Dorlys J. Locke

Dorlys J. Locke, age 82, of Grants Pass, died Saturday, October 9, 2010 at her home.

A memorial service will be at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, October 16, 2010 at Newman United Methodist Church. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Remembrances may be made to the American Cancer Society, Josephine County Chapter, 31 W 6th Street, Medford, Oregon 97501.

Dorlys was born October 30, 1927 in Evansville, Indiana to Carl and Linda Cissna. She grew up in Evansville. In 1945 she graduated from Central High School and moved with her sister, Deloris to Phoenix, Arizona hoping to marry a “rich rancher”. Even better, at age 19, she married Ken Locke, after knowing him for two weeks on April 27, 1947 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was just discharged from the United States Army in 1947. She had her first daughter at 20 in California and eleven months later she had her second daughter in Arizona and two years later she had a son in Indiana. She worked in the School District Office in Quincy, California, while taking evening Supervision-management courses and obtained a B.A. She worked for the Corps of Engineers, in Sausalito, California as a secretary and 23 years in Contra Costa County as a secretary to the County Clerk and climbed the ladder with the county as Lead Clerk III in supervision, first in the Public Defender’s Office and then in the Social Service Department. She stayed in that profession until she was 50 years old when she retired from county service. At age 50 she entered the nursing field. After five years of working for chief of medicine in the V.A. Hospital, she left her position and her and her husband moved to Grants Pass, Oregon to retire close to their children. The rest of her family followed them to Oregon where her life became abundant and fulfilling. In the 80’s she worked part-time as a secretary for a lawyer and later worked for Lincoln Elementary School as a teacher’s aide where her great-grandchildren attended, helping in the lunch room and playgound. She volunteered helping children read at Allendale Elementary. She crocheted hats and booties for the new baby’s, while volunteering in the Birthing Section and Blood Pressure Clinic at the hospital for six years.

Hobbies included golfing, cooking, painting, ping-pong, walking in the rain, and sports. She especially enjoyed her grandchildren. You might say her family was her hobby, along with her animals too.

Dorlys was a member of Grants Pass Golf Club until her husband, Ken, passed away in 2000. She attended church at Parkway Christian Center. She served as hostess for five years with the Christian Women’s Club. (Her faith in Jesus Christ guided her life.) She also belonged to Sharing and Caring, a women’s group who lost their husbands. She also volunteered with Three Rivers Community Hospital auxiliary in the birthing center.

Survivors include two daughters, Linda Moore, and husband Michael of Medford, Vicky Russo, and husband Tom of Cave Junction; a son Bob Locke, and wife Chris of Murphy; sister-in-law, Mary Lee Ryan of Aptos, California; 11 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ken Locke in 2000; a sister, Delores Cissna and a brother, Jack Cissna.