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Dorothy Patterson, 77, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died Wednesday at Mercy Medical Center after a brief illness. Her three daughters were by her side.

If you knew Dorothy, you probably ate her banana bread at some point. She made it for new neighbors, sick friends, teachers, mail carriers, and anyone who looked like they were having a rough week. She once calculated she'd made over 2,000 loaves in her lifetime. Her family thinks that number was low.

Born in Dubuque to Francis and Helen Sullivan, Dorothy grew up the oldest of five kids, a role she never stopped playing. She graduated from Wahlert High School in 1966 and married Tom Patterson the following spring. They were married for 54 years before Tom's death in 2021.

Dorothy worked as a school secretary at Grant Elementary for 28 years. Three generations of students knew her as the lady at the front desk who always had Band-Aids and a calm voice.

She loved her garden, terrible crime novels, and watching the Iowa Hawkeyes with unnecessary intensity. She was a member of St. Patrick's parish.

Dorothy is survived by her daughters, Karen (Mike) Olsen, Linda Patterson, and Sarah (James) Cho; six grandchildren; her brother, Bill Sullivan; and her sisters, Kathleen Murphy and Patty Doyle. She was preceded in death by Tom, her parents, and her brother Michael.

Visitation will be Friday from 4-7 p.m. at Turner Funeral Home. Funeral Mass Saturday at 10 a.m. at St. Patrick's Catholic Church.

Harold Whitfield, 72, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, died at home on March 3, 2026, surrounded by his family.

Harold never said much. He wasn't the type to give speeches or write long letters. But if you needed your car fixed at 10 p.m. on a Tuesday, he was already walking to the garage with a flashlight. That was how he loved people. Quietly, and with a wrench.

Born in Muskogee to James and Betty Whitfield, Harold graduated from Central High School in 1972 and went straight to work at the Sinclair refinery, where he spent 35 years. He retired in 2007 and spent most of the next two decades in his workshop or watching his grandkids play sports.

He married Linda Dawson on June 8, 1975, at First Baptist Church. They were married for 50 years. She was the talker. He was the listener. It worked.

Harold coached Little League for 12 seasons, not because he loved baseball (he was more of a football man) but because his kids needed a coach and nobody else volunteered. Three of his former players came to see him in his last week.

He is survived by his wife, Linda; his children, James (Michelle) Whitfield, Sarah (Tom) Becker, and David Whitfield; seven grandchildren; and his brother, Roy Whitfield. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Betty Jean.

Services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Tulsa Boys Home.