Visitation will be Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at the Home for Funerals in Norfolk at 1203 W Norfolk Avenue from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.. Services will be held Thursday, January 6, 2022 at 10:30 a,m, at the Presbyterian Church at 104 S 10th Street in Norfolk.
Sherry “Tod” June Dover of Norfolk, Nebraska passed away peacefully on December 28, 2021, at Faith Regional Hospital, thirty-three days after the passing of her husband Tom, at the age of 88. Her passing might be attributed to a broken heart. Throughout Tom and Tod’s lives together, you seldom saw one without the other.
Tod was born in Norfolk August 1, 1933 to Frank J. and Helen Independence (Townsend) Chmeler, both of Norfolk. Toddie, a nickname given to her by her father, graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Norfolk and attended Chillicothe Business College in Chillicothe, MO. Tod began her 68 year marriage to Thomas E. Dover, Sr. on August 8, 1953, and the couple settled on a farm north-east of Madison, NE. Tod gave their home the name Sunnydale Farm, where she and Tom built up dairy herd. Tod milked and Tom dreamed as they built the herd to a 164-head Grade A dairy. "Behind every successful man, there is a strong women”, and behind the success of her husband Tom, Tod stood strong.
In 1961, Tom and Tod moved to Norfolk where they began a highly successful Real Estate career. Their company, Dover Realtors, was involved in real estate brokerage, land development, construction, real estate investment, property management, title work and community building. Tod’s role in the company was advertising director, but her primary role was as a supportive wife and advisor, loving mother, dedicated daughter and community encourager.
Tod’s gift in life was relationship. If there was a sullen face in the room, Tod had a mission. She was supported through life by a wonderful group of couples identified as “The Birthday Group”, which continued until there were no birthdays left to celebrate.
Throughout her life, Tod involved herself in a number of community endeavors: Past-President of Northern Hills P.T.A., member of the Presbyterian Church, Norfolk Community Theatre, PEO, Eastern Star, Charter Member of the Norfolk Wine and Food Society, Past-President of the Chamber of Commerce - Women’s Division, Member of Norfolk Public Library Board, Member of Norfolk Public Library Foundation Board, and volunteer to the women at the Norfolk Rescue Mission. It is said by many that if you ran into Tod, you walked away feeling better about yourself.
In her role in the family, Tod kept two homes, the house that she and Tom built in Norfolk and “The Cabin” that they built at Hideaway Acres at Lewis and Clark Lake. At "The Cabin", she and Tom hosted friends, her sons, then her sons families, then her grandchildren and down to her great grand-children. They all were regular guests for eating, boating, snowmobiling, sunrises, sunsets, and, of course, the deepening of great relationships. The Cabin attracted others to buy cabins and the Lake Community was a wonderful blessing to Tom and Tod’s life.
Tod passing was proceeded by the recent death of her husband Tom, sister Bonnie (Tom) Gilmore, and sister Julie (Tom) Giblin. She is survived by her sons Thomas (Marilyn) Dover, Jr., Robert (Ann) Dover; Grandchildren Katie Dover, James (Rebecca) Dover, Jonathan Dover, Randi (Travis) Langan, Katherine “Kat” Dover and significant other Jared Dannenberg, Erica (Austin) Daake, and Richard Dover; Great-grandchildren Valerie Vettraino, Leo Grabbe, Henry Langan, Jude Langan, and Dutton Daake.
Memorials are directed to either Norfolk Rescue Mission or the Norfolk Library Foundation.
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