Dorothy Ellen (Rusch) Corpe

Dorothy Ellen Rusch Corpe
February 12, 1931 – September 9, 2018  (age 87)

PETOSKEY - Dorothy Corpe, 87, of Petoskey, passed away peacefully on September 9, 2018 at Hiland Cottage of Petoskey.

Dorothy was born on February 12, 1931 in Traverse City, Michigan. She was the youngest child of seven and had five brothers and one sister.  She graduated from Traverse City High School in 1949.

On September 11, 1953, she married Donald Corpe after he served in the Korean War. The couple made their home in Traverse City with their two children, Deborah and Dennis.

In 1963 they moved to Petoskey where Dorothy was mainly a housewife while their children were young. Over the years she worked for Kilwins, Sears and JC Penney. They lived in Petoskey until 1983 when they moved to Pontiac, Michigan where they resided until Don retired. In 1994 they moved back to Petoskey to spend time with their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Dorothy loved to dance and her parents had a popular dance hall (Rusch Dance Hall) in the 1940’s on their farm on Rusch Road in Traverse City. She also loved music, played the piano, Bingo, taking care of her home and attending events with the Red Hat Club. Dorothy cherished her family and was ever present in her kids' lives and events, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Dorothy is survived by her daughter Debbie (Tony Miron) of Petoskey and son Denny (Scott Gordon) of Barcelona, Spain (previously San Francisco); two grandchildren, Tara Otto Brill of Petoskey, and Aaron Otto (Rebeca) of Oden.; Great grandchildren: Orion Brill of Mount Pleasant, Sidra and Damek Brill of Petoskey and Augustin Otto of Oden.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Estella (Allgaier) Rusch and her husband of 52 years, Donald who passed away on January 21, 2006 at the age of 76.  Her brothers, Leonard (Cleo), Wilfred “Andy” (Joanne), Kenneth “Ken” (Lucille) and Frank (Florence) and one sister, Katheryne “Katy”(Bill Hammer). Her surviving brother Francis “Joe” (Mayme) is 95 and lives in Oxford, Michigan.

Dorothy's life will be remembered and celebrated during a memorial service that will take place on Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 11:00 AM at the Stone Funeral Home in Petoskey, Michigan.  Her family will receive friends at the funeral home beginning at 10:00 a.m. Family and friends wishing to make a charitable donation in memory of Dorothy are asked to consider the Alzheimer’s Association or the Leukemia Research Foundation.

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