Dorothy Beatrice Cemo
Dorothy Cemo, 97, passed away Saturday night Nov. 3, 2018, only 36 days from her 98" birthday. She always said she wanted to live to 100.
She was born in Kingston,tenn on Dec 9, 1920, to Arch E and Anna Barnard. She joined her brother James Boyd and sister Juanita. Eleven months later her brother Olaf was welcomed into the family. They moved to Calif when she was 3 and settled in Lindsay, where they lived several years until moving to Porterville. She contracted Valley Fever as a young teen and spent quite a bit of time in the hospital. It took her about a year to recover. Missing so much school that year, she was held back and ended up graduating Porterville High School with her brother Olaf.
Determined to make her own clothes she started working odd jobs at a very young age.
One of which was a carhop at the local drive-in. She married John F Cemo in 1942, and they had two daughters, Connie and Debbi. She worked at Warnack's Drug on Date St, and Wall's Drug on Main St, which had a soda fountain/lunch counter, much to her daughters' delight!
They had the best rootbeer floats around! She also worked at Emmy's and Clare Reta's dress shops and enjoyed helping ladies pick out that perfect outfit. She eventually went to work for Thomas Rafferty Sr, in his Pharmacy/drug store where she enjoyed working as a cosmetic consultant and clerk. When he retired, his son Tom took over the business and opened 7-0-2 Pharmacy, which mom worked at until 1975. She always enjoyed being around people and waiting on all the many customers she grew to know.
In 1975 after her separation, she moved to the ranch they owned in Fish Lake Valley (Dyer), NV to live with her dad. After her dad passed, she sold the ranch and moved to Tonopah NV where she got a job at the Mizpah casino.
This is where she met Arthur (Whitey) Verbouwens, whom has been her partner and companion for the last 39 years. In 2008, due to health conditions and rough winter weather, they moved back to Porterville.
She was the perfect optimist and always had a very positive attitude. She had a great quirky sense of humor that stayed with her until she passed. She was very out spoken and not afraid to tell anyone they were wrong. She also loved her children and grandchildren greatly and enjoyed having them around and giving them, what she called "old lady advice". She enjoyed reading, traveling, going to the casinos, and cooking. She had the unique talent to taste a dish and figure out what ingredients went into it, then go home and recreate it. She also loved to bake, mainly cookies, cakes and pies. She definitely had a green thumb and had a beautiful garden that displayed many different flowers and vegetables, which she would share with everyone. In Nevada, when the school kids walked home they would stop and admire her beautiful flowers, which she thoroughly enjoyed listening to them, sometimes sharing her flowers with them.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her daughter Connie Foster, grandson John Foster, great granddaughter Courtney Foster, brother Boyd Barnard and sister Juanita Scott.
Dorothy is survived by her daughter Debbi Holworthy (Craig), her common-law partner Arthur "Whitey" Verbouwens, and brother Olaf Barnard. Her grandchildren: Stacy Morrison (Steve), Vicki Emerick, and Dillon Holworthy. Great-grandchildren: Heather Longman (Darren), Taryn and Chelsea Morrison, Johna, Alex and Kenny Emerick, Whitney Garcia (Johnny) and Hailey Foster. She has 3 great-great grandchildren: Johnny, Xyona and Amabel. And many nieces and nephews.
The family would like to extend very special thanks to the caregivers that have cared for her in the last several years. In-home caregivers; Janet, Melissa, Lasey, Stephany and Donna. At Bella Home; Eva, Vickie, Griselda, Teresa, and Joanna. Those from Hospice; Laurie, Dominic and Christina.
Visitation will be Monday, Nov 12, from 3:00 7:00pm at Myers Funeral Home. The services will be held at Myers Funeral Chapel on Tuesday, Nov 13, at 11:00am.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Valley Children's Healthcare, 9300 Valley Children's Place PC17, Madera, CA93636-8762 or valleychildren's.org.