Dolores Etta Kidd

Dolores "Dee" Etta Kidd,

On February 22, 2021, a true angel left this earth. A very talented, nice, friendly, beautiful lady passed peacefully at home with her soulmate of 66 years David Eugene Kidd and her daughter Deborah Elizabeth Kidd at her side.

As the peaceful morning light filled the room she looked as radiant as ever. She is also survived by sons David Edward Kidd, son Dennis Eugene Kidd and wife Andrea Daunt Kidd and two grandchildren: Veronica and Bo Kidd.

Dolores or "Dee" as she was known by close friends and students, was born in El Paso, TX on June 10, 1928. Her Mother was Emma Eliza Risdon (1990-1989) and her Father was George Edward “Eddie” Dichtenmiller (1892-1961). When she turned age 2, the family moved to Morenci, AZ and then after several years they moved to Ajo, AZ. Her father was employed as an electrician at the Phelps Dodge Mine and her mother was a teacher in the Elementary School. Dolores graduated from Ajo High School in 1947, attended the University of Arizona and in 1951 graduated with a B.A. Degree in Home Economics. While she was an undergraduate student, she became a member of the Chi Omega Sorority. In those days, a father of one of her friends called her “The Little Ajo Girl”. Each day when Dolores would return home from work. Her father would be sitting with his back to the front door. Dolores would enter and stop long enough to give her father a loving pat on the head.

Upon graduation from the University of Arizona she accepted a teaching position at Ajo High School. She would teach Home Economics for nine years. Early in 1950’s she and friends traveled through various countries in Europe. In 1954, a strange event entered her life. By about 4:00 p.m. a desert tortoise would show up at her school teaching lab. Her lab was located at the end of a very long hall and the school’s biology lab was located at the other end of the hall. The biology teacher would come and collect the guy, but in the process socialize with Dolores. This went on for a long time. They were married August 26, 1955. That was the smart tortoise.

Along the way in her childhood, Dolores learned how to play the piano and organ and while she was a teacher, she was also a musician in the local church. She continued to play at home until her hands gave up later in her life. She and David traveled to Fairbanks, Alaska in 1957 where he attendee summer school. Northern lights, nice scenery, and hoards of mosquitos all combined to make it a great trip. For the next three summers they rented a cabin near the ocean in New Hampshire while David attended the University of New Hampshire. They had a Dachshund that would chase sea critters in the shallow salt water. Fun to watch!

In 1960, David accepted a faculty position at Michigan State University. They moved to East Lansing, Michigan. They had very exciting summers for the next several years while David had research projects. They hiked, camped, and dodged bears in the Glacier National Park. One day they were sitting in their small rubber boat in a pond collecting water samples when suddenly a moose jumped up in the water creating big waves that rocked the little boat like crazy. Their dog was standing upon the edge of the boat and began bouncing up and down but managed to avoid falling in the water. That park was a fantastic place. Later on, our great summers were spent at the Museum of Northern Arizona. We visited many interesting places around Flagstaff. Dolores learned how to look through a microscope and identify aquatic algae. She also worked as a secretary for a botany professor and played lots of bridge in the Universities Faculty Women’s Club. We did get a chance to view politics in action. At one time during the winter of 1967 the snow was so deep that no one could drive or walk outside. But, one morning we stood on our porch and saw Governor Romney go by in a large military tank. Son David was born there on April 3, 1967.

In 1967, David accepted a position on the faculty of The University of New Mexico and family now lived in Albuquerque. Daughter Deborah was born there on March 8, 1969. Dolores was very active in the Faculty Women’s Club as a facilitator of bridge. During the 1989 UNM Centennial Celebration she dressed-up in a period dress. During the 1970’s at UNM the family did a lot of camping, boating, and fishing at Lake Powell in the Colorado river and in New Mexico. During the many years together, Dolores and David traveled by RV and car up and down the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts and through out most of the United States. David retired in 1989 and he and Dolores moved back to Ajo, AZ where they lived for about 10 years. They also kept a home in Albuquerque.  From the 1950’s into the 1990’s Dolores and David traveled to Sonoyta, Mexico (still have furniture and those large flowerpots they bought in Sonoyta) and then down to Cholla Bay at Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point). For many years, they would travel down to the beaches with the Engels and eventually visit them at a cabin they maintained in Cholla Bay. Dolores loved Ajo, AZ and had many new and old friends in the area of course some played bridge. By December of 1999, they began to live permanently in Albuquerque for medical reasons.

Dolores still liked to travel and became friends with people at the senior center (of course they played bridge) and enjoyed walking in the far northeast Albuquerque neighborhood we lived in. Visits by children pleased her very much and neighbors in the area were people she enjoyed meeting. She also liked visiting nature centers and viewing wildlife.

Dolores was a very talented, nice, friendly, person who loved her children and was a very sweet wife.

Don’t ever forget

How special you are

To me