Nancy Sue Allen Dodson

Nancy Sue Allen Dodson, age 90, died Saturday, September 18, 2021. She was born on September 14, 1931, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was the daughter of Howard and Nona Mitchell Allen. She was preceded in death by her parents, by C. Dwight Dodson, her husband of 58 years, and a daughter, Nancy Lynn Peters. She spent her childhood in Fayetteville and graduated from Fayetteville High School at age 16 where she participated in National Honors Society, co-edited the school newspaper and was president of the 26 Club. She was a cheerleader her junior and senior years. She attended college at the University of Arkansas where she was a member of the Delta Delta Delta sorority. She wanted to pursue a degree in Music but her vocational scholarship did not cover that degree and eventually pursued Pre-Med where she met her eventual husband, Dwight, in her first class. She and Dwight eloped in 1951 but kept the marriage a secret for 3 months. She confessed this was the hardest secret she ever kept. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology in 1951 and worked afterwords for several years in the lab at the medical school in Little Rock as Dwight was completing medical school. She had four of her five children while in Little Rock and eventually moved back to Fayetteville in 1959 when Dwight opened his practice in Anesthesiology in Fayetteville. In Fayetteville, she became the office manager for Dwight's practice. After her children were grown, she returned to the classroom to obtain an Associate Degree in Nursing which allowed her to work in the operating room with Dwight. Nancy was a member of Central United Methodist Church since childhood. In her later years she sang in the Senior Saints Choir and was a member of Asbury Sunday school class. She was also a member of PEO Chapter S. She was an avid reader and tireless traveler. She traveled extensively with Dwight in the United States and Canada by auto, plane or recreational vehicle. Many of these trips by recreational vehicle were made with Dwight and her five children and whatever cats possessed by the family at that time. She traveled internationally to over 40 countries by plane, cruise line or charter sailboating with Dwight, family and friends. Her creativity led her to pursue needlework, knitting and playing the piano. She is survived by two daughters, Dana Dykman and husband Tom, of Fayetteville and Lee Ann Dodson of Goshen, two sons, Allen Dodson and wife Denise, of Elkins and Charles D. Dodson, Jr., wife Leta, of Farmington, eleven grandchildren, Erin Ritchie and husband Travis, Kim Cornett and husband Nick, Sarah Stacpoole, Daniel Stacpoole, Hannah Dodson, Stefanie Peters, Lauren Chappell and husband Austin, and Kendall Peters, Brandi and husband Brian Clevenger, Nathan Petterson, and Cody Dodson as well as six great-grandchildren. A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, October 5, at 2 p.m., at the Performance Center at Butterfield Trail Village in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Attendance requires previous Covid-19 vaccination and masks will be worn. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made Central United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 1106, Fayetteville, Ark., 72702, or the Fayetteville Public Library, 401 West Mountain St., Fayetteville, Ark., 72701. To sign the online guest book please visit: www.bernafuneralhomes.com. Arrangements are by Nelson-Berna Funeral Home and Crematory of Fayetteville.