The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Laura Wilhite, The Quill
Meet Your Neighbor Dorothy Plank, 100, born on February 1, 1925 in her parent’s home in Niota.
Dorothy is the oldest of 13 siblings. She grew up on a farm near Niota. Her parents, Lloyd and Nancy were both farmers their entire lives.
When she was a child they did not have electricity or paved roads. She stated, "I did not have a whole lot when I was growing up during the Great Depression.”
She said, “It wasn’t just one family that didn’t have money, it was everybody.”
Dorothy attended school in Fountain Green until she was in 10th grade and then attended La Harpe High School her Junior and Senior years.
After she graduated from high school she started working at restaurants.
Dorothy’s life has been filled with many adventures. During World War II she moved to Los Angeles, California with one of her friends because her friend’s husband was in the service there.
During World War II she also worked at the Iowa Ordnance Plant.
She met her husband Bill while she was staying at her friend Kate Shutwell’s house.
One day he came down to Traveler’s Inn where she was working and asked her out on a date.
She married Bill while he was stationed in New York for the military. They had two children, Nancy and Martin.
Martin lives in Galesburg. Nancy is deceased.
Dorothy has two grandchildren Tony and Toby. Toby is deceased.
Dorothy and Bill moved to Arizona after their children moved out of the house. They lived in Arizona until Bill passed away.
That is when Dorothy moved back to the La Harpe area. When Dorothy was asked what advice she had for younger generations she stated, “To live a healthy life."