A SINGULAR CELEBRATION RECALLING THE NINETY YEARS OF DOROTHY ALTA HOUSE STEIDLEY

On January 31, 1918, a tiny baby girl entered this world. She found herself in a family with the last name of HOUSE. Hmm! A person who's a house!? She also found that she had landed smack in that land of another girl named Dorothy...but our Dorothy had no puppy named Toto!

As she peered around her she saw her parents...Lydia and Emery. Then, as she looked further, she saw one brother, then another, and another...and another!! Good grief!! What have I done?? Her brothers peered back at this strange creature...A GIRL!! Loyd, Paul, Richard and Wilbur soon found that she could be quite charming and funny. They all agreed that the family should keep her.

When Dorothy was 10 months old her adventurous family moved to Colorado. This is where Dorothy would spend most of her life. She gained another brother after the move to Colorado. Little brother Jim did not fulfill Dorothy's wish for a sister, but he was pretty funny to watch when he was little...and it gave Dorothy someone she could boss around.

Dorothy attended Whittier Elementary school on W. Kiowa, in Colorado Springs. Walking to school afforded her an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the area and to think deep thoughts. Dorothy really liked to think quietly to herself. She was recognized for her outstanding artistic ability and liked the benefits of that. She always enjoyed expressing herself through art.

After graduating from high school, Dorothy's parents and brother, Jim, moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The move was necessary because her father was becoming more and more debilitated by his asthma and so the family sought a better climate for him.

While in New Mexico, Dorothy met a young man. He made her laugh! Dorothy was still the quiet thinker she had always been, so the ability that Howard Steidley had to draw her out, and involve her in fun, was most attractive. Of course, Howard wasn't so bad looking himself. They got married and soon welcomed their first child in 1940. Dorothy enjoyed her new daughter, Carolyn, and spent happy hours exploring Carolyn's new world with her.


In 1944, Carolyn's baby sister, Alta, arrived. Now, Dorothy was really busy! Some of her favorite motherly activities involved sewing adorable clothing for her daughters, perming their hair with those new home permanents, taking them to feed the ducks, going on excursions to downtown Denver and choosing a special doll for each of them at Christmastime.

In time, Dorothy welcomed grandchildren David Zundel, and his sister and brother, Tami and Michael. Rounding out Dorothy's progeny are Scott (Nancy), Keith (Keri) and Kevin (Roseanna) Monk...and the offspring of Scott (Josh and David) and Keith (Keli.)

Dorothy's love of art drove her to study with well-known artists every chance she got. She pursued some of the popular arts and crafts of the day, but focused mainly upon oil and watercolor painting. After both daughters had been recruited to haul large paintings around for a few years, Alta requested that Dorothy take up something lighter...like styrofoam sculpture. Dorothy honored her request by becoming a very productive potter! Dorothy's social life mostly centered upon like-minded artists, neighborhood friends and the members of her church. She was an early member of the Colorado Watercolor Society and the Colorado Potter's Guild.

Travel had always been a dream of Dorothy's and she basked in the experiences of visiting such far-flung places as Italy, England, Greece, Mexico, Japan...and more. She always wanted to experience varied art cultures, visit foreign artists and see their work. Her 80th birthday was celebrated with a Caribbean cruise.

To view a slideshow of Dorothy's artwork, you can click here. Or see more photos from her fascinating life in a slideshow click here.

After spending most of her life in Denver, Dorothy moved to Glade Park, Colorado. Drinking in the beauty of the area has fed the artist in Dorothy.

Since Dorothy was hospitalized with her first heart attack in 1955, and has experienced continuous limitation caused by her health condition, it is amazing that she has worked so diligently at her artwork. It is also amazing that she was able to fulfill her desire to travel and see her world.

Dorothy has enriched many people's lives through her expressive artwork and her generosity. IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MEMORY OF DOROTHY, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE IT. SHE HAS VERY LIMITED STRENGTH, BUT WOULD THOROUGHLY ENJOY READING ANY COMMENTS...