Memorial Services for Doris Wickersham of Harrison, Nebraska will be held Saturday, December 17, 2022 at 11:00 AM at Harrison Bible Church in Harrison, Nebraska.
Doris Mae (Dout) Wickersham was born February 20, 1931, to Leona (Pullen) and Clarence Dout in Harrison, Nebraska. She passed away peacefully on December 9, 2022, at her home with her family nearby.
Doris spent her life in Sioux County. She graduated from Sioux County High School in 1948. She married Norrie Wickersham on February 20, 1949, and the couple went into partnership with her dad on a ranch north of Harrison. There, Doris and Norrie raised cows and six children: Steven Bruce, Rebecca Lynn (Becky Serres), Scott James, Michal Norman, Neal Patrick, and Dale Brent. These six children gave Doris 18 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Beyond her own biological children, Doris impacted many in the children and hired men who lived and worked at the ranch over the years.
Doris’s life often revolved around this family. She had a knack for making every person in her family feel as though they were her favorite. She always provided a home for them to come to. There were many large gatherings at the ranch, and she spent many hours and drove many miles to attend the important life events of her loved ones. She was incredibly proud of the myriad accomplishments of her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids.
Though Doris was devoted to her family, she did not ignore her own passions. Doris modeled a love of learning for the sake of learning. Doris was a college student well into her eighties. Her vast library of resource books are well-used, providing answers to questions and curiosities she has had over the years. Doris had a passion for raising iris flowers, and her iris bed, though infamous for the grass that has begun to take it over, is a sight to see in the late spring. She was also a fantastic crocheter, gardener/canner, and a passionate Scrabble player. Doris was also an active member of the Sioux Couty Historical Society, and her research and artistic talents can be seen in the local museum.
Doris was an incredibly talented artist, and this talent was not limited to one medium. She was a founding member of the Prairie Art Guild, and attendees of the annual art show at the fair have been treated to her talents. She started painting at her kitchen table, but after she began working with ceramics, she converted the one-room schoolhouse on the ranch into her art studio, The Mud Dauber’s Nest. Most recently, she had been working with stained glass. She inspired a love of art in many people, including the college students she attended classes with.
Doris was preceded in death by husband Norrie, son Bruce, granddaughter Stephanie, parents Clarence and Leona, sister Phyllis and Johnny Chlecq, brothers- and sisters-in-law, Bill and Dorothy Wickersham, Buster and Flip Wickersham, Faith and Waldo Dahlstedt, and George Campbell.
Doris left behind her children Becky and George Serres of Crawford, NE; Scott Wickersham of Orin Junction, WY, Mike Wickersham and Abby Edmund of Harrison, NE; Neal Wickersham and Terri DelPrete of Harrison, NE; and Dale Wickersham of Glen, NE; her grandchildren Jason and Michelle Serres (2 children); Brent and Tammy Serres (1 daughter); Heath and Melanie Serres (3 children, 1 grandchild); Jared Serres (1 son); Amy and Casey Ferley (2 children); Tracy and James Frey (1 son); Allison and Rick Reisig (3 children); Andrew Wickersham; Sean Wickersham and Madison ; Kerri and Ethan Smith; Abbie Wickersham; Steven Wickersham; Richard Jordan; Brandon and Fathom Wickersham (3 children); Eric and Kim Wickersham (1 son); Britoney and Andy Sprouse (5 children); Wesley and Diana Wickersham (1 son); and Gary and Audrey Wickersham (3 children); sister-in-law Eula Campbell, and brother Ray Tapley Dout.
Doris’s passing leaves a big hole in the lives of her family and friends. She was much loved and will be sorely missed.
A memorial has been established Sioux County Historical Society or Prairie Art Guild. and donations may be sent in care of Chamberlain Chapel, PO BOX 970, CHADRON, NE 69337.