Dorothy Ruth Wolodkin

WOLODKIN, Dorothy Ruth Severeid, 94, of Elm Grove, Wheeling, West Virginia, died Tuesday, October 18, 2011, at Starkey Place Assisted Living in Painesville, Ohio, following a brief illness.

She was born Dorothy Ruth Severeid on October 4, 1917, in Story City, Iowa, to Elmer and Dora Schrader Severeid.

Dorothy was valedictorian of the Class of 1935 of Barnesville High School, Barnesville, Ohio, and was graduated from the Martins Ferry Hospital School of Nursing in the class of 1939. She served in the United States Army Nurse Corps during World War II in the European Theater as a registered nurse with the rank of First Lieutenant. She was stationed in both England and France. She served as a surgical nurse and supervisor with the 303 Station Hospital, Lilford Hall, Northamptonshire, England, caring for 8th Air Force battle casualties and patients evacuated from the Continent to England. She was decorated with the European Theater Ribbon. After the war, she worked as a surgical nurse in Elyria, Ohio. She worked as a nurse at Peterson Hospital in Wheeling until her retirement.

She was predeceased by her husband, Edward Wolodkin, in 1991; a brother, Ray Young, of New Concord, Ohio; two sisters, Esther Woodbury of Waterloo, Iowa and Myrtle Nora Wayne of Fredericksburg, Missouri; and her son-in-law, Bill Caveney. She is survived by her children: Brenda Caveney of Vero Beach, Florida; Rhea Sanborn Stephen of Eliot, Maine; Edward L. Wolodkin of Moundsville, West Virginia; and Dr. Donnah Whitaker William of Concord, Ohio, as well as eight grandchildren: Suzanne Bolinger Adam of Vero Beach, Florida; Kelly Donnelly Stephen of Vero Beach, Florida; Clifford Wolodkin Pam of Wheeling, West Virginia; Daniel Sanborn Kira of Silver Spring, Maryland; Michael Severeid Sanborn of Portland, Maine; Henry Stifel Whitaker of Los Angeles, California; and Sarah Edgington Whitaker, at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas; five great-grandchildren: Joshua Testa, Justin Testa, Brittany Bolinger, Liam Donnelly and Brendan Donnelly, all of Vero Beach, Florida; sisters-in-law Anne Wolodkin and Ann Yzenski of Wheeling, and Clyta Young of New Concord, Ohio; daughter-in-law Fran McMurray of Tarpon Springs, Florida, and numerous nieces and nephews.

She resided for most of her life in Elm Grove, and frequently accompanied her husband and family to their camp on Sunfish Creek, Monroe County, Ohio. She also enjoyed beach vacations in Nags Head, North Carolina with her extended family.
She was the niece of Hank Severeid, catcher for the St. Louis Browns baseball team.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 5th, 2011 at Altmeyer Funeral Home, 154 Kruger Street, Elm Grove, Wheeling, West Virginia. Calling hours will be held from 2 to 4 p.m.. She will be interred in Greenwood Cemetery, Wheeling, West Virginia.

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, a memorial donation is suggested for either Starkey Place Assisted Living, 270 Mentor Avenue, Painesville, Ohio 44077; or to The Marshall University Foundation for the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Class of 1984, attn: Linda Holmes, 1600 Medical Center Drive, Huntington, West Virginia 25701. Online condolences may be expressed to the family at altmeyer.com.