Heaven gained a beautiful angel on July 22, 2010 when Dorothy “Dolly” Moxon Beck, 85, passed away peacefully at St. Marys Hospital after a lengthy illness.
Dolly was born March 19, 1925 in Exmouth, Devonshire, England to Lilian (Beresford) Moxon and Thomas Theodore Theopholis Moxon. Dolly’s father was a member of the famed Moxon Circus and she travelled with her family throughout Ireland and England as they worked as acrobats, clowns, jugglers and musicians. She attended school in Manchester, England and moved to London with her father during the Great Depression.
World War II broke out when she was 14 and she lived with her father in London often fleeing to the subways to escape the bombing and fires. Orphaned at age 15 she found work in a munitions factory. In 1941 she met Ernest Martin Beck from Austin, Minn., a young serviceman stationed in England with the 8th Army Air Corps. Dolly and Ernie were married in London in 1944 and she joined him in Austin after the war in 1946.
Dolly’s strong British accent did not go unnoticed in Austin. She soon found many close friends in her work over the years at Hormel and Land O’Lakes. Following Ernie’s death in 1981 she moved to Gillette, Wyo. to join her daughter Judie and her family, and then in 1984 moved with them to Rochester. She lived at Fontaine Towers for 18 years, cherishing the many friendships with residents there. She moved to Madonna Meadows in June 2010.
Dolly and Ernie were blessed with one daughter, Judith (Chuck) Michael of Rochester, grandchildren Julianne (Matt) Schaffer of Minnetonka, Kathryn Michael of St. Paul, and Daniel Michael of Croughton, England; and great-grandsons Brody Christiansen and Jacob Schaffer. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lilian (Beresford) and Thomas Moxon and her beloved Ernie.
She leaves many friends throughout Rochester and at Fontaine Towers who came to love her endless spirit and joyful personality. Special thanks for her exceptional care go to Dr. Henry Schultz and the staff at Mary Brigh 6G who made her final days comfortable.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, July 31 at 11 a.m. at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes’ Chapel in Rochester. A visitation will be one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the funeral home. Per Dolly’s request she would prefer only bright colors be worn at this celebration of her life. Memorials may be made to Fontaine Towers. Inurnment will be at Grandview Cemetery in Austin at a later date.