Dorothy J. Crist passed peacefully from this life on May 9, 2013 at Gove County Medical Center Long-Term Care in Quinter, Kansas. She was born May 17, 1920 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Robert and Elizabeth Jones. She was the fifth of seven children. She graduated from Frankford High School in Philadelphia. She then attended Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, Virginia and received her degree in 1944. After graduation, Dorothy was employed for two years at the YMCA of Philadelphia as the Assistant Director of Vocational Guidance. During that time she attended the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and received her M.S. degree in Education. From 1949 to 1950, she served as Administrative Assistant for the Church of the Brethren Service Commission in the Geneva, Switzerland office. She volunteered her time on a subsistence basis and helped in planning post-World War II relief programs in Europe.

On December 25th, 1951, she married B. Wayne Crist and became the wife of a Church of the Brethren minister. For the next 35 years, she and Wayne ministered to Brethren congregations in Polo, Illinois, Wenatchee, Washington, Los Angeles, California, Pomona, California, and McPherson, Kansas. During her life as the wife of a minister, Dorothy served in hundreds of committees and organizations. Also during those years, she bore and raised four children. Despite all of those challenges, she continued to carve her own career of service in the world. She was a teacher of continuing-education students in the Los Angeles School System. She was also director of the Playtime for Tots pre-school operated by the Imperial Heights Community Church of the Brethren. She was a counselor of psychologically- and vocationally-handicapped students in the Pomona School System. After moving to Kansas, she worked in the Employment Security Division for two years and then transferred to Vocational Rehabilitation Services. She served in this capacity for 14 years and received the honor of Counselor of the Year in the State of Kansas during 1988. She was a long-time member of the honorary teacher's organization, Delta Kappa Gamma, and received the Soroptimist Award for Women Helping Women in the community. Even after retirement, Dorothy and Wayne continued their service in the United Methodist Churches of Downs and Portis, Kansas for another seven years. Her tireless acts of service are beyond measure, and her deeds of kindness are beyond count.


Dorothy is survived by her husband, B. Wayne Crist, her sister, Evelyn Lady of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, her children Danese Stahl of Grand Forks, North Dakota, Robert Crist of Mariposa, California, David Crist of Cincinnati, Ohio, Thomas Crist of Oxford, Ohio, nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. Her life's light will continue to shine brightly in our hearts.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, May 16, 2013 at the Quinter Church of the Brethren. Burial will take place before memorial services at 9:00 a.m. at the Baker Township Cemetery, Quinter.

Memorial contributions to any of the following organizations may be sent in care of Schmitt Funeral Home, 901 S. Main, Quinter, KS 67752: Elizabeth H. and Robert G. Jones Scholarship Endowment at Bethany Theological Seminary, Polo Church of the Brethren in Polo, Illinois, Wenatchee Brethren-Baptist Church of the Brethren in Wenatchee, Washington, Imperial Heights Church in Los Angeles, California, Pomona Fellowship Church in Pomona, California, Quinter Church of the Brethren in Quinter, Kansas.