Dorothy May Pettit, 81, of Independence, Iowa died Saturday, February 14, 2015 at the Northbrook Manor Care Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Dorothy was born on November 12, 1933 in Oelwein, Iowa the daughter of James and Eva (Bailey) Leverington. She was a 1952 graduate of the Maynard High School in Maynard, Iowa and then attended the Gates Business School in Waterloo, Iowa with her twin sister Doris, both graduating from the secretarial school.

Dorothy worked for Farmers Bank in Waterloo, Iowa for several years, then followed her sister Doris to Washington, DC and became employed with the Department of Labor. On May 28, 1959 she married Robert E. Pettit in Washington, DC and shortly thereafter the couple returned to Independence, Iowa and made their home. Dorothy was a homemaker until later in life she returned to work as a switchboard operator and later in the Laundry Dept. at MHI in Independence until her retirement in 1998. In 2010 Dorothy moved to Marion, Iowa to live with her son David.

She was preceded in death by her parents, and her husband Bob in January 2005, an infant daughter Linda, an Infant Granddaughter, and an infant sister Mildred.

Dorothy is survived by seven children; Mark Pettit, Cedar Rapids, IA, Claire (Tim) Atwood, Marion, IA, Bob (Denise) Pettit, Mechanicsburg, PA, Margaret Wood, Independence, IA, David Pettit, Marion, IA, Donna Pettit, Independence, IA, Paul Pettit, Waterloo, IA, ten grandchildren, one great grandson, her twin sister Doris Ambrugey, Gladstone, MO, and a sister Mary Ellen Carlson, Odgen, IA.

Funeral services will be held at 11 AM Wednesday at the Triumphant Church, Independence, IA with Pastor Amber Hudson officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Hope Cemetery, Independence. Friends may call from 4 to 8 PM Tuesday at the Reiff Funeral Home & Crematory in Independence, IA.

To leave an on-line condolence please go to www.reifffuneralhome.com under obituaries.