Obituary of Dora Brix

Dora Rogene (Voigt/Potter) Brix passed from this life Sunday, August 24, 2014 at Lakes Regional Healthcare. She was 81 years old. Dora was born August 19, 1933 on a farm near Lotts Creek, Iowa to William, Sr. and Mary Ann (Davis) Voigt. The family eventually moved to a farm east of Graettinger where she enjoyed life growing up on the farm and attending, first country school, and later Graettinger High School, graduating in 1950. Some of her fondest memories were of farm life and riding one of the family horses, Old Pete, to school. She was united in marriage to Donald W. Potter October 26, 1952, at the Methodist Church in Emmetsburg. To that union were born four children, Mary (Richard) Thunhorst, Jaymee (Tim) Rickman, Douglas Potter, and LaDonna (Tutti) Potter. Her children were her main joy in life. The couple settled in Graettinger, where she worked various part-time jobs. Some included working for Edgar Green Electric as a bookkeeper and changing out 45 records in local jukeboxes, Betty Schany's restaurant as a waitress, janitor for the Methodist Church, clerk in Master's corner grocery, cook at the Happy Hour café, and hours and hours of walking beans in the summer. In June of 1977 she married Elmer Brix at the Graettinger United Methodist Church. After his passing she moved to the Iowa City/Coralville area to be near her three daughters. She worked at the Johnson County Care Facility and later returned to northwest Iowa, settling in Spirit Lake, and retiring in 1993 from the Grille. She loved to draw and would draw pictures at Christmas for her children's teachers. She was also an avid reader, enjoyed flower and vegetable gardening, and cards and coffee with friends. Preceding her in death were her two husbands; her parents; two sisters and their husbands, Mercedes and Hilbert Bierstedt and Pauline and Ralph Hartung; her brother and his wife, Eugene and Louise Voigt; her son, Douglas; her daughter, LaDonna; her son-in-law, Richard Thunhorst; brother-in-law and wife, Reed and Patricia Potter and brother-in-law, Richard Campbell. Left to celebrate her life are her daughters, Mary of Spirit Lake and Jaymee (Tim) of Milford; two brothers, William, Jr (Ina Mae) and Jim (Garnet) Voigt, both of Graettinger; seven grandchildren, Trent (Melinda) Thunhorst of Slidell, LA, Jenna Thunhorst of Spirit Lake, Ethan Rickman and Wyatt Rickman of Milford, Douglas Burtch, Joshua Seals and Elijah Seals of Iowa City; sister-in-law, Louella Campbell of Leveland, CO and many nieces and nephews. Condolences may be sent to the family at PO Box 33, Spirit Lake, IA 51360. There will be no formal service. The family will have a private memorial at a later date as per her wishes.