Dorothy Bryan

Dorothy (Hartley) Bryan, 95, passed away peacefully of natural causes in New Virginia, IA on March 4, 2025. She is survived by her son Larry and his life partner Michele. Larry, with his former wife, Diane, blessed her with two cherished grandsons, Ben (Nichole) and Keith. She also leaves behind her nieces and nephews Tracy, Rhonda, Stephen, Elizabeth, and Ricky. Together, they filled her life with love and provided her with comfort and care. She was born in Davenport, Iowa, the daughter of Pearl and Marie Hartley. She lived in Des Moines, IA with her siblings Beverly Conger, Arlene Draper, and Arnold Hartley. On June 21, 1952, Charles and Dorothy were united in marriage. Two years later, she gave birth to their only child, Larry, while living in Massachusetts while Charles was serving in the Army. After moving back to Des Moines, she worked in the kitchen at Oak Park Elementary School and the Head Start Children’s Breakfast Program, and later on was the food service supervisor at Ramsey Village. In her spare time, she would make cakes for special occasions like birthdays and weddings. As a woman of faith and a member of Highland Park Christian Church, she enjoyed hosting Bible study groups at her home, helped in the kitchen with Pot-Luck Dinners, and folded programs and prepared communion trays for Sunday services. Dorothy was a devoted, loving wife to Charles throughout their 56 years of marriage.

Before she lost her vision, she was inspired by Bob Ross and painted landscapes with blue skies and puffy clouds as one of her hobbies. She enjoyed researching genealogy and spent countless hours piecing together the family tree. She was an avid gardener planting flowers, enjoying the smell of lilacs, and spending time on her patio listening to the birds. She loved reading and would later listen to audio books.

She was overjoyed when Larry and Diane announced she would be a grandmother, and the focus of her later life was her 2 grandsons: Ben (Nichole) and Keith. She cherished time with her family. She looked forward to giving her grandsons the childhood she wished for. They fondly remember their birthday celebrations filled with balloons and presents, their summer visits where she took them to the Blank Park Zoo, Nickelodeon Arcade, and Discovery Zone, Thanksgiving and Christmas meals shared around the table as a family, and enjoying her delicious homemade desserts of no bake cookies, pies, and cheesecakes. She loved seeing her grandsons happy and was overjoyed when Nichole joined the family.

Dorothy’s family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the staff of Madison County Memorial Hospital, Every Step Hospice, and Pastor Joshua Kanryu for their kindness, support, and care.

She was preceded in death by Charles Bryan, Beverly Conger, Arlene Draper, and Arnold Hartley.

A visitation service will be held at Hamilton’s near Highland Memory Gardens, 121 NW 60th Ave., Des Moines on Monday, March 10, 2025 from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. A graveside service will take place on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 11:00 a.m., at Highland Memory Gardens Cemetery, 1 NE 60th., Des Moines.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.hamiltonsfuneralhome.com

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