Wauseon heritage. Her great-grandfather, Nathaniel
Leggett was one of Wauseon founders and was the first person to be buried in
Wauseon Union Cemetery. She recently told a group that she has always been
proud to be from Wauseon and although she had traveled extensively, "There's
no place like home, I love Wauseon and I will never leave."
Being a meticulous person with an eye for detail, she recently dictated and
approved her obituary.
Dorothy Bernice Waldron was the only child born to Nathaniel and Carietta
(Hill) Waldron. She was born in an upstairs apartment above her parent's
variety store on Fulton Street, Wauseon. She attended Wauseon Schools
graduating in 1916. Following graduation she worked at the People's State
Bank downtown Wauseon. She married Clark Ozias Biddle September 20, 1922.
Following her marriage the "city girl" moved to the country and became a
homemaker and farmer's wife. The Biddle Farm was known for their registered
Holstein dairy cows, registered sheep, hogs and they also raised registered
collies. Dorothy learned quickly the chores in the barn and throughout the
farm operation. The Biddles celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in
1972. Clark died a few weeks after the celebration. The Biddles were
childless and without any nieces or nephews.
Dorothy proclaimed her family to be Kenneth and Becky Thatcher, their sons,
Brian and Brooke and granddaughter, Olivia, which Dorothy claimed as "the
only family I have." Dorothy was there to hold Olivia at one day old, and
has been a tremendous joy for her to watch Olivia grow. The Thatcher family
all live in Wauseon. She is also survived by a multitude of dear friends.
Dorothy knew of God's promise of immortal life through her lifetime
commitment and membership at Christ United Methodist Church in Wauseon. She sang in the church choir from the age of 13 until she was 104 for a total of
91 years. She was also active in the United Methodist Women at church and on
the District level.
Dorothy was an active member at the time of her death in Fulton Chapter #67
Order of the Eastern Star, where her part was to tell the story of Martha
and Jesus. She recited the history of Martha with sincere and deep faith of
immortal life. In 2002, at Grand Chapter in Columbus, she received her
80-year membership pin. In September of 2004, she traveled to Grand Chapter
in Dayton to see her Becky be installed as Grand Martha of the Grand Chapter
of Ohio. She also was a member of the former District 7 OES chorus.
Dorothy was very patriotic and a proud member of Wauseon DAR where she had
served the club as treasurer. She attended the Continental Congress three
times. She also was a member of the Wauseon Woman's Club since the 1970's.
An avid Democrat, Dorothy was an active member of the Fulton County
Democratic Women. She was very proud that she had attended several
Presidential inaugurations in Washington D.C.
Since 1973, Dorothy was a member of the Fulton County Hospital Auxiliary.
She volunteered at the Fulton County Health Center until December 2002, when
ill health restricted her ability to drive herself to the center.
Biddle was well known throughout Northwest Ohio as a philanthropist. She was
a supporter of 4-H Camp Palmer at Harrison Lake. For many years she has
awarded scholarships in memory of her late husband, Clark to Fulton County
4-H members. The United Methodist Church camp, Widewater in Liberty Center,
Ohio was also a benefactor resulting in Biddle Dining Hall. She was an avid
supporter of arts and history, some benefactors being the Fulton County
Historical Society, Rutherford Hayes Presidential Center, the Fayette Opera
House to name a few of her favorites.
August 2003, Dorothy awed much of her beloved Wauseon when it was announced she had established a trust of $1.254 million for the Wauseon park project Field of Dreams. Due to her generous contribution the Wauseon Rotary Club, the organization behind the project, voted Dorothy as an Honorary Member.
The club also voted to rename the park "Dorothy B. Biddle Park." The
ceremonies included Dorothy's dear friend, Congresswoman, Marcy Kaptur
addressing those assembled with Dorothy's wonderful attributes. She also
presented a United States flag that had flown over the Capitol in Washington
D.C. to be flown at the dedication ceremonies of the park to be held at a
later date.
In 2002, Dorothy was honored to be named Grand Marshal for the Wauseon
Homecoming Parade. Always dressed as a lady, she immediately began planning
what to wear. In October 2003, Dorothy was named Wauseon Citizen of the
Year. She received that information while at Fulton Manor recovering from a
broken hip. She was overwhelmed but also inspired to recuperate enough to
attend the awards ceremony November 13, 2003, just 6 weeks after surgery. In
April 2004, she received the Grand Master's Community Service Award from the
Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio. In May of 2004, Dorothy received an Honorary
Doctorate from Northwest State Community College in Archbold.
Dorothy's other activities were: Ohio Holstein Association, the Fulton
County Senior Center, including the exercise classes offered twice a week.
She also sang in the now defunct Senior Center Chorus, but continued to meet
with the group for breakfast once a month. Dorothy loved listening to music
but especially loved dancing.
As previously stated, Dorothy was very strong in her faith and renewed that
faith each time she traveled to the Holy Lands. She also traveled to the
Passion Play, the story of Christ's life at Oberammergau, Germany three
times. She traveled to Germany in her 80s, her 90s and finally the third
time at the age of 102 with Eastern Star members from throughout Ohio. She
also visited the Holy Lands numerous times with the church.
With Dorothy's lifetime of being involved in the church and her community,
she is survived by a multitude of friends.
Visitation will be Thursday, January 13, 2005, from 2-8 p.m. at the
Edgar-Grisier Funeral Home in Wauseon. O.E.S. services will be Thursday
night at 7 p.m. with DAR service immediately following. Funeral services
will be at Christ United Methodist Church in Wauseon with Pastor Suzanne
Fountaine officiating on Friday, January 14, 2005, at 11 a.m. Interment will
be in Wauseon Union Cemetery. Memorials to: Dorothy B. Biddle Park, c/o
Wauseon Rotary, 635 Hemlock, Wauseon, Christ United Methodist Church or
Fulton Chapter #67 Order of the Eastern Star, all of Wauseon.
Dorothy lived by the following John Wesley's and adopted as the Methodist
creed:
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
"Good-bye
Wauseon's Grand Lady!"


-- MERGED NOTE ------------

Info from Fulton Co. Ohio pg 302
no children
Living in Wauseon area in 1976
She was born in downtown Wauseon, in an apartment above a variety store operated by her parents. She graduated from Wauseon High School in 1916 and started work at People's State Bank the next day.

Toledo Blade, Saturday February 22, 2003 Pgs 1&5 Sec B
Longtime Wauseon resident celebrates birthday
This 105 year old hasn’t mellowed with age and doesn’t plan to do so
By Jane Schumcker
Wauseon- If you want to keep up with Dorothy Biddle- who drove her Olds 98 daily less than three months before her 105th birthday- you’ll need great genetics and her feisty attitude, her doctor says.
“At my age, I should have been gone a long time ago” said Mrs. Biddle, who celebrates her 105th birthday today.
Mrs. Biddle doesn’t know anyone who’s older than she is. Many of the people in her exercise class at the Fulton County Senior Center, her clubs and her lunch dates are in their 70s or much younger.
“But I feel an young as you are sitting here.” She added, perched on the sofa in the Wauseon home where she has lived since 1964.
Standing up, however, she started to feel a bit wobbly after a bout of poor health this winter. In the past few months, she has not been in the choir procession at Christ United Methodist Church in Wauseon, where she has sung for 92 years- since age 13.
This week she wouldn’t have strutted across the stage alone the way she did last fall when more than 1500 Ohio Order of Eastern Star members gave her a long standing ovation for her 80 years of membership.
“There were these reserved old ladies and they just cheered and clapped,” said Becky Thatcher, a fellow Eastern Star member. A convention announcer has said the was the first time the organization awarded an 80-year pin to someone who was able to be in attendance.
Mrs. Biddle is the most independent 105 year-old ever seen by Dr. Richard Grieser, whose Wauseon family practice is weighted toward geriatrics. His oldest patient ever, Meta Buehrer, who turned 105 Jan 15, gets much more assistance from the relatives with whom she lives.
Today, Mrs. Biddle has strong opinions. She wonders, for instance, if President Bush would be as anxious to attack Iraq is he had sons in the military instead of daughters in college.
“I do not want to see all of these people killed,” she said. “And I don’t think war ever did a lot of good anyhow.”
She’s seen plenty of wars- She was a teenager during World War I, in her mid 40s during World War II, and in her 70s when the United States withdrew from Vietnam.
As a newlywed, she voted Republican like her parents. But during the Franklin Roosevelt administration she became a Democrat like her husband, Clark Biddle, who was a livestock breeder and past president of the board of Peoples Savings Bank of Delta.
He died in 1972, a month after they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They did not have children.
She was born in 1898 in downtown Wauseon, in an apartment above a variety store operated by her parents. She graduated from Wauseon High School in 1916, and started work at People’s State Bank the next day.
The Biddles supported many causes, including 4-H Camp Palmer, south of Fayette in Fulton County. This week, the camp’s executive director, Allison Dowell, took a lunch to Mos. Biddle’s home for an early birthday celebration.
A similar lunch date about six years ago fell through during a snowstorm. Ms. Dowell had been scared go going out to eat as they p\had planned - What is Mrs. Biddle slipped and dell on the ice? - and called to say that she would bring carry-out over instead. But when she arrived, she found Mrs. Biddle had shoveled the sidewalks.
In 1991, Mrs. Thatcher and Mrs. Biddle were driving through a snowstorm near Bluffton, Ohio, when the van they were in broke down. Mrs. Thatcher was miffed and nervous. Mrs. Biddle was excited about a new experience, saying “I’ve never been stranded in a snowstorm,” Mrs. Thatcher recalled.
Mrs. Biddle loves to read and true to form she doesn’t need large print. “I read all the time,” she said.


Toledo Blade August 28, 2003:
105-year-old from Wauseon gives $1.25 million for park speeding Field of Dreams work
(THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH)

`I always tell people Wauseon is the best place in the world to live,' says Dorothy Biddle.

By ERICA BLAKE
BLADE STAFF WRITER

WAUSEON - On a large pad of paper, Jeff Robinson wrote a zero, then another in front of it, slowly revealing how much money 105-year-old Dorothy Biddle - the guest of honor - was giving to the city's park project.

The city law director and Wauseon Rotary member stopped at $254,000.

"Oh," he said, returning to the board, "I forgot a number."

A packed room at Rotary Park gasped when Mr. Robinson added the number one, announcing that Mrs. Biddle had donated more than a million dollars - $1,254,000 to be exact -to a project that was 14 years in the making.

"I really don't deserve all this," said lifelong Wauseon resident Mrs. Biddle.

"I've been around the world, and I always tell people Wauseon is the best place in the world to live."

What had been known as the city's Field of Dreams project - a planned park of baseball diamonds, soccer fields, and walking trails to be built from 73 acres of farmland on Linfoot Street, north of Glenwood Avenue - will now be known as the Dorothy B. Biddle Park.

Wiping tears, Mrs. Biddle thanked the crowd yesterday for their support and love during her 105 years as a Wauseon resident.

Her gift, she added, was just a way of giving back.

Mrs. Biddle, a slight woman full of spunk, is as well known in her community as the project to which she donated.

She was grand marshal of the Wauseon Homecoming parade in 2001 - at age 103 - and could be seen until just a few months ago driving her blue Cadillac with the license plate COB-4 around town.

It was just a few months ago that Mrs. Biddle realized just how much money she earned from stocks she had collected more than 50 years ago. Because she did not have any children and worried that any inheritance she left to others would be overtaxed by the government, it did not take her long to find a good use for her money.

"It's kind of unusual to see my name up there," she said of the mockup pictures showing her name on a large park sign.

"This has always been my home. I'm never, never, never going to leave it," she said.

Friends, family members, and civic leaders all gathered yesterday to learn of the generous gift and to thank the woman who made it a reality. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) was among those who came to honor Mrs. Biddle, who was born at a house on Main Street in Wauseon on Feb. 22, 1898.

With her late husband, Clark, Mrs. Biddle has supported many local organizations, including 4-H Camp Palmer, south of Fayette in Fulton County. These actions, and others, have served as an inspiration to others, Miss Kaptur said.

"What Dorothy Biddle has contributed, personally and financially, is profound," she added.

"It is that show of selfless generosity that builds real community, and we don't see enough of it."

The Field of Dreams project was first discussed in Wauseon more than a decade ago by members of the local Rotary Club looking for something to undertake.

One look at the city's fields - or lack thereof - and the group knew what it wanted to accomplish.

Rotarian Larry Lammon reviewed the condition of the city's fields yesterday, citing examples of how many youngsters were playing sports compared to the limited number of fields available.

He pointed out that soccer teams play on fields made of clay and that those young people playing T-ball are not in fact playing on a ball field but instead are in the front yard of Wauseon High School.

"There's a real need," he said. "When people say we don't need another park, I want everyone in this room to look them in the eye and say, `We're not building another park, we're replacing a park that has no room.'"

The city has been seeking grants and the Rotary Club has held annual auctions to help pay the approximately $3 million bill to build the park. Mayor Jerry Matheny said yesterday that Mrs. Biddle's donation will make the park a reality about five or six years ahead of schedule.

Paul Zumfelde waited until most members and guests left the shelter at Rotary Park yesterday before approaching the woman he has known since he was 5 years old.

Gently shaking Mrs. Biddle's delicate hand, Mr. Zumfelde, 59, summed up the sentiments that many residents of Wauseon have at one time thought.

"Thanks for all you've done for young people all your life," he said.

From the Toledo Blade 1/13/05

BIDDLE Dorothy Bernice
________________________________________
Waldron
Dorothy Bernice Waldron Biddle died January 12, 2005, at Fulton Manor in
Wauseon. Dorothy was born February 22, 1898, and was 106 years old. She had
fallen at her home on October 4, 2003, breaking her hip resulting in her
move to Fulton Manor. Her positive attitude about recovery and her
determination to regain her active social life amazed those throughout the
health care community.
Dorothy was proud of her Wauseon heritage. Her great-grandfather, Nathaniel
Leggett was one of Wauseon founders and was the first person to be buried in
Wauseon Union Cemetery. She recently told a group that she has always been
proud to be from Wauseon and although she had traveled extensively, "There's
no place like home, I love Wauseon and I will never leave."
Being a meticulous person with an eye for detail, she recently dictated and
approved her obituary.
Dorothy Bernice Waldron was the only child born to Nathaniel and Carietta
(Hill) Waldron. She was born in an upstairs apartment above her parent's
variety store on Fulton Street, Wauseon. She attended Wauseon Schools
graduating in 1916. Following graduation she worked at the People's State
Bank downtown Wauseon. She married Clark Ozias Biddle September 20, 1922.
Following her marriage the "city girl" moved to the country and became a
homemaker and farmer's wife. The Biddle Farm was known for their registered
Holstein dairy cows, registered sheep, hogs and they also raised registered
collies. Dorothy learned quickly the chores in the barn and throughout the
farm operation. The Biddles celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in
1972. Clark died a few weeks after the celebration. The Biddles were
childless and without any nieces or nephews.
Dorothy proclaimed her family to be Kenneth and Becky Thatcher, their sons,
Brian and Brooke and granddaughter, Olivia, which Dorothy claimed as "the
only family I have." Dorothy was there to hold Olivia at one day old, and
has been a tremendous joy for her to watch Olivia grow. The Thatcher family
all live in Wauseon. She is also survived by a multitude of dear friends.
Dorothy knew of God's promise of immortal life through her lifetime
commitment and membership at Christ United Methodist Church in Wauseon. She sang in the church choir from the age of 13 until she was 104 for a total of
91 years. She was also active in the United Methodist Women at church and on
the District level.
Dorothy was an active member at the time of her death in Fulton Chapter #67
Order of the Eastern Star, where her part was to tell the story of Martha
and Jesus. She recited the history of Martha with sincere and deep faith of
immortal life. In 2002, at Grand Chapter in Columbus, she received her
80-year membership pin. In September of 2004, she traveled to Grand Chapter
in Dayton to see her Becky be installed as Grand Martha of the Grand Chapter
of Ohio. She also was a member of the former District 7 OES chorus.
Dorothy was very patriotic and a proud member of Wauseon DAR where she had
served the club as treasurer. She attended the Continental Congress three
times. She also was a member of the Wauseon Woman's Club since the 1970's.
An avid Democrat, Dorothy was an active member of the Fulton County
Democratic Women. She was very proud that she had attended several
Presidential inaugurations in Washington D.C.
Since 1973, Dorothy was a member of the Fulton County Hospital Auxiliary.
She volunteered at the Fulton County Health Center until December 2002, when
ill health restricted her ability to drive herself to the center.
Biddle was well known throughout Northwest Ohio as a philanthropist. She was
a supporter of 4-H Camp Palmer at Harrison Lake. For many years she has
awarded scholarships in memory of her late husband, Clark to Fulton County
4-H members. The United Methodist Church camp, Widewater in Liberty Center,
Ohio was also a benefactor resulting in Biddle Dining Hall. She was an avid
supporter of arts and history, some benefactors being the Fulton County
Historical Society, Rutherford Hayes Presidential Center, the Fayette Opera
House to name a few of her favorites.
August 2003, Dorothy awed much of her beloved Wauseon when it was announced she had established a trust of $1.254 million for the Wauseon park project Field of Dreams. Due to her generous contribution the Wauseon Rotary Club, the organization behind the project, voted Dorothy as an Honorary Member.
The club also voted to rename the park "Dorothy B. Biddle Park." The
ceremonies included Dorothy's dear friend, Congresswoman, Marcy Kaptur
addressing those assembled with Dorothy's wonderful attributes. She also
presented a United States flag that had flown over the Capitol in Washington
D.C. to be flown at the dedication ceremonies of the park to be held at a
later date.
In 2002, Dorothy was honored to be named Grand Marshal for the Wauseon
Homecoming Parade. Always dressed as a lady, she immediately began planning
what to wear. In October 2003, Dorothy was named Wauseon Citizen of the
Year. She received that information while at Fulton Manor recovering from a
broken hip. She was overwhelmed but also inspired to recuperate enough to
attend the awards ceremony November 13, 2003, just 6 weeks after surgery. In
April 2004, she received the Grand Master's Community Service Award from the
Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio. In May of 2004, Dorothy received an Honorary
Doctorate from Northwest State Community College in Archbold.
Dorothy's other activities were: Ohio Holstein Association, the Fulton
County Senior Center, including the exercise classes offered twice a week.
She also sang in the now defunct Senior Center Chorus, but continued to meet
with the group for breakfast once a month. Dorothy loved listening to music
but especially loved dancing.
As previously stated, Dorothy was very strong in her faith and renewed that
faith each time she traveled to the Holy Lands. She also traveled to the
Passion Play, the story of Christ's life at Oberammergau, Germany three
times. She traveled to Germany in her 80s, her 90s and finally the third
time at the age of 102 with Eastern Star members from throughout Ohio. She
also visited the Holy Lands numerous times with the church.
With Dorothy's lifetime of being involved in the church and her community,
she is survived by a multitude of friends.
Visitation will be Thursday, January 13, 2005, from 2-8 p.m. at the
Edgar-Grisier Funeral Home in Wauseon. O.E.S. services will be Thursday
night at 7 p.m. with DAR service immediately following. Funeral services
will be at Christ United Methodist Church in Wauseon with Pastor Suzanne
Fountaine officiating on Friday, January 14, 2005, at 11 a.m. Interment will
be in Wauseon Union Cemetery. Memorials to: Dorothy B. Biddle Park, c/o
Wauseon Rotary, 635 Hemlock, Wauseon, Christ United Methodist Church or
Fulton Chapter #67 Order of the Eastern Star, all of Wauseon.
Dorothy lived by the following John Wesley's and adopted as the Methodist
creed:
Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.
"Good-bye
Wauseon's Grand Lady!"

Birth	1898	Wauseon, Fulton Co., Ohio
Marriage	20 Sep 1922	Fulton, Ohio - Clark O. Biddle
Death	12 Jan 2005	Wauseon, Fulton Co., Ohio
Burial	14 Jan 2005	Wauseon Union Cemetery, Clinton Twp., Fulton Co., Ohio

Spouse

Clark O. Biddle (1895 - 1972)