White Funeral Home
400 First Street West
Independence, Iowa 50644

Independence – Doreen Anne Stirm, 94 years old, of Independence, Iowa, formerly of Brandon, passed away to be with our Lord and Savior on Monday, December 10, 2018.

Whether she was Doreen, Mom, or Grandma, she was everything to those who knew her.  Doreen was born on November 2, 1924, inWashington, D.C. She graduated from high school in Washington, D.C., before relocating with her mother to Santa Monica, California in 1943.  Her story is one of city girl to country girl.  Her journey to Iowa began via the US Mail as she corresponded for two years with her future husband, Ralph C. Stirm ofBrandon.  Ralph, who was in the Army Air Corps, was hospitalized in Africa and through the urging of her stepfather, who met Ralph while he was a patient in the same hospital, Doreen began to correspond with Ralph as he recovered from malaria.  In 1945, Ralph was stationed in California where he finally met Doreen and it was love at first sight as the seeds of love had been planted two years earlier through their exchange of letters.

Doreen and Ralph were married in Santa Monica on February 27, 1946.  She traveled to Iowa where she left her city life behind to become the wife of an Iowa farmer.  It wasn’t easy, but Doreen made the transition to Iowa farm life while raising three children.  Ralph and Doreen retired from active farm life and moved to Independence in 2000.  Following Ralph’s death in 2006, Doreen moved to Cardinal Court in Independence where she remained active with her weekly Bible study and enjoyed time at the Senior Center and the monthly socials with her friends.

Doreen was a very special person.  She loved to write poetry and to paint.  She published a book of poetry that she loved to give to her friends and anybody and everybody who she thought would enjoy her poems.  She never complained when most would.  She began to lose her eyesight to macular degeneration, but it never kept her from doing what she loved including crocheting scrubbers of all colors that she gave to friends and family.  She loved to chat about her childhood and her love for the Lord was constantly expressed through her love for music and the hymns she used to play when she played the organ and piano at her church.

Doreen is survived by her son, Larry (Pam) Stirm of Independence, 2 daughters, Patty (John) Forkenbrock of Ashburn, Virginia, and Angie (Roger) Reuter of Tucson, Arizona, seven grandchildren, and several great grandchildren.

Doreen was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 60 years, and 1 granddaughter in infancy.

Funeral Services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, December 14, 2018, at the White Funeral Home in Independence with Craig Harris officiating.  Burial will be in Brandon Cemetery in Brandon, Iowa.  Friends may call for visitation from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13^th, at the funeral home.  A Memorial Fund has been established.