Dorothy Ellen Bouse
Dorothy was born on September 12, 1917 in Ornogo, Missouri, Jasper County, to Arthur Monroe Shafer and Opal Pauline Craig Shafer. She lived in Jouplin until the age of six when her father died at the age of 29.
Dorothy’s mother sold the family’s small farm and got on a train with her three young children (Imogene, Dorothy, and Neil) and headed west to Clovis, New Mexico. The children’s mother ran a pension with another woman; Provision of food and accommodation for single men. During this time Dorothy’s mother met Arthur Gunnels and married him; a marriage that provided another brother, Gerald Wesley Gunnels. Dorothy attended schools in Jouplin, Missouri and Clovis, New Mexico, where she served as a Cheer Leader for the Clovis Wildcats and a member of the High AK Sorority. She was also active in the Clovis Toast Mistress for three years. She met William Ryan Bouse, a firefighter with the Clovis Fire Dept. and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with an electrical engineering degree, met and married him on February 28, 1935 in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. They settled in Clovis, New Mexico, where they had two daughters, Vicki Jan Bouse Hollan and Brenda Gay Bouse Neall.
Dorothy was mostly a home mom for the first few years with a few retail jobs while Bill was a firefighter and later an engineer with the Santa Fe Railroad. Bill continually developed hernias while working on the trains and experienced many hospital trips to Santa Fe Hospital in Topeka, Kansas. After many hernia surgeries, Bill and Dorothy decided that he would give up the railroad and move their family to Albuquerque, New Mexico, which they did in 1949. The move to Albuquerque was very successful for the Bouse family. Bill worked for Zia Cleaners and Dorothy worked for Montgomery Wards. A business opportunity opened up for her and she opened Fashion Cleaners and Laundry in 1954 and owned and operated it until 1984. During her marriage to Bill Bouse, they traveled extensively until his death in 1986. Dorothy’s other great love besides her family and business, played bridge. She received a Life Masters and played often at the Duke City Bridge Club and in many tournaments outside of Albuquerque. During her bridge season and at the age of 77 in 1995, she met Wilfred A. Clarke, a retired Canadian and American banker and widower. They became close companions and were together for nine years until Wilfred’s death in 2004. During their years together, they traveled frequently to Arizona, California, Canada, Colorado, Illinois, and Texas.
Dorothy leaves behind four grandchildren, Ronnie W. Hollan and his wife Helen, Paula Hernandez and her husband Michael, Karen Neal, Scott Hollan and his wife Jeri; nine great-grandchildren; and seven great-great-grandchildren. Thanks a million to Raylena Ives, Raquel Tafoya, Davry Gallegos and Anna Neiderman of Legacy Home Health and Hospice for the great care and comfort given to our mother. In addition, we have had great caregivers over the years who have given all their attention and care to make our mother’s life comfortable and safe. Many thanks to Scott Studier, Tonya Swanson, Crissy Armendariz, Rafael Okafor, Gail Pfiffer, Becky Weaver, Mandy Edwards, Denice Sandoval and Misty Nelson.
Friends can visit Lomas from 10:00 a.m. before the funeral service on Saturday, November 13, 2021, 11:00 a.m. in FRENCH. The funeral will take place after the service in Sunset Memorial Park. Please visit our online guest book for Dorothy at
www.FrenchFunerals.com
Published by on October 31, 2021.
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