Dorothy Gee

Dorothy Gee

Cedar Rapids

Dorothy Gee, 97, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died peacefully on Friday, March 24, 2023, at The Keystones of Cedar Rapids. Eulogy: 2:30 p.m. Visitation: 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, March 31, 2023, at Murdoch-Linwood Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cedar Rapids. She will be buried at Campbell Cemetery in Cedar Rapids next to her husband Albert George Gee.

Dorothy was born March 25, 1925, in Grand Junction, Iowa, the daughter of Arthur and Agnes Matilda (Tyler) Teagarden. She was one of four sibling sisters. She graduated from Boone High School, Class of 1938. She graduated with a B.S. in Household Equipment from Iowa State University, Class of 1947. She also obtained an Associate of Arts Degree in the Legal Assistant Program from Kirkwood Community College in 1986.

Survivors include children, Aleta (Gee) Cooper of Mountain View, Calif., Devonna (wife of David) Gee, Jean (Nevin) Brandau of Roseville, Calif., Daniel (Belinda) Gee of Naples, Fla., and Stephen (Barbara) Gee of Cleveland, Ohio; grandchildren, Travis (Anna) Gee, Carissa (Mike) Lambert, Austin (Cheissia) Gee, Riley (Caroline) Brandau, Conan (Tracey) Gee, Lindsey (David) Eaton, Ross (Jess) Gee and Bradley (Haylee) Gee; and great-grandchildren, Mason, Maddie, Phoenix, Ava, Makyha, David, Olivia, Marceline, Miranda, Shiloh, Zion, Vale, Sadie and Addison.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Agnes Teagarden; her three sisters, Wilma Baldridge, Ardith Snook and Anita Blanshan; her husband, Albert George Gee; and son, David Alan Gee.

Dorothy was always known by family and friends for her forthright direct manner. She made no bones about things she believed in strongly and spoke her mind. Many people over the years have expressed their admiration and respect for this quality. Her college years taught her a lot about nutrition and she carried this throughout her adult life preparing healthy foods and exercise programs till her last breath. She and Albert were also faithful Christians, fully immersed in their church by attending, working and helping to bring in more people to Christ. They had many strong relationships with church families that remain to this day.

Dorothy was the Vice President and Secretary of Gee Grading and Excavating which she and Albert founded together in 1950. Both Albert and Dorothy were well known and respected in the Cedar Rapids business community and surrounding area. They emphasized honesty and integrity in their personal and business dealings. Dorothy was adept at business and very good with numbers. Math was her favorite skill and she practiced it wherever or whenever she was awake. An example of this might be watching the mile markers while driving down the interstate and keeping a tally of how far they had driven, how far was left to go, what their ETA might be, as well as calculating their current fuel economy. All this done in her head, no pen and paper. She always kept a written tally of her expenses and balanced her checkbook to the penny.

Dorothy also loved cars, she especially loved fast cars. Her favorite car was a 1968 Dodge Charger which she had purchased brand new in 1968 from Handler Motors in downtown Cedar Rapids. It was not uncommon for her to race a few challengers from a stoplight where her tires would be squealing, leaving a nice burnout on the pavement. Like math, she was very interested in cars and was fastidious regarding the care of every vehicle she ever drove, such as proper tire pressures, oil changes, rotating tires and just keeping everything in perfect operating condition. This all started when her father, Arthur, bought a Buick dealership in Boone, Iowa. In 1938, Arthur loaded up her two older sisters and Dorothy and drove them to Chicago. Each one was assigned a new Buick which they drove home to Boone. Dorothy was 13 years old. The love affair with cars began and never waned until her last breath.

Dorothy was a decades-long member of the Republican Women of Iowa. She also served as a secretary of that organization for many years. Anyone who knew Dorothy also knew she was an outspoken Republican who always had something to say about the current political landscape. Her strong stance was recognized and respected, you always knew where you stood with Dorothy. She was never one to run, hide or mince words. Many people have voiced their admiration for this quality and her grit.

She and Albert were both athletic. Both were runners, cyclists, roller skaters and bowling enthusiasts. Together they attended many such events all over the Midwest over many, many years of activities. She made exercise a regular part of her routine throughout her life. She was an avid reader and her favorite author was Dorothy Garlock. There are many colorful stories of Dorothy from friends and family.

These memories of Dorothy will be treasured by all those that knew her and she will be dearly missed. The Gee Family thanks you for your prayers, concerns and the love you have showered upon us. Thank you!

Please share a memory of Dorothy at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.