Dorothea "Dora" (McMillen) Greiner
Marriages
William Greiner - 1881
Burial Details
Obituaries
Eagle Valley Enterprise page 1 - February 24, 1928
With the death of Dorothea GREINER at her home in Eagle
Tuesday afternoon, February 21, passed one of the noblest souls of Colorado, one of
the state's staunchest pioneers and Eagle County lost one of her most beloved and
respected women.
That her last days should have been passed in so much suffering is to be sadly
regretted, but her noble spirit fought bravely against giving up its earthly mold to
the last, never for one moment thinking but that she would recover her health again
and resume her activities for the schools of the County, a work in which she took
great delight.
Dorothea McMILLEN was born of pioneer stock in Coolville, Athens County, Ohio,
January 21, 1861. While a small child her parents moved to the state of Kansas, she
accompanying them. While she was in the first blossom of womanhood, the family,
drawn by the lure of the mines of the Mountains, came to Colorado. In 1880
Dorothea first came to Red Cliff, young healthy and full of life, well educated, she
fell at once into the life of the mining camp, then in the flush of excitement of its first
year. This was then a part of Summit County, and schools or other civic
organizations had not yet been formed. But that year, with the coming of many
families with children, the first school was organized in what was to soon afterward
become Eagle County, at Red Cliff, and the talented Miss MCMILLAN elected to
teach it. Thus she started education in this County, and nearly fifty years later died
in the harness, as superintendent of our County school system.
In 1881 the deceased was wooed and won in marriage by William GREINER, then a
dashing young miner of the boom mining camp, and the couple was destined to
become prominent in every phase of the growth of the new country in which they
had cast their lot. William GREINER made one of the famous strikes of the early
days of the camp on Horn Silver Mountain--the Mountain, if we mistake not, taking
its name from the character of the silver ore that was discover there by GREINER.
The strike was a famous one in the annals of the camp, and netted the owner a considerable fortune, which however, did not last long. During these days of
prospecting through the mountains following his marriage, Mr. GREINER was
constantly accompanied by his bride, no matter how rough the country penetrated
or the hardships to be encountered. Mrs. GREINER was a pioneer from first to last
and the romance of the life her husband led in those early days appealed strongly to
her.
Later he was elected sheriff of the County, being ably aided in his campaign for the
election by his talented wife. In fact, during her husband's life she was always at his
side, through stress of misfortune or strife, through happiness and fortune, a true
help mate in every sense.
While occupied with the more serious problems of life, the young couple found time
to be the center of all social affairs of the early days of the thriving mining camp and
no function was a success without their leadership and participation.<>p>One child,
a daughter, was born to this couple, who died at the blossoming of womanhood,
when but 18 years of age. Mrs. GREINER's husband also preceded her in death,
having died in 1912, being at that time marshal of the town of Red Cliff.
In 1924, Mrs. GREINER was nominated by the Republican party as its candidate
for County superintendent of schools, and was elected by a large majority. Again in
1926, she was re-elected, and was serving in that position when death laid its claim.
Several months ago she began to fail in health, and was stricken with a malady
which gradually ate her life away, and finally conquered her indomitable spirit.
During the past months, bedfast most of the time, she put up a brave fight against
the grim reaper, and never gave up that the end was near and each day attended to
the routine office duties of her position from her bed of suffering. Without question
one of less determination and of weaker will power would have given up and passed
on months before did this splendid woman.
Of the immediate relatives there are left to mourn her death only the two sisters,
Mrs. M. J. HENRY, residing in Kansas City, Mo., and Mrs. Elizabeth DaLEE. The
latter was with her beloved sister constantly during her last illness, and, with her
son, Richard, devotedly cared for her during the last hours and days of suffering.
The history of Eagle County will not be complete without the life of Mrs. Dora
GREINER between the covers for the two are one and inseparable over a period of
nearly one-half century.
The body was prepared for burial by Mortician O. W. MEYER of Red Cliff. Simple
services were held in Eagle by Rev. A. R. DENNIS Wednesday afternoon, following
which the remains were placed on train No. 16 to be taken to Red Cliff to be buried
beside the bodies of her beloved husband and daughter. Funeral services will be held in Red Cliff this Friday afternoon.
