Dorothy Estep Samford passed away at Via Christi Village in Pittsburg, on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2019, at the age of 94.
She was born Sept. 25, 1924 to Virgil Ray Estep and Nina Alice Wells Estep on their family farm northwest of Iola.
She was graduated from the Iola High School in 1942, and Iola Junior College in 1949.
On June 25, 1944, she married Air Force Sergeant Herchel Lewis Bronkar in Fairview, Okla. He was stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Fla., where he was an aerial gunnery instructor. After the war they returned to Fairview, where he died Aug. 26, 1945.
She met Lindon Samford in 1948, and on Nov. 20, 1949, they married in Iola and made their home in Wichita. They were members of the Church of God (Seventh Day). They had three children; daughter Sheryl Jane, who died at birth, Sharon and Richard Samford.
In January 1966, the family returned to Iola, and Dorothy opened Samfords Book Nook, where she met and made several generations of friends in its 44 years of operation. Dorothy and Lindon attended a number of Christian Booksellers Conventions and had the privilege to meet authors such as Dr. Ben Carson, Joni Eareckson, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans to name just a few.
She was preceded by husband Lindon, a brother Victor Estep of Wichita, and sister Betty Estep Howland of Iola.
She is survived by daughter Sharon Samford Powell and her husband Richard of Iola; son Richard and wife Laura Mosley Samford of Carl Junction, Mo.; and four grandsons, Joshua Powell, Ethan, Parker and Marshall Samford.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday in The Venue at Feuerborn Family Funeral Service. A funeral service will be at 2 p.m. Friday in the Feuerborn Family Funeral Service Chapel, 1883 US Highway 54, Iola. Wesley Walker of the Ft. Smith Church of God (Seventh Day) will officiate. Interment will follow at Highland Cemetery, Iola.
Memorials are suggested to the Iola Area Symphony Orchestra.
Condolences for the family may be left at www.feuerbornfuneral.com.
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