Dolores M. Horton

Dolores M. Horton was born on a farm in Clark County near Afton, IA to Arthur and Pauline Beardsley on August 8th, 1934.  She passed away peacefully on June 2nd, 2025.

A visitation will be held on Friday, June 13 at 11:00 a.m. at Sunset Memorial Chapel, 7601 Fleur Dr., Des Moines, IA. A memorial service will follow at 12:00 p.m., with interment immediately afterward in Sunset Memorial Gardens. Afterwards, everyone is invited to attend a reception in the Sunset Memorial Chapel.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in honor of Dolores to The University of Iowa Children’s Hospital and Animal Lifeline of Iowa.

Dolores, with her sister Margie, grew up in Des Moines, Iowa.  The family settled on the south side where she attended and graduated from Lincoln High School.  It was here that she became a respected diver on the swim team, and she met her future husband, Dick and his best friend Bill Lapham. After graduation, Dolores and Dick began their 50-year marriage together.  After completing his service in the US Air Force, they made their home on Des Moines’ south side where they raised their 3 children: Richard, Bobby, and Billie-Gaye.  She worked for Bell telephone, United Federal Bank, Iowa Bankers Association, and as a secretary for the Iowa House of Representatives.

She had a passion for nature, sports, travel, and loved animals.  Dolores particularly loved horses and found joy and peace in their presence.  Dolores and Dick were avid travelers, leading her to all 50 states. She was especially attracted to the ocean; a true beach bum stuck in the Midwest! She stated, “You could spend your whole life traveling the United States and not see it all!”   A dedicated sports fan, she enjoyed watching the University of Iowa, the NFL, and the NBA (can you say, Larry Bird?).  Dolores and Dick both loved golf, they could often be seen playing at Echo Valley.  She loved sewing and crocheting and was exceptionally proud of her signature and penmanship.

Her curiosity and love for learning remained with her throughout her life, she strived to learn something new every day.  She was profoundly influenced by many of her teachers, and her faith was a guiding light.  She devoted more than 20 years to teaching Sunday school to 4 and 5-year-olds, a role she cherished.  She was a dedicated member of the Order of the Eastern Star, relating most to the star point of Martha who taught trust, kindness, and faith in God.

Dolores believed in the presence of angels, often recognizing them in the song of a cardinal, the flutter of butterflies and dragonflies, the warmth of a gentle breeze on her face, and messages from Heaven in the form of found pennies.  We can remember her through these gentle signs that once brought her comfort and a sense of wonder.

With her loving and kind nature, Dolores knew nary a stranger.  Her life was filled with family and friends, a mother to all the neighborhood kids.  One of the proudest roles in Dolores’ life was being a mother.  Dolores found joy in focusing on Bobby, her special needs son, to provide him a normal life. She believed Bob was sent to her from God, and that God gave her the strength to care for him through her faith. The result of that was a loving, happy, funny, and successful gentleman who also had so many friends.  Always an advocate for Bobby, she was instrumental in creating laws in Iowa legislation for those with special needs.  Her strength, joy, and determination were shaped by her experiences as a mother and military wife.

Dolores will be remembered for her unwavering strength, joyful spirit, and boundless love for her family and faith.  She leaves behind a legacy of kindness, resilience, and a heart that never stopped giving.  In Dolores’s words, “You have the best day of your life today.”