Dutchie Harty

Dutchie Harty joined her husband, Frank, on February 18, 2021. Born Leona Mae Boyd, October 1, 1929, a childhood speech impediment earned her that nickname. She grew up in Highland Park and stayed close to her North High girlfriends to the end. Though sharp and witty, as the youngest of seven in a working-class family, college was not in the cards. Nevertheless, Dutchie spent decades at Drake University. She was the receptionist at Goodwin Kirk dorm. “Mrs. H” was an ‘away from home mom’ to many students and put three of her four children through Drake.

Dutchie married Frank and made it clear that while he was the love of her life, she was more smitten with FDR, Ernie Banks, and Forest Evashevski. Dutchie often said she wouldn’t die until her beloved Cubs won the world series. That made for an awkward moment when she was surrounded by family as Chicago clinched it in 2016.

Dutchie loved singing to her grandchildren and cooking big family meals. She was preceded in death by her siblings, parents, and husband but is survived by her family, her pride and joy – children, Judy (Tom) Kozlik, Jeannie (Bill) Nielsen, Frank (Mary Jo) Harty and Pat Harty; 11 grandchildren, Tom, Katie, Becky, Hailyn, Ali, Natalie, Nicholas, Megan, Frank, Bridget, and Joseph; 17 great-grandchildren, Tommy, Hope, Kayla, Addison, Christopher James, Finn, Hudson, Joshua, Francesca, Gus, Marilyn, James, Ruby, Grace, Odin, Leona and Liam.

Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com and memorial contributions made in Dutchie’s honor to Mary’s Meals USA, Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation or to Suncrest Hospice.

Services have been scheduled for Saturday, June 26, 2021 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in West Des Moines, Iowa at 10:00 a.m. with visitation and a luncheon to follow.

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