Dorothy Jolene Davis
April 3, 1935 - October 8, 2023
Dorothy Jolene Davis passed away peacefully on October 8, 2023, with her loving family by her side. Dorothy was born on April 3, 1935, in Blooming Grove, Texas to Marion Curtis Satterwhite and Susan Jane Page.
Dorothy’s family moved to Salida, California when she was four years old. Around that time, she suffered extreme hearing loss in both ears due to unfortunate circumstances. Although she was at a disadvantage attending public school due to her deafness, she excelled in art, penmanship, spelling, math, and anything she could learn by watching and doing. She completed seventh grade and years later, at the age of 45, Dorothy received her high school diploma from American School. She was awarded a Diploma in the Theory and Practice of Custom Furniture Upholstery from Modern Upholstery Institute in 1975 and received a Certificate of Proficiency in Dressmaking from Lifetime Career Schools in 1966.
Dorothy married Bill Davis in 1952. She moved to Fallon, Nevada with her husband and their two children in 1959. Dorothy became deaf before developing her speech and as a result, she had difficulty speaking so that others could understand her. With help from her husband, and
later from her children, she was able to form words and speak so that she could better communicate with others. In 1963, at the age of 28, Dorothy went to work for the Rockingham Sewing Factory as a pajama hemmer. She worked there until it closed a year later. In the coming years she found odd jobs sewing and house cleaning. It was through these jobs that she made long lasting friends including another local woman who was also deaf.
Dorothy worked as the produce clerk at Kent’s for thirteen years, as a sales and freight clerk at Sprouse Reitz for ten years, and as a food service worker at the Navy Exchange for eleven years (where she was honored as Associate of the Year).
Dorothy overcame many challenges in her lifetime, and those that knew her loved her work ethics, infectious smile, and positive attitude. She was a selfless wife, mom and grandmother who worked hard and loved and supported her family and friends.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents (Curtis and Susan Satterwhite), husband (Bill Davis), son (Wesley Davis), brothers (Bill Williams, Eddie Satterwhite, Dan Satterwhite) and sister (Corene DeWeerd).
She is survived by her brother James Satterwhite, her daughter Jane Scheible (Leonard), her granddaughters Dawn Martin (Paul), April Burdett (Ben), Samantha Van Ginneken (Jay), and Stacie Davis, her grandsons Darrell Davis (Jackilou), Jayson Davis, and Andy Davis (Stacie),
and her nineteen great grandchildren.
A celebration of life has been set up on Facebook under Dorothy Davis in Memory. Dorothy has joined her husband at the Fernley Veteran’s Cemetery. She would want you to celebrate her life by making the shape of a heart with your hands to show someone that you care.