Frances W. “Dovie” Cotton, 95, of Ellinwood, passed away on Thursday evening, Nov. 2, 2017, at Great Bend Health and Rehabilitation Center in Great Bend. Dovie was born on Jan. 2, 1922, in Ionia County, Michigan, to Harry and Cora (VanLeuvan) Riker, and grew up in the Portland, Michigan area. She was united in marriage to Ralph K. Cotton on Aug. 6, 1939, at Portland, Michigan, and the couple owned and operated bakeries for all of their working life. They moved to Deadwood, South Dakota, in 1961, and lived there for 11 years until moving to Ellinwood in February of 1972. The couple owned and operated Alpine Ovens bakery in Ellinwood from 1972 until 1991, with Ralph doing the baking and Dovie working the sales counter.
She attended the First Assembly of God Church in Great Bend for many years.

Survivors include three sons: Larry (and wife Kay) Cotton of Howell, Michigan, Jerry (and wife Donna) Cotton of Deadwood, South Dakota, and Terry (and wife Sarah) Cotton of St. Joseph, Missouri; two daughters: Vicki (and husband Charles) Myers of Aurora, Colorado, and Niki Cotton of Great Bend; eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren; one brother, Robert (and wife Sylvia) Riker of Portland, Michigan; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Ralph K. Cotton in 1991, three sisters and one brother.

Graveside funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 7, at Lakin-Commanche District Cemetery at Ellinwood. Memorial donations may be made in care of the family. Online condolences may be left for the family and a complete obituary may be viewed at http://www.charterfunerals.com/locations/great-bend.php.

Funeral arrangements provided by
Charter Funerals*
2115 Washington St.
Great Bend, KS 67530
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Nov. 5, 2017