Dawn Rose Vollmann

Died: Vollmann, Dawn Rose (Gomoll), age 91, Aurora, CO.  Born July 13, 1932 in Milwaukee, WI.  Born to eternal life 16 August 2023.  Predeceased by her parents, Herbert K. and Ruth H. (Pieper) Gomoll, her sister Virginia (Gomoll) Suckow, and her daughter Debora J. (Vollmann) Rolfsmeyer.

Survived by her husband of 67 years, Frank Raymond Vollmann, two sons and their families David J. and Tomi Vollmann, and Steven P. and Connie J. Vollmann; grandchildren Michael T. Vollmann, Nicholas T. Vollmann, Alexander S. Vollmann, Olivia G. (Vollmann) Sanford, Emily J. (Vollmann) Robertson, and Audrey E. Vollmann, as well as several nieces, nephews, and great-grandchildren.  

Dawn grew up in Milwaukee, WI with her sister Virginia who was five years older.  She lost her father Herbert when she was a young teenager.  After graduating from Rufus King High School, she went to work at the AO Smith company as a secretary.  As a young adult, Dawn helped support members of the military along with her friends in the USO.  She and Frank met as choir members at Gospel Lutheran Church when, on a wintry walk home, Frank playfully threw a snowball her direction and they became forever sweethearts.  They married on May 26 of 1956.  

When they started their family Dawn stayed at home to care for the children while Frank worked.  She was a loving mother and wife.  As her middle name might imply, Dawn Rose loved flowers and her home was always filled with floral patterns and surrounded by beautiful gardens that included pansies, petunias, begonias, bleeding heart bushes, and yes, roses.  But more delightful than the blooms she surrounded herself with was the beautiful way in which she cared for family.  She loved to sew, making clothes for her three children and herself.  She was the organizer and the planner of the family, the “sparkplug” as Frank liked to call her.  Family vacations were planned to a tee, with lists of things to pack and routes meticulously mapped out.  She loved her family and enjoyed the adventure of seeing the country with them.  Her favorite destination was Florida where she enjoyed Disney World, camping, and sandy white beaches with palm trees.

Dawn returned to the workforce in her fifties after studying and becoming a legal secretary.  She enjoyed working in downtown Milwaukee, walking to the upscale Grand Avenue Mall during lunch breaks with a little extra shopping money in her pocket, and assisting attorney Ed Plageman in providing legal services to families.  Always hungry to learn and unafraid of new technologies, she purchased a computer and took classes to learn various programs.  She also bought a video camera and a digital camera when they first came out and became the family historian, documenting birthdays, graduations, and many other family get-togethers.  When the first smartphone was introduced she had one of those too, and she later dove into using the Internet, email, and even social media.

Beyond her accomplishments and love for life, first and foremost, Dawn was a Christian.  She began attending Bible studies led by Jill Briscoe at Elmbrook Church where she came to understand the depth of Jesus’ love for her and believed in Him as her Lord and Savior with all her heart.  From then on, she spent quiet time with Him in prayer every day, reading her bible and writing in her journal.  She also taught a Bethel Bible class, chauffeured women to Bible studies, and once again sang in the choir with Frank, this time at Brookfield Assembly of God.  Later in life, Poplar Creek became her church home.

In 1998, her only daughter, Debbie, died in a tragic auto accident at the age of 38.  Yet even in her great sorrow,  Dawn turned tragedy into a way to share her faith with others.  She designed and created a Christian tract inviting readers to consider that none of us knows when our lives will end but that if we know Jesus we will go to heaven.  Dawn used these tracts to share the good news with many people over the years.

Dawn will be greatly missed by her surviving family and friends, and at the same time, we rejoice with her as she is now singing with the angels and  enjoying wholeness of body, soul, and mind in the presence of her Heavenly Father.

Those wishing to make donations in her honor are encouraged to support the Alzheimer's Association or The Gideons International.