Frances Dorothea Gruber

Frances Dorothea Gruber was born March 21, 1922, in a snowstorm on the first day of spring on the kitchen floor of her parents’ farm in Five Points, Ohio. She died Monday, July 11, 2016, at the Sanctuary at Tuttle Crossing in Dublin, Ohio. “Dot” was the baby of the ‘first’ family, the fourth child of Rhoda Frances Dulgar Bowman and Harry Bowman. Her elder siblings, all now deceased, were Carl, Eva and Mary. A tractor accident took her father from his family. After moving to Columbus to find work, Dot’s mother married Earl Gregg and the family grew by two – Peter and Jeanette. Dot’s younger years were lean ones, and she suffered from spinal meningitis and a couple of bouts of pneumonia as a child. But there were happy times as well. She recalls the little local store that sold chocolate drops. If you were lucky enough to buy one with a pink center, you won a prize. And she fondly remembers the freshly baked bread that awaited her after Saturday night baths were done. One of her favorite tales was of a trip she and her mother took to Portsmouth to have her portrait made. Her mother had made her a new dress for the occasion. After arriving at the hotel where the photographer had set up shop, her mother looked around to find her once perfectly groomed daughter playing in a mud puddle. The photo was taken anyway, soggy socks and all. As a teen, Dot excelled in school and was active in the youth group at Broad Street Methodist Church, where she became church league ping-pong champion. As a young adult, she was part of a hiking club whose ‘strolls’ took them to places as far away as Grove City and Delaware. She was the club’s “hobo queen” one year. After graduating from Central High School, she took secretarial courses at Bliss College. Her first real job, arranged by her brother-in-law, was at Woolworth’s. Eventually, she went on to work at the Public Employees Retirement System, the Worthington Board of Education and Columbus Irrigation. As a young woman, Dot was a big fan of Jeanette MacDonald and was president of one of her fan clubs. She even traveled by train to Chicago to see the songstress in concert. She met her husband, Carl, on a blind date… that could have left her blind. They went to a square dance, and he accidentally elbowed her in the face, leaving her with a black eye. He felt so bad that he called repeatedly to check on her and then showed up at her house a few days later to see for himself how she was. He was invited to join the family for dinner and joined it permanently when he married Dot on April 30, 1948. The young couple began their lives together with a trip to Niagara Falls. Later, after they bought their first car, they explored the West, nibbling on California olives while crossing the Arizona desert. No tourist trap went unexplored. Their efforts to start a family began tragically in June 1952, when Carolyn Susan, only 12 days old, died of meningitis. Barbara came along in 1953, though, and the family grew again when Cynthia was born in 1958. Although Dot worked much of her life, she made time for fun and friends. She was part of “the luncheon group,” made up of women she became friends with while working for PERS. That group met regularly for many years. Dot enjoyed helping with social events and working on committees at Maple Grove United Methodist Church, where she especially enjoyed the annual Christmas Workshop. She was a room mother for Cindy’s elementary school classes. Dot and Carl were active with the Colonial Hills Civic Association and had lots of fun working on the annual Fourth of July festivities. Dot also was proud of winning an association award for her patriotic front-yard flower bed. Crafting and needlework were among her passions, as seen by the many hooked oval rugs and needlepoint projects that adorned her house for years. And let us not forget the “frosted” candles. If you were a friend, you probably received one as a gift, all covered with whipped paraffin. Dot was a very social person, and she made many friends through the homemaker’s club in Colonial Hills. She found many new pals when she moved to the Trotter’s Chase condo complex, in particular through the bridge group there. No remembrance of Dot would be complete without acknowledgement of her love of cats. She craved their affection, sometimes lamented their early-hour demands for food, and bitterly mourned their passing. In her last days, she still was pining for “OJ.” Dot is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Craig James of Dublin; daughter Cynthia Ann Gruber of Visalia, Calif.; grandson Nathaniel and his wife, Schauna, of Marysville; and great-grandson Jackson Michael James, known as “JJ.” She is also survived by her half-sister, Jeanette Wilson, of Huntington, W. Va. Dot was grateful for the kindness shown by her friends and family and did her best to reciprocate. To honor her memory, please consider offering a helping hand to someone who needs it. Friends also may contribute to OhioHealth Hospice, 800 McConnell Dr., Columbus, OH 43214. Calling hours are 2-4 p.m. and 6-7:30 p.m. Friday, July 15, at Rutherford-Corbin Funeral Home, 515 High St., Worthington, followed by services at 7:30 p.m., Pastor Glenn Schwerdtfeger officiating. Burial will be Saturday at Glen Rest Memorial Estate, Reynoldsburg.

Frances Dorothea Gruber

March 21, 1922 - July 11, 2016