Dorothy Mae O'Connell
January 18th, 1926 - October 5th, 2024
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Dorothy's Obituary
Dorothy Mae O’Connell, 98, of St. Joseph, MI, passed away in her home on Saturday – October 5, 2024. Arrangements have been entrusted to Starks & Menchinger Chapel – 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, MI.
Dorothy was born on January 18, 1926 in Benton Harbor, the third of nine children to the late Frank and Ida (Anderson) Flood. She and her siblings were raised on the family farm on Maiden Lane in St. Joseph and she attended North Lincoln School. The family spent winters in Florida where the kids finished the school year. Dorothy attended St. Joseph Catholic High School when she first met Clyde Jonatzke through his sister Jenny who was her good friend.
After graduating high school in 1943 when she was 17, Dorothy worked at the telephone company as a switchboard operator and was part of the World War II war effort sewing gas mask bags. Dorothy and Clyde were married on April 27, 1946 after Clyde returned from serving in the army in Europe. Together they raised four of their five children in their family home on DeMorrow Road in Stevensville before Clyde died of a heart attack in March 1955 when Dorothy was pregnant with their fifth child. Dorothy’s and Clyde’s families pitched in to help take care of their children.
Daniel O’Connell was a friend of Dorothy’s brother-in-law and was often at Flood family gatherings. Dorothy began dating Dan in January 1957 and they married on November 9, 1957. Dorothy and Dan added two more children to their family and moved their seven children to the O’Connell family farm in Baroda where they raised the children together under the watchful eye of Dan’s mother Lillian.
Dorothy was active in the St. John, St. Joseph and Lake Michigan Catholic schools community and was a second mother to her dozens of nieces and nephews. As her children began leaving the nest, she worked in the Lakeshore and Lake Michigan Catholic school cafeterias. She continued to be active in community groups (St. Joseph-Lincoln Senior Center and the Red Hat Ladies) and worked at Lakeshore Studios where she and her coworkers created handmade, custom-designed lampshades.
As her family grew Dorothy and Dan devoted themselves to enjoying their grandchildren and great grandchildren at their retirement home in Bridgman and their winter getaway in Florida. They also enjoyed traveling together with Dorothy’s siblings and their friends to Hawaii, through the Panama Canal and to Ireland and to many other places in between.
Dorothy is survived by her seven children – Linda Jonatzke-Blumenthal of Stevensville, John Jonatzke of Stevensville, Mary Jonatzke of St. Joseph, Diane (Gerald) Martin of Grand Rapids, James (Margaret) Jonatzke of Hartford, Daniel O’Connell of Chicago and Kathleen (Scott) Smart of St. Joseph; 16 grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; brother – Robert (Eleanor) Flood of St. Joseph; sister – Virginia Vanderboegh of Michigan City, IN; and dear friend and caregiver Matamoana Taufoou. She is preceded in death by her husbands – Clyde Jonatzke and Daniel O’Connell; brothers – Frank, William, John and James, and sisters – Jane Johnson and Shirley Kasischke.
Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Tuesday – October 15, 11:00am, at St. Bernard Catholic Church – 555 Delaware, Benton Harbor, with Father John Peter Ambrose officiating. Burial follows at Resurrection Cemetery in St. Joseph. Visitation with the family is on Monday – October 14, from 5:00-7:00pm at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, with a Rosary at 7:00pm. Memorial contributions may be made to the Twin City Area Catholic School Fund. Friends wishing to leave the family a message of condolence may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com
Dorothy was born on January 18, 1926 in Benton Harbor, the third of nine children to the late Frank and Ida (Anderson) Flood. She and her siblings were raised on the family farm on Maiden Lane in St. Joseph and she attended North Lincoln School. The family spent winters in Florida where the kids finished the school year. Dorothy attended St. Joseph Catholic High School when she first met Clyde Jonatzke through his sister Jenny who was her good friend.
After graduating high school in 1943 when she was 17, Dorothy worked at the telephone company as a switchboard operator and was part of the World War II war effort sewing gas mask bags. Dorothy and Clyde were married on April 27, 1946 after Clyde returned from serving in the army in Europe. Together they raised four of their five children in their family home on DeMorrow Road in Stevensville before Clyde died of a heart attack in March 1955 when Dorothy was pregnant with their fifth child. Dorothy’s and Clyde’s families pitched in to help take care of their children.
Daniel O’Connell was a friend of Dorothy’s brother-in-law and was often at Flood family gatherings. Dorothy began dating Dan in January 1957 and they married on November 9, 1957. Dorothy and Dan added two more children to their family and moved their seven children to the O’Connell family farm in Baroda where they raised the children together under the watchful eye of Dan’s mother Lillian.
Dorothy was active in the St. John, St. Joseph and Lake Michigan Catholic schools community and was a second mother to her dozens of nieces and nephews. As her children began leaving the nest, she worked in the Lakeshore and Lake Michigan Catholic school cafeterias. She continued to be active in community groups (St. Joseph-Lincoln Senior Center and the Red Hat Ladies) and worked at Lakeshore Studios where she and her coworkers created handmade, custom-designed lampshades.
As her family grew Dorothy and Dan devoted themselves to enjoying their grandchildren and great grandchildren at their retirement home in Bridgman and their winter getaway in Florida. They also enjoyed traveling together with Dorothy’s siblings and their friends to Hawaii, through the Panama Canal and to Ireland and to many other places in between.
Dorothy is survived by her seven children – Linda Jonatzke-Blumenthal of Stevensville, John Jonatzke of Stevensville, Mary Jonatzke of St. Joseph, Diane (Gerald) Martin of Grand Rapids, James (Margaret) Jonatzke of Hartford, Daniel O’Connell of Chicago and Kathleen (Scott) Smart of St. Joseph; 16 grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; brother – Robert (Eleanor) Flood of St. Joseph; sister – Virginia Vanderboegh of Michigan City, IN; and dear friend and caregiver Matamoana Taufoou. She is preceded in death by her husbands – Clyde Jonatzke and Daniel O’Connell; brothers – Frank, William, John and James, and sisters – Jane Johnson and Shirley Kasischke.
Mass of Christian Burial will take place on Tuesday – October 15, 11:00am, at St. Bernard Catholic Church – 555 Delaware, Benton Harbor, with Father John Peter Ambrose officiating. Burial follows at Resurrection Cemetery in St. Joseph. Visitation with the family is on Monday – October 14, from 5:00-7:00pm at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, with a Rosary at 7:00pm. Memorial contributions may be made to the Twin City Area Catholic School Fund. Friends wishing to leave the family a message of condolence may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com
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Additional Visitation Information
Rosary recited at 7:00pm