Dorothea Anne Buck

Dorothea Buck

She was a twentieth-century person. Born on June 1, 1931 in her family’s farm home in Floyd County, Iowa, her rich tapestry of memories spanned the century, from the stories of her parents, Fred and Doris Koerner, to farm life with her brother James during the Depression, hymns and Bible verses from the Methodist Church they supported faithfully, and poems she had learned for the recitation bench in the one room country school she attended for 8 years. Add the experiences of Charles City High School and Cornell College, her marriage, concerts, travels, advocacy, friends, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, and those rich memories extended to her death on July 22, 2025, in Davenport, Iowa.

Encouraged by a mother who was herself a college graduate, Dorothea attended Cornell College, earning a Degree in English and German and meeting her soulmate, Daniel Buck. Their marriage on June 28, 1955, led to her identifying as “the preacher’s wife”, and together they served churches in Central Illinois for forty years and raised six children in seven parsonages across the conference. Eunice, Thomas, Joseph, Carolyn, Andrew, and Dennis brought into the family five beloved sons-and-daughters-in-law, Gerard, Sue, Denny, Dan, and Heather. Grandkids Rose (Ryne), Sam (Nikki), Jon (Aimee), Sarah (Dennis), Peyton, Parker, Kari (Loren) and Eddie (Adrienne), great-grandkids Tucker, Addi, Alice Dorothea, Amanda, Michael, Quinten, Kaleb, Colton and Trinity and great-great granddaughters Brynleigh, Everleigh, Robyn and Kennedi brought her memories and joy. Dorothea particularly enjoyed watching children play and create marveling at each emerging personality. There was always room for people from other countries and cultures, especially the annual expansion of the family with visits from Valerie and Rochelle. She was a mama to all. Her parents, husband Daniel and little son Tommy preceded her in death, as did her brother, James.

Dorothea was a faithful supporter of music, theater and arts, and an advocate for causes of peace, justice, equality, environment, and assistance to those in need. She recycled and helped organize community efforts to preserve the environment long before those were common. Though she chose a homemaker role, she advocated for the rights of all to pursue their own careers and passions equally. She actively supported Habitat for Humanity, Heifer Project, SERRV, PFLAG, Bridges of Faith and other organizations that provide food, shelter, and sustainable life to people in need of a hand. She worked for a time at Churches United and continued to add her voice to efforts to bring people of faith together, including crafting letters on a wide variety of topics that appeared regularly in the editorial pages. If there was a rally for peace or justice, she was likely to be there. These efforts were made with the desire of seeing a better world with liberty and justice for all but were significant enough to be recognized with the awarding of the Cramer-Heuerman Award for Social Justice by the United Methodist Church.

Her friends will remember a lady who valued conversation on matters of importance far more than small talk. They may recall her flair for designing meaningful Christmas cards, banners for various occasions, and thoughtful lessons for her Sunday School classes. Few will have noticed the woman gardening, picking up trash in the parks, and quietly seeking to make the world a better place. Her family simply remembers Mom and Grandma and will miss her presence in their lives. A memorial service will be held on the afternoon of August 7, 2025, at 2:00 at Bethel Wesley United Methodist Church in Moline, preceded by a 12:30 food and fellowship time. Memorials may be made to Habitat for Humanity or Bethel Wesley United Methodist Church.