Dorothy M. Raver Scheidler

Dorothy was in a Bible study/faith-sharing group with me, years ago. I admired her devotion to Steve and her church.

Dorothy & I were together in CRHP Team 19 in 2005. Found her to be such a lovely lady. RIP Dorothy. ߙ

We loved Dorothy, always smiling. Sending our love,

Anita, Ed, & fam, Where do I start with fond Mama Dorothy memories? I am sure they are much different than many of yours. I met “Mrs. Scheidler” when Anita & I were just 4 years old at 8210 South Penn. When Steve was on the road, we ruled the house! Barbie houses were left out for days untouched in the LIVING ROOM. Double batches of cookies were baked from scratch — licking that raw cookie dough right from the beaters every time. (Yes, we are still alive today & yes, I do not remember who actually cleaned the kitchen afterward). Dorothy taught me the basics of country cooking — especially prepping the day before Steve was to arrive home. I also learned that dogs (beagle friskie & later german shepard casper) like bacon grease poured on top dry dog food. Gross! Dorothy let me take the road trips with the kids to Greensburg quite frequently to visit Grandma Raver on the farm. I don’t remember the boys on the trip really at all – but the dogs riding with us in the car are a definite memory. (I have never since owned or even liked a dog.) But what a treat it was when Anita & I were finally old enough to stay a couple weeks on the farm in the summers! The Wallpee cousins, Aunt Esther & Uncle Ubert (sorry?), the creek, the animals, the animals getting thru the fence & into the creek … oh so much fun for us “city girls.” Dorothy taught me how to wrap presents with sharp corners, how to neatly pack up weekly Avon orders (for her clients) with samples as a special treat, how to successfully grow the most amazing garden vegetables & flowers – especially those red geraniums in her front porch pots. Dorothy patiently taught both Anita & I how to iron. We ironed EVERY single hankie that Steve ever put into his pocket. To this day, I think of Mama Dorothy whenever I iron & yes, I iron Jeff’s hankies too. (BTW Anita refuses to admit that she owns an iron!) Dorothy talked my mom into letting Anita & I take sewing classes in the summers – we learned to sew, hem, put in zippers, & even made stretch n sew swimsuits. Someone has to remember that! Many costumes were made & alterations have been done over the years for my 4 girls. As the years went by, life got busier with less time for hanging out daily at the Scheidler’s. But I could always count on Dorothy to drive me without question to Saint Barnabas when David & I missed the morning school bus in junior high (Mom & Dad were already at work) & to continue to have the weekend sleepovers on the pullout sofa eating ice cream and chips with onion dip IN BED (never allowed at my house!) Life flies by …..high school, college, career, weddings, relocations, children… (grandchildren for Dorothy & Steve – then great grandchildren!!) And here we are. I will always remember Mama Dorothy as such a kind, loving, patient soul – but she also had such an amazing, quiet strength to allow her to handle the many challenging times throughout her life. I know without a doubt that she knew how very much she was loved in her lifetime, but I doubt she knew how much she will be missed by so so many that she touched in her 94 well-lived, well-loved years.