The Excelsior Standard, June 14, 2024

Dorothy Jean (Mills) Stratton, 97, of Excelsior Springs, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend, died June 8, 2024, surrounded by her family. Born July 4, 1926, the daughter of Alonzo and Mattie (Clevenger) Mills, Dorothy attended all eight grades at Union School, a one-room country school near Orrick, then Excelsior Springs High School. Dorothy married her childhood sweetheart, Donald Stratton, on July 8, 1944. Three children blessed their marriage: Steven, John and Jean.

Dorothy worked as a bookkeeper cashier when they lived in Inglewood, Calif.; St. Louis; and North Kansas City. Later, she and her husband managed the Excelsior Springs Memorial Airport for 13 years and owned Thunderbird Aviation and Aire-Lanes Flight Service – the first VA-approved flight school in Missouri.

She earned a private pilot’s license, then a commercial license that required a minimum of 200 hours of flight time. She was a member of Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots founded by Amelia Earhart, serving as secretary for the Kansas City chapter. She enjoyed flying and taking people for airplane rides.

Dorothy served as a real estate broker and owned the Dorothy Stratton Real Estate Office in Excelsior Springs. She worked at Liberty Hospital and William Jewell College before retiring.

She was a member of the Liberty Hospital Auxiliary, where she was a president of the organization for one term and volunteered at the hospital and the Liberty Hospital Foundation TreeHouse for 15 years.

After retiring, Dorothy and her husband spent the winters in Texas and Arizona. During the summers, they enjoyed camping with the Holiday Ramblers and were members of the Kansas City Area No. 109 Santa Fe Trail Ramblers. They helped with each year’s international rally, where Dorothy received several blue ribbons for crochet and jewelry pieces.

Most of all, Dorothy loved being with her family. She made her famous hot dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, pies, noodles, and fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy for family dinners.

Along with her parents; sister, Lucille Mills White; and brother, Robert Mills, she was preceded in death by her husband of 73 years, Donald, on Dec. 30, 2017.

Survivors include her three children, Steven Don Stratton and wife Christy Ann (Monks) Stratton of Excelsior Springs, John Elbert Stratton and wife Debbie Jean (Heese) Stratton of Liberty, and Jean Ann (Stratton) Janner and husband Wayne of Olathe, Kan.

Other survivors include five grandchildren, Carly Elizabeth (Stratton) Sefrit and husband Robert, Christopher Steven Stratton and wife Courtney, Cali Jean Stratton, Caleb Josiah Stratton and wife Taylor (Nowak) Stratton, and Zachary Wayne Janner; and four great-grandchildren, Calla Elizabeth Sefrit, Dietrich Asher Sefrit, Adelaide Rhea Stratton and Emersyn Ann Stratton.

Nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends also survive.

Dorothy accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and was a member of the First Baptist Church in Excelsior Springs for many years before becoming a member of Chandler Baptist Church in Liberty. She shared her faith with her family and all who knew her by her kind acts and love.

The family thanks all the doctors, nurses and other care providers at Liberty Hospital and Excelsior Springs Hospital for their exceptional care and comforting support during the final four weeks.

Visitation will begin at 10 a.m. and the memorial service at 11 Saturday, June 15, at Chandler Baptist Church, 11401 N.E. Missouri Highway 33 in Liberty. In lieu of flowers, the family recommends memorial gifts to Chandler Baptist Church.

Cremains and a private family burial will take place later at Union Cemetery, Orrick; and Chandler Baptist Church Memorial Garden, Liberty.

Arrangements: Bross & Spidle.