Dorothy A. Fryer

Services for Dorothy A. Fryer, 96, of Norfolk will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Norfolk. The Rev. Jackie Perry will officiate. Burial will be in the Prospect Hill Cemetery in Norfolk.

Visitation will precede the funeral, beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the church. Home for Funerals is handling the arrangements.

The longtime city editor of the Norfolk Daily News died on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, at Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk.

Dorothy Alexia Fryer, daughter of Roy and Helen (Bradley) Fryer, was born on Oct. 3, 1923, in Norfolk.

She grew up in Norfolk where her interest in journalism was first whetted in junior high school, leading her to work on her high school and college newspapers and yearbooks. She was a 1942 Norfolk High School graduate.

In 1944, Dorothy was a member of the first graduating class of Norfolk Junior College – now Northeast Community College – and one of its first transfer students.

She then headed to Grinnell (Iowa) College where she majored in English and minored in French. She spent one summer during her college years working at the Daily News.

Following her graduation in 1946, she was soon employed by the Fort Dodge (Iowa) Messenger. She assisted the society editor for a year and then became the regional editor for what would be the remainder of her nearly 20-year career at the Messenger.

In July 1966, Dorothy accepted the city editor position at the Daily News. While Dorothy retired from full-time employment in 1998, she continued as a Daily News correspondent until 2004, writing more than 250 city-related stories.

Kent Warneke, editor emeritus of the Daily News, “Dorothy was an institution at the Daily News – of the very best kind. She was a talented journalist who was dedicated to providing readers with interesting and accurate information. She truly cared about the people she wrote about, and her involvement in the community spoke volumes about the kind of person she was. The journalism profession was fortunate to have Dorothy as one of its practitioners.”

Dorothy said, “Journalism is a wonderful career, and I’ve loved it all.”

Her numerous community involvements included serving on the boards of the American Red Cross, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Northeast Nebraska, Wesley Center, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Norfolk Area Concert Association, Norfolk Woman’s Club and LaVitsef Time.

Dorothy’s memberships included the First Congregational United Church of Christ, Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce, American Association of University of Women, Daughters of the American Revolution (more than 60 years), and Nebraska Press Women and National Federation of Press Women (since 1978).

She was the recipient of numerous awards including Nebraska Community College Association distinguished alumnus from Northeast College (1998); Norfolk Area Chamber of Commerce “Oscar” (1998); LaVitsef Time Sweetheart (1990); and Nebraska Press Women Communicator of Achievement (2004).  

Following her 58-year newspaper career, Dorothy relocated to Davenport, Iowa, in 2004 to care for an ailing cousin. She remained in Davenport until moving to The Meadows in Norfolk in May 2018 after suffering a stroke.

Survivors include two cousins, Beverly Hartwig of Phoenix, AZ, and Clarence Bradley of Beatrice, and many cherished friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Memorials are suggested to the First Congregational United Church of Christ, Norfolk Good Neighbors program and the Nebraska Press Women.

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