Dorothy “Dottie” Ielene (Bavery) Ruffcorn

Dorothy (Dottie) Ielene (Bavery) Ruffcorn, 88, passed away at Windsor Heights in Camdenton, MO on November 4, 2025. She lived most of her life in Warsaw, IL.

Dorothy was born January 10, 1937, in Chili Township, West Point, IL, to Caples Sourdough and Arminta Della (Meyers) Dooley. Dorothy graduated from Warsaw High in 1954.

Dorothy married Billy Bavery in 1954, and they had five children prior to his passing in 1968. She later married Wendy Ruffcorn in 1977. He passed in 1994.

Dorothy was well acquainted with hard work, and she taught her children that importance of work at an early age. As a young girl, Dorothy started assisting her Dad with outdoor farm chores, while Eleanor was helping their Mom. In her teenage years, Dorothy would ride in the truck with her brother, Leo, to the stockyards near Alton, IL. After her graduation, Dorothy’s mother requested she babysit her young sisters, Marilyn and Kathy, so her Mom could work at Swifts.

Dorothy worked at several area businesses in Keokuk, IA, and Warsaw, IL. Those businesses included Swifts turkey processing plant and Decker Manufacturing in Keokuk, and the Whiz-mow in Warsaw. While Dorothy and Wendy were together, Frank and John rebuilt Wendy’s bar at the corner of 6th and Main in Warsaw, and she worked alongside Wendy until his retirement. Later she was a babysitter for the Bavery boys, the Shipe girls and a few other children in the Warsaw community. Dorothy was Grandma to them all.

Fishing and gardening were in her blood and she taught her children and grandchildren how to live off the land. Grandchildren adventures with Dorothy included helping with the rabbits and pigs, fishing at the Mississippi and Warsaw bottoms, yard saling and road trips to Linn Creek, Missouri.

Dorothy truly enjoyed Cardinal baseball. Her grandson Billie spoiled his Grandma (Bavery) Ruffcorn and Grandma (Shipe) Rackley, taking them to the Cardinal games. Lee Bavery and his mom (Debbie) made sure she had a golf cart decked out with St Louis Cardinals, which she used to cruise her yard, checking out her garden in later years.

Frank, John and Judy displayed love for their mother in action, taking care of her needs throughout life, allowing her to stay in her home until the last 3 months. Dorothy then took her last road-trip to Missouri to be close to Judy while staying in Camdenton.

Dorothy is survived by her sisters Eleanor Johnson of Basco, IL, and Kathy (Jerry) Woodworth of Warsaw, IL; her son John (Geri) Bavery of Basco, IL; her daughter Judy (Jerry) Jones of Linn Creek, MO; daughters-in-law Debbie Bavery and Sandra Bavery, both of Warsaw, IL; her grandchildren: Billie (Christie) Bavery of Manhattan, IL, Lee Bavery of Warsaw, IL, Jesse Bavery of Basco, IL, Cole (Joy Kigen) Bavery of Columbia, MD, Luke Bavery of Hamilton, IL, Joel (Heather) Jones of Clinton, IL, Adrianne (Patrick Heritage) Jones of Osage Beach, MO; her great grandchildren: Katherine and Madeline Bavery of Manhattan, IL, Caitlynn, Destaney, Jackson and Easton Jones of Clinton, IL, Reagan Jones of Osage Beach, MO, Harper and Baylor Bavery of Hamilton, IL, and Niels, Arlo Bavery and Alannah Amorales of Columbia, MD.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, brothers; Leo (Joann) Dooley, Bill Dooley; sister Marilyn Goodman and brother-in-law, Loren Johnson; and her sons Billy, Frankie, Jimmie Bavery.

There will be a graveside service for family and friends at 10 am on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Oakland Cemetery in Warsaw, IL. A Celebration of her life will be held at her home after the graveside service.

Memorials may be directed to the Warsaw VFW Post 9802.