Marvin G. Dotson

Marvin George Dotson passed away Saturday night July 30th at 10:45PM surrounded by his wife Karen Dotson, son Marvin Dotson Jr, grandson Alexzander Dotson, granddaughter Olivia Dotson, and daughter-in-law Lisa Dotson. Marvin Dotson was the fourth of 14 children. He was preceded in death by his parents Walter George Dotson and Mildred Grace Dotson (Johnson); three brothers James, Joseph, and Vernon; and four sisters Donna, Jane, Janet, and Janice. Marvin was born October 13th, 1945 at St. Margaret's Hospital in Kansas City, KS. The family moved in 1954 to Louisburg, KS where they lived in a log cabin. Marvin was shot at several times for stealing corn out of different farmers" fields. At the age of 10 he got his first job washing dishes at a local bar. He then started bucking hay and doing general farm work until they moved to Beagle, KS in 1962. Marvin excelled at any sport he played, as well as in school, although he dropped out after his 11th grade year to help support his family. In 1965 Marvin was drafted into the U.S. Army. After basic training he served 13 months in Vietnam as a cable splicer with the Company A 40th Signal Battalion, 160th Signal Group, 1st Signal Brigade, splicing phone cable along the Mekong Delta in Southern Vietnam. During a mortar attack he jumped 20 feet down off a telephone pole and into a bunker, breaking his left ankle. While in the hospital he contracted malaria. After his tour of duty was over Marvin was honorably discharged from the Army. Marvin returned home to his family in Beagle, KS in late 1967. In 1968, while driving around on country roads with one of his friends he met Karen Hickman, the next day Karen asked Marvin out while he was digging a grave at a local cemetery. Marvin and Karen moved to Harrisonville, MO in 1969. Then in April 1970 they moved to Olathe, KS and on June 15, 1970 they had a son born at Olathe Hospital. In 1971 Marvin, Karen, and Marvin Jr. moved back to Harrisonville, MO where Marvin worked for the grain elevator, and a farmer. On March 17, 1975 Marvin and Karen were married in Miami, Oklahoma. Later the same year, following his dream, Marvin went to truck driving school at Ft. Scott, KS using his GI Bill from the Army and for the next 30 years Marvin would be an over the road trucker working for such companies as Jack Cooper Transport, Tri-State, JB Hunt, Bob Meyers Trucking, Carrol Ball Trucking, Clark Brother Trucking, and many, many more. In 1977 the family moved to Gardner KS, the next spring moving back to Harrisonville until August 15, 2014, when Marvin and Karen both moved to Beautiful Savior Assisted Living in Belton, MO. On February 5,, 2016 Marvin was moved to the nursing home section of Beautiful Savior due to the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease along with the onset of Dementia and Alzheimer"s. On July 30, 2016 Marvin George Dotson passed away, he was 70. Survivors include wife Karen Sue Dotson, Belton, MO; son Marvin George Dotson Jr., Pleasant Hill, MO, three brothers Dan Dotson, Ottawa, KS, Robert Dotson, Oskaloosa, KS, Don Dotson, Kansas City, MO; three sisters Marilyn Kittrell, Liberty, MO, Betty Cauthon, Kansas City, MO, Georgia Dotson, Gardner, KS, three grandchildren and two great grandchildren. A special thanks to the staff of Beautiful Savior and Crossroads Hospice! It is hard to say good bye to someone you love and care for. Both groups showed compassion, caring, professionalism, and went the extra mile in helping to take care of us as well as seeing to my father"s comfort. Thank you! To share a memory of Marvin or to leave a special condolence message for his family, please click the Share Memories tab. Hillsdale Presbyterian Church Service: Friday, August 5, 2016 at 11:00 AM Visitation: Friday, August 5, 2016 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM