Dortha (Dorothy or Dot to those who knew her) Persun Watkins, 96, died Nov. 30, 2021, after a swift decline. The daughter of Bruce E. and Louise D. Nicholas Persun, she was a lifelong resident of Cogan House, as were her parents and their parents. Dorothy was born in a house across the creek from the Cogan House Christian Church parsonage.
For 55 years of her life, Dorothy lived in what from 1870 to 1935 was Maxwell's general store and post office. As a child, she went into that store and post office with her grandfather Allison Persun. She grew up with a legacy of lumbering, hunting, farming, fishing and the history of Cogan House.
She was preceded into eternity by her husband, Wilbur (Jim) Watkins Jr., to whom she was married for 49 years; her sister, Lora Persun Ulmer; and her brothers, Jack E. and Donald E. Persun. She is survived by her daughter, Dawn (William) Apelian; a nephew, John Ulmer of Jersey Shore; a niece, Shirley Persun Connelly (Elmira, N.Y.), and seven great-nephews and great-nieces.
A graduate of business school, she was a bookkeeper for Trimtex, Inc., for 50 years. She was also for many years the treasurer of Cogan House Christian Church and the secretary of the Central Pennsylvania Constables Association, Inc. It was a special pleasure to her to have been a Cogan House constable as her paternal grandfather had been.
Known for her love of the outdoors, she was a big-game hunter, a horsewoman and an amateur landscaper. She was also an avid advocate of local history and collector of American West art and books. She also advocated giving, supporting generously over her adult life many charities and missions, including The Salvation Army, the ASPCA, St. Joseph's Indian School and police and firefighter organizations.
Fiercely independent, she found it hard to accept help herself, but in the latter days of her life, she was grateful and humbled by the extraordinary kindness and open-handed efforts of her neighbors and friends to extend her time in her beloved Cogan House and to enliven her 10 years in her Williamsport Home apartment.
It is with much gratitude to the many people who over the years called on her, drove her to appointments, remembered her birthday, mowed her lawn, asked her to dinners, shoveled her drive, brought her roasts and pies and soups, spent muscle and time on her many projects, suffered her faults and acknowledged her strengths that this short remembrance is written.
In accord with her express wishes, her final ceremonies will be private. She asked that in lieu of flowers and cards, donations be made to the VFW or New Tribes Mission or to any of the other works listed above.
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