Dorothy Chvatal, 101
Mon, 06/25/2018 - 7:06pm
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Feb. 7, 1917 —
May 30, 2018
BEAVERTON, OR - Dorothy Irene (Polashek) Chvatal passed away peacefully on May 30, 2018 at Maryville Nursing Home, Beaverton, Oregon where she had lived the last two years.
A Memorial Mass will be held at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Beaverton, Ore., July 9, 2018 at 11 a.m. with a luncheon to follow. The family requests donations be made to Holy Trinity Catholic Church in her memory in lieu of flowers.
She was born Feb. 7, 1917, above a meat market in Alta Vista, Iowa. Dorothy’s birth was never recorded and when it came time for her to travel to Europe, it was very difficult to obtain a passport because of the lack of birth records.
Dorothy’s father was a meat-cutter and grocery businessman. When she was three years old, the family moved to Cresco, Iowa, where her father had purchased a large store.
At an early age Dorothy started piano lessons and also liked to entertain friends and family with her singing voice. She dreamed of becoming a famous singer or an opera star, having her debut at the tender age of five singing “Polly Wolly Doodle” at a church function. In high school, Dorothy excelled in drama and took voice lessons. She sang in various church choirs, serving as choir director at St. Joesph’s church for almost 30 years.
After high school she worked as a bookkeeper in her father’s store until she married John Joseph Chvatal in 1937 in a double wedding ceremony with her sister Evelyn.
Dorothy was a loving, giving responsible person. She was always desirous of aiding and comforting others because of her compassionate nature. For Everything There Is A Season is her book, recording her life and history of the family. She completed a family cookbook for her 80th birthday, titled “Bridging Six Generations.”
She is survived by eight of her 10 children, David, Donald (deceased), Janet (deceased), Jeanne Polaschek, Daniel, Joyce Quy, Jacinta, Dennis, Mary Jo Neveu, Julie Doran. There are 29 grandchildren, 43 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.