Dorothy Louise Cline Junge was born Feb. 23, 1917, in Carthage, Missouri, to Roy and Mena Cline and
later moved to Joplin, Missouri. In 1922 at age 5 she began dancing lessons which she took for 14
years. It was during these years that she danced in vaudeville when the touring company of Fanchon
and Marco came to Joplin twice monthly and performed at the Fox and Paramount theatres. During
high school, she participated in all school activities and was elected to be the Honorary Lieutenant
Cadet Colonel of the Joplin High ROTC cadet corp. In 1933 she graduated from Joplin High School.
In 1936, she married G. Edson Junge, and they moved to Fort Scott, Kansas. Her daughter, Ellen Diane,
was born in Ft. Scott in 1938. At age 24, she was elected president of the Fort Scott Rotary Anns serving
2 years in that position. In 1943 the family moved back to Joplin when Mr. Junge became Purchasing
Director for the Junge Bread Co. and Junge cookie plant. When World War II was declared, Mr. Junge
enlisted in the U.S. Navy. The Joplin American Red Cross organized a nurses' aide training program,
and she participated in this program graduating at the top of the class and was assigned to St. John's
Hospital where she worked with patients and assisted in the operating and delivery rooms. After the
war she continued to serve on emergency call. She joined St. John's Hospital Auxiliary and after 4
months was elected president. During her tenure, the auxiliary began the coffee and gift shop, and
membership grew from 83 to over 350. During this time, the auxiliary undertook the fund raising
project of producing a musical with community and medical staff volunteers raising over $45,000 for
the new hospital being planned. Mrs. Junge sang and danced in 15 musical numbers.
From 1960-1965 the Missouri Hospital Association appointed her District 6 Chairman with 14 hospital
auxiliaries under her jurisdiction. In 1966, the Missouri Hospital Association awarded her a
Distinguished Service pin for over 28,000 hours of service. She retired from the auxiliary after five years
of being president.
In 1994, Mrs. Junge moved to Lubbock,Texas, to be near family members and eventually resided at
Mackenzie Place Assisted Living Community.
She is survived by her daughter, Diane Junge Payne Whitaker of Lubbock,TX; grandson, David Payne of
Wooster,OH; granddaughters, Denise Payne Tschirhart of Peculiar, MD, and Debra Payne Hunt of
Wolfforth, TX; great- grandchildren, Derek Payne and Courtney Larson of Manhattan, KS, Kristen
Hawkins of Pomona, KS, Zachary Hunt of Wolfforth, TX, Ashleigh Hunt of The Colony, TX; great-great
grandchildren, Chaz Payne, Rhett Hawkins, Walker Lee Hawkins, and Maddox Hunt.
Burial is under the direction of Englund's Funeral Home in Slaton, Texas.
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