Dorthy Mable Hamaker Meradith was born November 5, 1919 in Sioux County, Ne. to
Dave W. Hamaker and Hannah Belle Martin Hamaker. She had a brother Fred and
sister Ruth. She passed from this life on January 1, 2018 at age 98 at Highland Park
Care Center in Alliance, Ne.
Dorthy attended country school near her home and then graduated from Sioux Co.
High School in Harrison in 1937. She helped her parents on the ranch for a couple
years then moved to Crawford to help care for an elderly couple that everyone who
knew them called Grandfather and Grandmother Itzkeytch. She attended one year
at Chadron State College where she got a civil service typing certificate that lead her
to several jobs. She worked at Igloo, S.D. and then in Denver at the Army Air Force
Headquarters.
She met her future husband Dean Paul Meradith before he joined the 8th Calvary
where he served until the fall of 1945. When he came home from the army he asked
Dorthy to marry him and they were married on November 5, 1945 in the home of
the Itzkeytchs. They approved of Dean because Ben Itzkeytch had also served in
the 8th Calvary. They lived in Omaha for a short time and then moved back to the
Hemingford area where they farmed together until they retired and moved into
Hemingford in 1981. They had two sons Gary Dean And Ronald Eugene who gave
them much joy in their lives. Dean passed April 15, 1992.
Dot spent many volunteer hours caring for the “elderly” at the Hemingford Care
Center, helping in the public library and at the school. She was honored for her
service by the President’s Volunteer Service Award and recognized several times
for her various volunteer services. She made friends where ever she was-both
young and old. She was a long-time member of the Methodist Church and of
the Royal Neighbors and the Rebekah lodge.
Dot spent the last 5 months of her life in Highland Park care Center where she
made more new friends and teased “the girls”. She was preceded in death by her
parents, brother and sister, and husband, Dean.
Her survivors include sons Gary (Rosemarie), Ron (Yolanda), her grandson Kyle,
her granddaughters, Brenda (John) Morford, Monica (Mark) Johnson, Amanda
Meradith; and six great-grandchildren, Taylor (Jake), Telli, Meredith, Mason,
Morgan, and Leighton; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.
Funeral services will be Saturday January 6th at 2 p.m. at the United Methodist
Church in Hemingford with Pastor Esther Achi and Tim Horn officiating.
Burial will be in the Hemingford Cemetery.
Visitation will be Friday from 1-7 p.m. at the Bates-Gould Funeral Home in Hemingford.
Memorials may be made to the Hemingford Methodist Church, the Hemingford Volunteer Firefighters Association or to any organization to care for children’s needs.
Online condolences may be left at www.batesgould.com.