Dorothy was delivered by her maternal grandmother Adeline in Rosalie, Nebraska. Her parents were William Conrad and Fannie (Renner) Hankins. She was raised on a farm near Macy, Nebraska. She graduated there and later married John Marvin Lewis from Decatur, Nebraska. They farmed nearby and after 10 years of marriage and five children, John became ill and passed away after by-pass heart surgery at Mayo Clinic.

Dorothy and her children then moved to Washington state where her sister Janice lived. She worked as a waitress and then as a checker for Safeway for many years. In 1981, she married Robert (Tom) Lewis and moved to California and then to Colorado where she worked as an electronic assembler. They later divorced, and she moved back to Washington.

She was an avid reader and an artist who left many paintings for her family. She will be remembered for her energy and her sense of humor.

She is survived by her sister, Donna Swanson of Nebraska, daughters: Marcia Burress (Phill) of Montesano, Barb Green (Jay) of Elma, Susan Sheets (Doug) of Arizona; sons: Daniel Lewis of Alaska, Tracy Lewis (Elisa) of California, and Mark Dinslage of Nebraska; 19 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren, great-great grandchildren, numerous nieces, and nephews.

Dorothy expressed often that she was blessed to have been united with her son (just three months prior to her death), after many years of searching. Dorothy was not in any pain and was diagnosed with lung cancer only two months prior, and on hospice only three days prior to her passing. She will be dearly missed. No service. Internment will be in Nebraska.