Dorothy Britt Mann

44-W-4

September 4 , 1922 - August 11, 1998

Dorothy was born on September 4, 1922 in Plaska, Texas. She attended the University of New Mexico, where she was a member of Chi Omega Sorority.

Dorothy entered the Women Airforce Serivce Pilots in November 1943 in the class of 44-4.

She was assigned, after graduation, to Moore Field, Texas.

After deactivation, she went home to marry A.C. Mann on February 17, 1945, in Hutchinson, Kansas. They had five children, three sons Larry, Mike, and Ron, and two daughters Marya, and Connie. They lost the three sons, which has always been heartbreaking and difficult for Dorthy. She had three grandsons, J. Shannon, Crosby and Michael, and one granddaughter Jessica.

They lived in Littlefield, Texas before coming to Centralia, Illinois, and started Mann, Inc., a railroad construction and maintenance company, in 1956. She had been owner and president of the company since her husband died on November 1, 1973.

She was a member of St. Mary's Church. Dorothy lived with her daughter, son-in-law, and family the past 15 years, since her husband died. They have been very close to her and throughly enjoyed talking about some of her escapades, learning to play cards and chess, as she had a tendency to do in the evenings, and were rewarded by living in the extended family atmosphere.

In Ocotober of 1997 she was diagnosed with cancer and went through chemo and radiation therapy. she passed away on August 11, 1998.

(reprinted from "OUT OF THE BLUE AND INTO HISTORY" by WASP Betty Stagg Turner. p. 358.)