Dorothea Elizabeth Ravinowich

Dorothea Elizabeth Ravinowich, 81, of Des Moines, Iowa, passed away on January 23rd 2010 in Abilene, Texas. Dorothea, "Dottie" went to be with the Lord on Friday the 23rd of January 2010. Visitation will be held on Saturday January 30, 2010 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road. There will be a prayer service following the visitation at 4:00 pm. Dottie was born December 23rd, 1928 to Margaret Catherine Gruening and Frederick Jacob Gruening in Des Moines, Iowa. Her family moved to Milwaukee when she was two years old. Dottie grew up and graduated from Downer College in Milwaukee in 1950. In 1949, while a junior at Downer, she met her lifelong love and life partner, Leon Ravinowich. Leon, an engineer in Sao Paulo, Brazil, had been sent to train at the Allis Chalmers Manufacturing Co. in Milwaukee. They married on April 14th, 1951 and immediately moved to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Dottie and Leon lived in Sao Paulo until they moved to Abilene, Texas in 2004. A true pioneer lady who moved to Brazil in the early fifties to raise a loving family and returning to her native United States in Abilene, Texas. Known to all of her friends as a woman of unbridled optimism and intelligence, she not only loved living in Abilene, but loved being involved in the city. Her involvement included Bible Study Fellowship, Los Aficionados, the Woman's Club, the Abilene Philharmonic Guild, and many other groups. Most of all she enjoyed being with her family and friends, all of whom will miss her very much. Dottie is survived by her husband Leon Ravinowich, three children, Eric Victor Ravinowich and wife Rosa Lellis Vieira Ravinowich, of Cary, North Carolina, Deborah Ravinowich Kline and husband Dr. Philip Sherwood Kline of San Antonio, Texas and Cynthia Ravinowich Taliaferro and her husband Scott Leeth Taliaferro, Jr. of Abilene, Texas; six grandchildren, Andre Lellis Vieira Ravinowich of Los Angeles, California, Victor Lellis Vieira Ravinowich and wife Tasha Ravinowich of Richardson, Texas, Andrea Elizabeth Kline and Eric Sherwood Kline of San Antonio, Texas, Nicholas Ravinowich Tebet and Julie Elizabeth Ravinowich Tebet of Abilene, Texas. She will be missed by us all. Memorials may be given to Hendrick Hospice Care, 1682 Hickory Street, Abilene, Texas 79601, in honor of their special care and attention they gave our "Dottie".