Dottie Leggett

DOTTIE JOYCE (Ashley) LEGGETT was born on March 11, 1929 in Spencer, Indiana, the first-born child of Rev. John Herschell Ashley and Dorotha Lucille (Ranard) Ashley. Her childhood was lived in Indiana until her family moved to Illinois where she graduated from Wheaton Community High School in 1947.

In the fall she entered Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota (now Bethel University) where she met her future husband, John McGee Leggett, Jr. He was initially attracted to her by her beautiful voice and exceptional skill at a piano. They were married June 7, 1949 in the First Baptist Church, Eau Claire, Wisconsin by her father. Together John and Dottie served churches in Washington State, Wisconsin, Ohio, Nebraska and Iowa (nine in all) prior to retirement and then eight others in Wisconsin for short periods.

In 2002 Dottie and John moved to Sun Prairie, Wisconsin to be closer to their daughter. Dottie was hospitalized twice in the fall of 2013 and had been in hospice care at home since then. She died peacefully at home February 28, 2014 ending 94 days in bed.

She is survived by her husband, five sons (John, James, Joseph, Jerry, Jeffrey) and one daughter (Joyce Grigg); 16 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, three sisters (Marilyn Donnelly, Nancy O'Neill, Celia Landen) and one brother (Dr. Timothy Ashley). She was preceded in death by her parents, one sister (Linda Elaine Ashley) and one grandson (Andrew Christopher Leggett).

She was a member of the Sun Prairie United Methodist Church and one of the pastors, Rev. Frank Gaylord will officiate at her funeral on Tuesday, March 4 at Cress Funeral Home in Sun Prairie. Visitation will begin at 9:30 am with the service to follow at 10:30. Burial will be in the Mount Vernon Cemetery at Juda, Wisconsin about 2:30 in the afternoon.