Dorothy May (Schuhmann) MacLean

Dorothy May Schuhmann Hooper MacLean left this earthly world on December 27, 2021, but memories of her remain to be treasured by generations of loved ones. A family viewing will be held at Taylor Funeral Home, 511 Ross Graves Drive, Timpson Texas on Monday, January 3, 2022 from 9-9:30am. Friends are invited to join the family at 9:30, with the funeral being conducted at the same location beginning at 10am. Graveside services will follow at New Prospect Cemetery, FM 1645, Timpson, Texas. Born on November 9, 1923, in La Grange, Texas to Monroe Henry Emil and Clara Laura Dippel Schuhmann, Dorothy grew up speaking German in the Fayette County farming community where her family settled in 1853. One of ten children, she was thrust into adulthood responsibilities before her eleventh birthday due to her mother’s death in childbirth. Nicknamed “Sissy” as a child and now the oldest daughter still at home, Dorothy became the primary caregiver for her siblings until her father remarried in 1936 to Alma Schroeder. Four years later in 1940, at the age of sixteen, Dorothy fell in love with and married tall, broad[1]shouldered Hilton Hooper from Shelby County, Texas. The handsome East Texan and the pretty, auburn-haired fräulein made a stunning couple. Together, they were magic on the dance floor — and there must have been some magic elsewhere, as well, because their marriage was blessed with four children. Priscilla Ann, the eldest, was born in 1941, followed by Fred Hilton in 1945, Robert George in 1946, and Cynthia Jo in 1954. Caring for her husband and children brought Dorothy great joy. Whether cooking, sewing, gardening, or cleaning, she did it with all her heart because it was for her family. She also took pride in her work outside of the home. After completing cosmetology classes in the mid-1950s, Dorothy worked for several years as a beautician in Pasadena, Texas. With her newfound skills, she could finally achieve the curly hair she had always wanted! Dorothy and Hilton’s marriage ended with his untimely death in 1968 from a work-related accident. Faced with the task of supporting herself and their youngest child, Cynthia, Dorothy courageously enrolled in secretarial training and found employment in Center, Texas with a local savings and loan association. Her warm smile, quick wit, and caring nature endeared her to customers young and old. Her many friends from Center and Timpson were sad to see her move to Nacogdoches in 1977 to serve as dorm mother to the 150 Stephen F. Austin State University students residing in Gibbs Hall. Dorothy enjoyed mothering “her girls,” as she called them, but after much encouragement from her family, she decided to retire and move to San Antonio to live closer to Priscilla, her eldest daughter, and Priscilla’s husband, Jimmy, now deceased. Dorothy’s youngest son, Bobby, was a key enabler of this move because he purchased the home for her where she initially resided. It was in San Antonio that she met Colonel Norman A. MacLean, a retired Air Force pilot and nearby neighbor. In 1980, Dorothy and Norm married, but unfortunately tragedy struck again. In 1983, after only a few short years of marriage, Norm succumbed to cancer. She was alone once more, but still strong, still resilient. For the next 26 years, Dorothy continued to reside in the Castle Hills Forest home she shared with Norm, enjoying the company of beloved neighbors and hosting frequent family gatherings. In 2009, she decided she wanted to spend her remaining years in East Texas. With her children’s full support, she relocated one more time to Cushing, Texas, establishing a home on land owned by her eldest son, Fred, and his wife, Joyce. This arrangement gave her the ability to preserve daily independence, while assuring nearby assistance whenever needed. During those years, nothing gave her more pleasure than morning coffee shared with her son, Fred. While her physical health began to decline, her mental acuity was as sharp as ever. She dearly loved phone calls and visits from friends and family. She was proud to still be driving in her 90s and was most reluctant to surrender her driver’s license at 95. She still found great joy in life and in her strong faith. However, in 2015, tragedy returned. Perhaps the greatest sorrow Dorothy endured during her lifetime was the much too soon death of her youngest son, Bobby, to cancer. She continued to mourn his passing for the rest of her life and would have been bereft without his weekly Sunday calls, except Bobby’s wife, Kathy, lovingly continued the Sunday tradition up until the time Dorothy could no longer talk on the phone. With the passage of years and continued loss of mobility, balance, and hearing, it was soon evident that it was time to make assisted living arrangements. This determination was not made lightly, and for once in her life, it was not Dorothy’s decision. In late 2020, she moved to Magnolia Court in Nacogdoches, Texas and then in 2021, when even more care was needed, she chose her final residence, Garrison Nursing Home in Garrison, Texas. The family is deeply thankful for the loving care provided to Dorothy by both Magnolia Court and Garrison Nursing Home. The staff at Garrison was particularly supportive during the final few months of her life, when Dorothy faced the loss of a beloved granddaughter, Kimberly, in September to COVID, and her own bout with the debilitating virus in December. As Dorothy is welcomed by her heavenly Father, we remember her legacy and honor her for the way she lived her life:

• Strong-willed…some might say stubborn

• Unafraid of hard work; fiercely independent

 • No one ever left her home hungry

• Happiest surrounded by her family, but dancing was a close second

 • Loving mother and grandmother

 • Devoted wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend

 • Proud matriarch of a family that spans six generations and includes four children, thirteen grandchildren, thirty great-grandchildren, nineteen great-great grands, and two great-great-great grands

 • Faithful servant of Jesus Christ, her Lord and savior