Doris Rather

Doris D. Rather, 88, peacefully passed away December 17, 2015 in her home of forty-eight years at 706 South Locust, Jefferson, IA.

A Service of Remembrance took place Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015 at Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home in Jefferson. Words of comfort were provided by Rev. Julie Poulsen of the First United Methodist Church. Honorary bearers were Kenneth Wright, Keith Wright, Jeff Courtney, Dennis Buchmiller, Mark Buchmiller, Mike Buchmiller and Steve Komberec. Casket bearers were Zach Sielaff, Josh Greenlee, Brent Harris, Ron Roper, Charles Buchmiller and Mark Wright. Soloist, Gary Haupert was accompanied by Danille Curtis, and musical selections “I Was There To Hear Your Borning Cry” and “The Lord’s Prayer” were performed. Doris was laid to rest in the Jefferson Cemetery.

Doris Darlene Rather was born January 21, 1927 in Jefferson, IA to parents Alice Evelyn Buchmiller and Thomas Lane. She was a lifetime resident of Jefferson, except for living a brief time in Ketchikan, Alaska after marrying Charles E. Rather on December 14, 1945. Doris and Charles were married for sixty-seven years. Doris graduated from Jefferson High School in 1945 and continued with her education through the years, obtaining many college and continuing education credits. She worked for over thirty years at the Greene County Medical Center. She began her career as a part-time receptionist in 1959 and retired as Vice-President of Human Resources in 1989. She was a founding member of the hospital auxiliary and served as membership chairman for close to twenty years. She was an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Jefferson for seventy years. When her daughters were young, Doris was a Blue Bird leader for the Camp Fire Organization and was a founding member of the first educational preschool cooperative in the area. She was a member of the Does, an affiliate organization of the area Elks Club. After her retirement, Doris was a trained volunteer for the state of Iowa’s SHIIP (Seniors Health Insurance Information Program). In 2003, she received the Iowa Governor’s Award for Volunteer of the Year. Her proudest achievement in life was her beloved family.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles E. Rather; two daughters: Janice Delane Rather and Susanne Greenlee Gastelum of Phoenix, AZ; her son-in-law, David W. Sielaff of Rathdrum, ID; sister, June Harris of Dallas Center, IA; and a brother, Earl Lane of Jefferson.

She is survived by a daughter, Cynthia A. Sielaff of Rathdrum, ID; six grandchildren; two great grandchildren; three sisters: Virginia Roper of Lohrville, IA, Glennie Sayre of Iowa City, IA and Lessie Sloan of Jefferson, IA; a brother: Robert Buchmiller of Ogden, IA; three sisters-in-law: Marileen Wright of Churdan, IA, Leola Rather of Las Vegas, NV, and Betty Rather of Watsonville, CA; and two brothers-in-law: Fred Rather of Boone, IA, and Bruce Harris of Dallas Center, IA; and many nieces, nephews and friends.
Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home, www.sliningerschroeder.com.