Dora Irene Dossey

Irene Dossey, age 96, of Gatesville went to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, January 2, 2016 surrounded by her family. Funeral Services will be at 10 AM on Friday, January 8, 2016 at Scott’s Funeral Home Chapel with burial following at Turnersville Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4-6 PM on Thursday at the funeral home. Irene was born on March 2, 1919 in Coryell County to the late Burt and Laura Oaks Wilson. When Irene was just a newborn, the Treaty of Versailles was signed to bring World War I to an end. She was 10 years old when the Great Depression hit in 1929 and lived through her teen years during this extremely difficult time. When she was 22 years old, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and the United States entered World War II. She lived her 20’s and 30’s in a wartime era with the U.S. involvement in World War II and the Korean War. She worked in a dry cleaner during the war and labored from dawn until dusk washing and pressing the soldier’s fatigues that were stationed at Fort Hood, TX. Irene married Willis Alvin “Foots” Dossey on October 4, 1945. In 1959 when she was 40, the Dossey family home burned in Turnersville and they lost everything. The Turnersville Community rallied to support the family then and has done so ever since. Through it all, she worked extremely hard as a nurse’s aide, private care giver and at the school cafeteria. She stayed faithful to her husband and children to keep the family going. She did not know the meaning of the word “quit” and her grit and determination saw her family through many hard times. Although she didn’t say “I love you” very often to her children, they never doubted her love because she showed it in her daily commitment in always putting them first. Irene spent her entire teen and adult life placing others first whether it was as a wife, mother, caregiver, grandmother, friend, or patriotic U.S. Citizen. She was insistent on never receiving handouts, but always to give a hand up. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband; brothers, John David Wilson, Calvin Coolidge Wilson; sisters, Bertie Lee Braziel, and Jane Rivers. Dora is survived by her children, Bobby Jones and wife Lana, Willis Dossey, Sr. and wife, Mildred, Jimmy Dossey and wife, Darlene, Randall Dossey and wife, Christine; grandchildren, Kenneth Jones, Willis Dossey, Jr. and wife, Jennifer, Matt Dossey and wife, Emily, Laura Ballard and husband, Adam and Thomas Dossey; and six great-grandchildren.