Dorothy Putnam

CHARLESTON - Dorothy Lee Waller Putnam, 84, died at 2:02 p.m. May 17, 2003, at the St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington, Ill.

Born July 27, 1918, in Poplar Bluff, daughter of the late Arthur Lee and Minnie Sue McLain Waller, she graduated from Sikeston High School and attended Southeast Missouri State Teacher's College in Cape Girardeau. After completing her education, she was a legal secretary for Blanton and Blanton. She was a co-proprietor of Putnam's Hardware and was later employed by the State of Missouri Department of Children and Family Services.

Her greatest contributions were in civic and community affairs. Putnam held various leadership positions in the Business and Professional Women's Club, where she served as chapter president, state district director and as founding chairperson of the annual Woman of the Year banquet. Over her lifetime, she had many interests which included active participation in the Ladies Golf Association at the Charleston Country Club. She was also an active supporter of Charleston High School basketball, served as a volunteer Cub Scout Leader and was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. A lifelong member of the Charleston United Methodist Church, where she was a Sunday school teacher, she also participated in United Methodist Women.

She was active in the Charleston Junior Study Club and the Charleston Recreation Association, with which she had held several volunteer positions. A regular fixture in the annual Junior Study Club Style Show, she possessed a rare gift for making the audience laugh with her self-depreciating antics in various comedic skits and routines. Her contributions to the community were recognized with an award as Honorary Woman of the Year in 1978.

On March 27, 1938, she married Everett Raymond "E.R." Putnam, who preceded her in death on Aug. 28, 1981.

Survivors include: three sons and two daughters-in-law, Everett Raymond Putnam III of St. Louis, Arthur Lee and Tamara Putnam of Bloomington and Thomas Evans and Mary Putnam of Birmingham, Ala.; and eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

One sister, Mary Emma Rigdon, died in 1974.

Visitation is from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at McMikle Funeral Home in Charleston, where a celebration of life service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday. State Rep. Lanie Black will provide the eulogy and the service will be conducted by the Rev. Roger Jespersen, pastor of the United Methodist Church in Charleston.

Burial will follow in the IOOF Cemetery near Charleston.

Pallbearers will be: Steve Miller, Sam Babb, Clay Shelby, Dr. Jerry Anderson, Dr. John Rigdon, David Rigdon, John D. Goodin and Tom Story.

Memorial contributions may be sent to:

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital 501 St. Jude Place Memphis, TN 38105-1905

Paid obituary