Dorothy Harriet Ogden Hecht, formerly of Wallace, 96, died April 22, 2014 at Linden Court in North Platte, NE.
Dorothy was born June 4, 1917 to Thomas D. and Bess Olson Ogden at Maxwell, NE where she was raised and graduated from high school in 1933. She continued her education at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln the next two years and then taught school in the elementary grades at Wallace, Imperial, Scottsbluff, and Rawlins, WY. She married Park S. Hecht of Wallace on April 2, 1943 in Rawlins, WY.
From 1943 to 1945 she continued teaching while her husband served during World War II in England. When he returned in November of 1945, they made their home in Wallace, NE for the next 50 years. They adopted their daughter, Janet from the Nebraska Children’s Home when she was 3 months old.
Dorothy continued working on her education through the years. She graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney with a Bachelor’s degree in 1972, the same year their daughter, Janet graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.
She has been a continuous member of the Wallace American Legion Auxiliary for over 68 years, being a charter member when it was organized May 19, 1946. She was the oldest member of the Wallace United Methodist Church when she passed away. She served many years as Sunday School and Vacation Bible School teacher. She was a charter member of the North Platte Toastmistress Club which was organized in 1957.
Dorothy was community correspondent for the North Platte Telegraph for many years devoting much of her writing to historical articles about her community and biographical stories about the people of Wallace. She was a member of the Nebraska Press Women beginning in 1956 and served as secretary from 1964 to 1970.
Her husband Park, died in January 1988 and she remained in their home in Wallace until she moved to the Regency Retirement Residence in North Platte when the facility opened in April 1998.
She leaves her daughter, Janet (Ken) Gill of Bloomfield, NE; two grandchildren, Jeremy (Stacey) Gill, and Glenda (Keith) Byerly all of Bloomfield, NE. She is also survived by six grandchildren, Katelyn and Brittani Kerbel, Avery and Cohen Gill, Blake and Kaitlyn Byerly; sister, Betty Lamping of LeMesa, CA; special nephew, Greg (Doretta) Burrows of North Platte; other nieces and nephews; and many friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Park Hecht; sisters, Janet Johnson, and Margaret Lindsay; brother-in-law, Wilmer Johnson; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Elta and Frank Tesar, Gerald and Hazel Conneally and Blanche and Jack Critchfield.
Memorials may be made in her name and online condolences may be shared at www.adamsswanosn.com.
Funeral Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 25, 2014 at the Wallace United Methodist Church with the Reverend Harun Gatobu officiating. Burial will be in the Morning View Cemetery in Wallace, NE. Visitation will be 9:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. today at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home in North Platte, NE which is in charge of arrangements.