Martha Dobbs

Martha Cecelia (Gilpin) Dobbs, 94, El Dorado Springs, passed to her heavenly home on March 10, 2017. Martha was born Nov. 22, 1922, in Fairfield, NE, to Wilburn (Wig) and Beulah (Boots) Brubeck Gilpin. When Martha was six months old her parents moved to Kansas City by covered wagon. When Martha turned five, they moved to the south part of Dederick. She always said, “I have lived South, North, East and West of El Dorado Springs.” And in 1962, she actually moved to town.

Martha graduated from El Dorado Springs High School in 1939, and was the first from both sides of her family to have that accomplishment.

Martha married Kenneth Wesley Dobbs on July 6, 1940, and this union was  blessed with 13 children. They may not have had much in material things by today’s standards, but they had each other. Through hard times, heartaches, and sometimes not much money, they not only survived, but they thrived because of the Love of Family. Family was so important to Martha, and her home always had family, friends, and friends of friends passing in and out the door.

Martha enjoyed life, family and her hobbies. She enjoyed music, singing, writing poems and songs, and taught herself crocheting. She had several of her poems published and her song came to life when Leonard Ketterman recorded it. She enjoyed going to church, loved her Heavenly Father with all her heart and soul, and lived as a Christian woman, which was reflected every day of her life.

Martha was baptized early in life and became a member of the First Baptist Church in El Dorado Springs. She rededicated her heart and soul to the Lord, along with two of her daughters, Patty and Penny, on May 17, 1998, while Larry Nail was pastor.

Martha has left this world to be with her husband, Kenneth, who preceded her in death Nov. 27, 1987. She is also joining her two children that passed, Dennis Dobbs and Patty (Dobbs) Amick; her brothers: Dick, Jack, Gene and Perry; her sister, Henrietta Wood; three sons-in-law: Roger, Kenny and Mike; and one grandson, Jimmy Thomas and wife.

Survivors include: her children, Gary Dobbs and wife, Velda, Kenneth (Cotton) Dobbs and wife, Juva, Richard Dobbs and wife, Joy, Doug Dobbs and wife, Leita, Rebecca Worthington and husband, Amor, Penny Deragowski and husband, Bruce, and Lisa Bryant and husband, Steve, all of El Dorado Springs; Beverly McKinley of Coffeyville, KS; Andrea Yoder of Belton; Deanna Hada of Nevada; and Wiburn (Sonny) Dobbs and wife, Brenda, of Shawnee, OK; two sisters, Minnie Williams of Jerome, ID, and Wilburtine Roby and husband, Jerry, of Grandview, ID; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, and many church family and friends.

Services were held on Monday, March 13, in the First Baptist Church with Rev. Ron Marsh officiating. Burial followed in Sandridge Cemetery under the direction of Bland-Hackleman Funeral Home.

Pallbearers were: Donnie Dobbs, Travis Dobbs, Terry Dobbs, Scott Dobbs, Bobby Hada and Pete McKinley. Honorary pallbearers were: Lucas Dobbs, Tony Graves, Brad Bough, Jason Yoder, Michael Yoder, Billy Thomas, Rob Schuchman, Russell Worthington, Justin Amick and Kendall Burns.

Memorial donations may be made to High Hopes or the American Heart Association and left at the funeral home.

Online condolences may be left at: www.blandhackleman.com.