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Dorothy Pierce, 92, of Fairbanks, Alaska, was taken into the arms of her Savior as she passed peacefully in the Fairbanks Pioneer Home on Friday, February 1, 2013. She was welcomed home by her husband, daughter, parents and seven brothers. Dot (Dottie as she liked to be called at the Pioneer Home) was born April 23, 1920, the first daughter of John and Cora Toth. Dot went to school in Belle Vernon and enjoyed telling stories about playing basketball in high school. She was a great swimmer and challenged distances in the Monongahela River numerous times. She met her future husband, Wilbur Pierce, at a young people’s meeting at the Presbyterian Church. She and Wib married in October 1939 and had two daughters, Patsy and Margaret (Peggy). They lived in Fairhope where she was a stay-at-home mom and Wib taught school and coached football for the Belle Vernon Schools. Later, they moved to Meadville, where Dot worked as a nurse’s aide at Spencer Hospital. She worked many years as a medical receptionist for Dr. Richard Jessop. When she and Wib moved to Akron, OH, she decided to try something new and trained as a dental assistant in Dr. Ted Coy’s office. Upon retiring, they decided to leave the cold and snow behind, and moved to Christianburg, VA, where they lived for 20 years. Dot was a great cook and baker and was always taking food to help someone out. Everyone loved her huckleberry pies, and she would can berries all summer so she could bake huckleberry pies all winter. Survivors include one daughter and son-in-law, Patsy and Bill Bolton of Fairbanks, two granddaughters, Laura Crist and her husband Nick, of Woodbridge, VA and Susan Roling and her husband Mike, of Alpharetta, GA, one grandson, Bob Bolton of Fairbanks, two great-grandsons, Patrick and Pierce Cusick, both of Alpharetta, one sister, Marge Frosini of Finleyville and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, Wilbur Pierce in 1998, one daughter, Peggy, her parents, John and Cora, and seven brothers, John, Tom, Joe, Melvin, Lou, Cliff and Steven Toth. Friends will be received Thursday, February 7, 2013 from 6 until 7:30 P.M., the time of services in the Ferguson Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 700 Broad Avenue, Belle Vernon, PA. 724-929-5300 www.FergusonFuneralHomeAndCrematory.com The Rev. Suzanne Currie will officiate. Interment will be Friday in Rose Lawn Cemetery, Meadville, PA. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to the Fairbanks Pioneer Home Foundation, 2221 Eagan Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99701, a truly remarkable place of caring.

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Dorothy J. Pierce

April 23, 1920 - February 1, 2013