Gertrude McMorran, daughter of Henry and Mary (Towers) McMorran, was born April 1, 1922 in St. Stephens, New Brunswick, Canada. She grew up and received her education in Lincoln, NH. Doty then attended nursing school at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston in 1941, receiving her Nursing degree. She then entered the Army, serving as a 1st Lt. in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps in England and France from 1944 to 1946.

On February 12, 1946 she was united in marriage to Edward Obeslo in Lincoln, NH. The couple made their home in Sioux Falls, SD where Doty was employed by the VA Medical Center from 1959 until retiring in 1983. Edward preceded her in death in 1970.

On November 6, 1982 she married Donald McDowell in Sioux Falls. The couple continued to make their home in Sioux Falls where they enjoyed their retirement years. Donald died in 2006.

Doty was an active member of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Sertoma, Daughters of the Nile and PEO. She also enjoyed playing pitch, Mah Jong, crossword puzzles and reading.

Grateful for having shared her life are her children, Donna (Mike) Beecher, West Des Moines, IA, Carol (Donald) Kelpin, Sioux Falls, David (Audrey) Obeslo, Bend, OR, Patricia Olson, Cynthia (Grant) Nehman, and Mark (Cindy) Obeslo, all of Sioux Falls, John Obeslo, Las Vegas, NV, step-son, Larry McDowell, Ocean City, NJ, 20 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren, her siblings, Phillip McMorran, Lincoln, NH, Esther Mann, Sudbury, MA, Ollie Dorr, New London, NH, Irene Udinski, Wilington, DE and Mary Giancola, Fairport, NY.

In addition to her husbands she was also preceded in death by her parents, a sister Francis and granddaughter Kari.