Individual Details

Burial

Dorothy Briles Apgar, 95, of Marshalltown, IA, passed away Monday, September 12, 2016, at Grandview Heights Rehab and Healthcare, in Marshalltown. Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m., Friday, September 16, 2016, at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, in Marshalltown. Visitation will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Thursday, September 15, 2016, at Anderson Funeral Home, 405 W. Main St., Marshalltown. Interment will be in the Apgar Family burial plot, at Riverside Cemetery, in Marshalltown. The family asks that memorials be directed to the Dorothy Apgar Memorial Fund, that will be designated to preserving her historical legacy. Online condolences may be sent to www.andersonfhs.com.

Dorothy was born December 29, 1920 to Dessie and Charles Briles on a farm north of Ottawa, Kansas. The first of four daughters, she rode her pony over three miles of dirt roads and farm fields to a one room primary school house for her early education. With WWII calling up most of the farmhands for service, the four Briles girls in their teenage years performed the standard farm chores. Dorothy was senior class president and valedictorian of her Pomona High School Senior Class. She enrolled at Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia, Kansas, earning a degree in Home Economics. She enrolled at Iowa State College to gain a Master's Degree in teaching home economics, her specialty, clothing design. Upon gaining her M.S. degree, Dorothy was retained on the Iowa State College Home Economics staff, teaching her major in the department of Textiles and Clothing. She created many of her own dresses including a stunning wedding gown. After meeting her husband-to-be, Patton (Pat) Apgar finishing his Engineering Degree at ISC after 5 years of active military duty, they were married in her family farm home on May 9th 1948, and took up residence in Marshalltown. The couple raised two boys, through MHS and the Boy Scout Eagle Scout Program. Both sons graduated from the school of Business at the University of Iowa. Once her sons were away at college, Dorothy became very active in community organizations. Organizations and clubs to which she belonged, a number as president: PEO, Binford House, Salvation Army, Marshalltown's Assistance League, Glass Club, Elmwood Country Club, Deaconess Hospital Auxiliary, YWCA, Hawthorne, Iowa State School Board, St. Paul's Vestry Auxiliary, and a part of the four person committee, "Save the Courthouse Committee", that succeed in preserving and restoring the Marshalltown Courthouse. She also served 13 years on the Iowa Valley College Board of Directors, being president for several of those years. A favorite pastime was to take her camera and car to travel all over the roads of Marshall County photographing anything historic. It was these prints and old copies from Apgar Studio's ancient files that made up the slide shows Dorothy presented to many Civic Groups. All of her collection of thousands of historical slides, papers, and historical books are being given to the Marshall County Historical Society; with a goal to digitize and preserve the collection for future generations. Dorothy was considered a favorite speaker for the Iowa Valley Leadership Group. As the Sesquicentennial year approached, the Governor of Iowa sent out requests to all Iowa Communities to get involved and create some historic objects of importance to their local community. Dorothy volunteered to take over this request for Marshall County. With a volunteer committee, a decision to create and publish a new history book for Marshall County was chosen. Dorothy was appointed Editor, Writer, Coordinator and Publisher of the undertaking. In four years of intensive work, the 861 page book was finished, distributed, and titled "The Continuing History of Marshall County". The public acceptance was very favorable and the State Historic Society awarded the Marshall County effort as its favorite project in the state. Since Dorothy conceived the idea and located the sculptor for Henry Anson's Statue in front of the courthouse, she was given the honor to unveil it at the dedication ceremony in front of a large crowd. In 1997, Dorothy was designated the Parade Marshall for the annual Oktemberfest parade. She rode high in the open rear seat of her husband's classic 1965 Bonneville Convertible with husband as driver in a chauffeur's outfit. The Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce presented their 2000 year Community Pride Award to Dorothy Apgar in recognition for Community Service to the City of Marshalltown. She was also presented the key to the courthouse for her efforts in preserving the building. Dorothy spent her final days with the loving care of the staff of Grandview Heights Rehab and Healthcare in Marshalltown. 

Dorothy is survived by her husband, Pat and a son, Tom Apgar both of Marshalltown. She was preceded in death by a son, John at age 28, and a sister, Beth.