Dorothea L. Ludwig

Dorothea L. "Dottie" Ludwig, 89, of rural Parsons, passed away at 5:10 p.m., Sunday, December 13, 2020, at Cherryvale Nursing and Rehab in Cherryvale, Kansas.

Dorothea Louise Eck was born on October 19, 1931, to Conrad and Josephine (Simon) Eck in Texoma, Texas. As a young girl in Texas, she lived through the Dust Bowl before her family moved to the Colwich, Kansas, area. She was the only student in her class at Jamesburg Public School and by eighth grade was smarter than her teacher. She moved with her family to the Fall River area, where she spent her teenage years. Before she was married, Dottie worked in Wichita as a cook and housekeeper.

A blind date with Herman Joseph Ludwig led to a 60-year marriage. Dottie and Herman were united in marriage on May 6, 1953, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Fredonia, Kansas. After the couple was wed, Dottie joined Herman on his farm in rural Parsons, and the couple farmed and ran a dairy farm for many years. Dottie was a devoted wife and mother. Besides raising her family and helping on the farm, she worked in retail at Litwins for two years and at JCPenney's for 17 years.

A devout Catholic, Dottie had been a member of the former St. Mary's Catholic Church and was currently a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church. She was a member of the church's Altar Society and the church choir. For many years, she shared her faith by teaching CCD and by being a dedicated volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul Society. She was a member of Salem's Strivers and the Brown-Bishop Post No. 704, Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary. Her greatest joy came from spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She also enjoyed doing woodworking and crafts with her husband, painting, gardening and canning and was an avid reader.

Survivors include:

Four sons – William Ludwig of Coffeyville, Kansas

Joseph Ludwig and his wife, Tammy, of Parsons, Kansas

Mark Ludwig and his wife, Carol, of Parsons, Kansas

Tom Ludwig and his wife, Jill, of Quapaw, Oklahoma

One daughter – Linda Noble and her husband, Brian, of Bartlett, Kansas

Thirteen grandchildren -Jason Ludwig, Jared Ludwig, Melissa Ludwig, Taylor Ludwig, Danny Ludwig, Katie Miorandi, Ashley Cavaletto, Shelby Volmer, Heather Altman, Michael Ludwig, Brandan Ludwig, Logan Ludwig and Chelsea Ludwig

Twenty great-grandchildren

Two brothers – John Eck of Fredonia, Kansas

Harold Eck of Sallisaw, Oklahoma

Two sisters – Virginia Dagenais of Wichita, Kansas

Cathy Faass of Granite, Wyoming

She was preceded in death by her husband, Herman Ludwig, on October 25, 2013; her parents, one brother, Danny Eck; and two sisters, Josie Schulte and Birdella Linnebur.

The private family funeral Mass will be live-streamed on the Forbes-Hoffman Facebook page at 10:00 a.m., Friday, December 18, 2020. Burial will take place at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Parsons. Friends may call to sign the register from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, December 17, 2020, at the Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home.

Memorials are suggested to the Brown-Bishop Post No. 704, Veterans of Foreign Wars. These can be left at or mailed to Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home, P.O. Box 374, Parsons, KS 67357.