Dorothy Misley and I have been friends for many years but have not met. That’s because she lives in Ocala, Florida. Dorothy said she left Forrest Park in 1943, but she still reads the review avidly. That’s how we became friends. Dorothy took an interest in her childhood home at 419 Hannah and asked me to investigate.
We reviewed the property records and created a list of owners. I also took a picture of the exterior. Dorothy thanked her for her photographs and research and donated them to the Forest Park Historical Society. Since then she has faithfully sent me her birthday cards and her Christmas cards and has been talking on her phone.
Dorothy Nelson was born in Forest Park on May 18, 1922. Her father was Royal Nelson and her mother was the former Ruth Stroshine. Ruth’s father, Charles Stroschein, immigrated from Germany and built a house at 419 Hannah. Dorothy’s mom and her grandparents spoke German and attended German-speaking services at the local Baptist church.
Dorothy never studied German, but she has fond memories of walking to Garfield School for elementary school. She took middle school classes at Grant-White before attending Proviso High School.
She walked the mile and a half to Proviso and still remembers walking past Concordia Cemetery in a snowstorm. Although the school had black students from Maywood, there was no racial tension. She received an excellent education, although graduating from her writing was said to be equivalent to completing her first year at her university.
Instead of going to college, Dorothy got a job at Oak Park Trust Bank, where she worked in several different departments. When she was 21, Dorothy moved to Miami, Florida to live with her aunt and her uncle. She happened to be on the train with the Wolfe brothers, who owned furniture stores in Circle and Madison.
After moving to Miami, Dorothy met her husband, Roger Misley, who had just discharged from the military. Roger was trained in using radio equipment and repairing radios from his garage. After he learned how to repair televisions, he founded City Wide TV. Roger and his crew repaired and sold televisions, while Dorothy worked on the books. City Wide is credited with selling the first color television in Miami.
During this time, the couple had three children, Roger, Paul, and Ruthan. They also bought a vacation home in the North Carolina mountains to escape Miami’s sweltering summers. Roger and Dorothy retired at the age of 65 after staying in business for 30 years.
They also left Miami and built a home in Ocala. This beautiful area is known as ‘Horse Country’ because of the training of many Thoroughbreds. After more than 60 years of marriage, Roger died in 2008 at the age of 85.
Dorothy may have retired, but she always kept busy. She was active in her own church and supported her local symphony orchestra. Dorothy, now 100 years old, still lives in her parents’ house. Ruthann makes this possible by visiting her mother every day.
Thanks to her reviews, Dorothy knows more about local events than anyone else. She recently asked me about the current number of candidates. She has the voice of a young woman, a sharp mind and is a lot of fun to be her friend.
Glad the Review is still open as her local newspaper has reduced coverage. She recently made her $25 donation to Growing Community Media and looks forward to receiving the newspaper in the mail.
Dorothy may be young at heart, but she doesn’t own a computer yet.
