Dorthia M. Downs

MISS DOWNS, GOLFER, DIES Runnerup 4 Times In 18 City Tourneys.

Miss Dorthia M. Downs, for many years one of the city's leading women golfers, died at 5:45 p.m. Sunday in Memorial Hospital after an extended illness. She was born in Midland, Ind., and came to South Bend as a child. Surviving is her mother, Mrs. Hilda Kowalski, of South Bend. Miss Downs of 4010 Manor Dr., was graduated from Memorial Hospital's School of Nursing in 1945. She did post-graduate work at Baylor University, Waco, Tex., and at the Oak Ridge Hospital, Oak Ridge, Tenn.

She was employed as an industrial nurse for 17 years at the Studebaker Corp. and for two years at Kaiser Jeep Corp. She also had served as a public health nurse for the Tuberculosis League.

Runnerup Four Times

Miss Downs played in 18 of the women's city golf tournaments, until 1965, and four times was runnerup. One of those secondplace finishes came in 1965 when she dropped a 7 and 6 matchplay decision to Carmen Piasecki after finally defeating Mrs. Ted Miloserny in the semifinald, 1 up. She had been runnerup to Mrs. Miloserny the other three times. In 1959 she lost in match play, 6 and 4. She finished second twice when the tourney was stroke competition, losing by nine in 1963 and by 10 in 1964.

After participating in Girls Athletic Assn. sports (swimming, basketball and hockey at Central High School before her graduation, Miss Downs played girls softball on one of the top teams of the area. Plays With Blue Sox This led to a contract with the South Bend Blue Sox, a professional girls' team that played in the American Girls league from through 1954. Miss Downs played only briefly with the Blue Sox. She was also a member of the Memorial Hospital Alumnae Assn., the Erskine's Women's Golf Assn. and the International Bowling Congress.

Friends may call after 7 p.m. today in the Hollis Funeral Home. Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in Central church with Rev. Thomas C. Rough, pastor, officiating. Burial will be in St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park

Sources: Ancestry.com, Newspapers.com and FindAGrave.com

12/27/2024 EJS

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/77243931/dorthia-martha-downs