Dorothy Cunningham

Funeral services and a Mass of Christian Burial for Dorothy M. Cunningham, 92, of Davenport will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 26, 2019, at St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, 916 E. Rusholme St., Davenport, IA.   Visitation will be Tuesday from 4 - 7 p.m. at Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home, 614 Main Street, Davenport.   Burial will be held at the Rock Island National Cemetery, Rock Island, IL.  Dorothy passed away peacefully on 6/22/2019 at Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, Bettendorf, surrounded by her family.

Dorothy Maxine Standley was born February 23, 1927 on her family farm near New Boston, MO, the daughter of John William and Ada Opal (Mills) Standley.   She graduated from Bucklin High School and attended nursing school in Kirksville, MO.   It was there she met her future husband, Dr. Charles E. “Ed” Cunningham, who was attending Kirksville College of Osteopathy.   They were married on April 23, 1948 at Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Kirksville.  They were blessed to share over 46 years of marriage and memories together before Ed passed away on August 14, 1994.

Dorothy and Ed lived in Kirksville, Grand Rapids, MI, and Bettendorf before they made Davenport their home, where they raised their 11 children.   Dorothy was a dedicated homemaker; she later worked in her husband’s medical office until his retirement.  Dorothy and Ed enjoyed ballroom dancing and were long-time members of the Renaissance Dance Club. She was an excellent seamstress and enjoyed making blankets, stuffed bears, and other works of love for her grandchildren.  Dorothy was known for her delicious oatmeal cookies and bountiful vegetable garden. She also loved feeding and watching her birds in the backyard. She was very loving, kind, and patient and always made time for anyone who needed her.

Dorothy was a 66-year member of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church, where she was also a long-time member of the Altar and Rosary Society.   She also served a term as President of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Iowa Osteopathic Association.  In earlier years, she volunteered as a driver for Meals on Wheels and as a Cub Scout leader.

Those left to honor her life include her children and their spouses; Dr. James (Carolyn) Cunningham, Audubon, Iowa; Mark (Walailawan) Cunningham, Okemos, Michigan; Steven Cunningham (Sue Nelson), Davenport; Richard Cunningham, Bettendorf; Judith Hanna, Davenport; Jane (Lee) Sessler, Wilton; Susan (Raymond) Schmidt, Bettendorf; Paul (Ronda) Cunningham, Davenport; Mary (Klaas) Hellinga, The Netherlands; David (Melissa) Cunningham, Davenport; and Patricia (Joe) Van Camp, Davenport; 23 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, and a sister, Doris Liebhardt.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Ed; her parents; brothers, Robert, Harry, Franklin and Bennie; sister, Merta, and an infant son.

Memorials may be made to St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church Meal Ministry, or Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, Bettendorf.