Funeral Service for Dottie Jarrett

Welcome

On behalf of Dottie’s family, thank you for being here today.

There’s a mixture of emotions. There’s sadness because someone we love is no longer physically with us. There’s grief because death creates an absence that we feel deeply.

But for those who belong to Christ, grief is never the only thing present in a room like this.

There is also gratitude.

Gratitude for a life that was lived. Gratitude for memories that remain. Gratitude for the people God places in our lives who leave us different because we knew them.

And most importantly, there is hope.

The Apostle Paul wrote that Christians grieve, but we do not grieve “like the rest, who have no hope.”

Our hope today is not that death is somehow less painful.

Our hope is Jesus Christ.

Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live.” — John 11:25

And so today we mourn Dottie’s death, we remember Dottie’s life, and we entrust Dottie to the promises of the Savior she loved.

And just for the record, if kids are loud, Dottie would say that’s just fine.

Opening Prayer

Father,

We come before You today thankful for Dottie.

Thank You for every memory represented in this room. Thank You for the years You gave her, for the people who loved her, and for the people she loved particularly the children.

In the middle of our grief, remind us that You are near to the brokenhearted.

Give comfort to this family. Give strength where there is weakness. Give peace where hearts are troubled.

And above everything else, turn our attention toward Jesus—the One who conquered sin and death and who promises eternal life to everyone who trusts in Him.

May everything said and remembered today honor Dottie, comfort her family, and glorify Christ.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reading of the obituary

Dottie Jo Jarrett, age 78, of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away on August 29, 2026. She was born in Richmond, Indiana, on April 7, 1948, to the late James Z. Smith and Mary P. (Armacost) Smith.

Dottie graduated from high school in 1966. On March 18, 1967, she married the love of her life, David William Jarrett. Together, Dottie and David built a life centered on family, community, and service, famously owning and operating Dottie's Kitchen at the City Market in Indianapolis.

A woman of deep faith, Dottie was a member of Thrive Church in Camby, Indiana, where she actively served in the children's ministry. She had a tender heart for children, enjoyed babysitting, and was adored by every child whose life she touched.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 54 years, David, on April 25, 2021; her son, Bryan Jarrett; her parents; and her sisters, Joyce Boyd and Fairlyn Clawson.

Dottie is survived by her daughter, Dawn (Jason) Holliday; her daughter-in-law, Sonya Jarrett-Hillegass; her brother, Larry (Bea Ann) Smith of New Paris, Ohio; her grandchildren, Rebekah "Becky" (Greg) Luckenbach, Kayla (Jacob) Friesthler, Jordan Holliday, and Ashley Holliday; her cherished great-grandchildren, Gage and Geist Luckenbach, Jiraiya and Zoro Friesthler, and Lyra Holliday; as well as extended family and dear friends.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 23

Psalm 23 ESV

A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Message

When we remember someone's life, there are usually certain things that rise to the surface.

Things they enjoyed. Things they talked about. People who mattered to them. Things that captured their heart.

And when I think about Dottie, I think there are at least three loves that help tell her story.

She loved Christ. She loved her family. And she loved children.

Dawn told me just the other day that all her and her brother’s friends knew that Sunday after church, Dottie made a feast for lunch well it didn't take long for everyone to know that if you want to come to Sunday lunch you had to be in church. It didn't take long the back row was full of teenagers.

It’s all there - Christ, family, and kids.

Those three things belong together more than we might initially realize.

1. Dottie Loved Christ

The most important thing we can say about Dottie today is that she loved Jesus Christ.

Because ultimately, everything else passes away.

Our possessions pass away. Our accomplishments eventually fade from memory. Even the strongest among us eventually reach the end of this earthly life.

But Jesus made a promise that reaches beyond the grave: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live.”

Christian hope is built on the good news that Jesus Christ came for sinners.

He lived the life we could not live. He died the death we deserved to die. He rose from the grave. And He promises forgiveness and eternal life to everyone who trusts Him.

That was Dottie’s hope. That is now Dottie’s reality.

Today hurts, but for the Christian, death does not get the final word.

Jesus does.

The Bible says: “To be absent from the body” is “to be at home with the Lord.”

And so although there is separation for us today, there is no separation between Dottie and the Savior she loves.

The faith that she carried through this life has now become sight. No more cancer treatments. No more pain.

2. Dottie Loved Her Family

Dottie loved her family.

And when you look back over her life, you can see that love in some wonderful stories.

One of those stories goes all the way back to the beginning of her life with David.

David proposed to Dottie just before he left for Vietnam.

And Dottie told him:

“If you come back alive, I’ll marry you.”

David did come home.

And Dottie kept her promise.

There is something beautiful in that story because it captures more than a moment. It points to the kind of love that marked her life—love with loyalty in it, commitment in it, and staying power in it.

They shared that love from state to state to state as work took Dave all over the country.

And apparently Dottie knew how to give a pretty good gift, too.

When she was younger, she saved the money she earned babysitting so she could buy David a shotgun.

And that shotgun became his pride and joy.

I love that story because there is something so simple and yet so revealing about it.

That is often what love looks like—not simply something we feel, but something we give. Dottie's love had sacrifice, loyalty, and staying power in it.

And that same love was not limited to Dave.

She loved her brother and sisters.

Dottie loved her children deeply.

She loved her grandchildren and her great grandchildren.

And in many ways, the circle of her family was even larger than that.

Any child Dottie ever watched, cared for, or welcomed into her life became part of that circle too.

To Dottie, family was not only about blood or last names. Family was also about love, care, presence, and making room for people.

And that says something important about her.

Her love had room in it.

Room for David.

Room for her children.

Room for her grandchildren.

And room for children who may not have been related to her at all, but who were loved by her as though they were.

And that is why grief can hurt so deeply.

We grieve deeply because we have loved deeply.

In the days ahead, there will be moments when something brings Dottie back to mind.

A story.

A rainbow.

Something she said.

Maybe even the sight of an old shotgun.

And you may laugh before you cry—or perhaps do both at the same time.

And perhaps one of the best ways to honor Dottie is to continue giving one another what she gave so freely:

Love that sacrifices. Love that keeps its promises. Love that makes room. Love that makes people feel like family.

3. Dottie Loved Children

Dottie was a no nonsense lady. She put me in my place a time or a dozen. But I saw through it. When we sold the church building, she was cleaning out the room she served in for years. She didn’t want me to but I saw the tears. That was the first time I saw through the tough exterior.

She loved kids.

And there is something particularly beautiful about that because Jesus had a remarkable affection for children Himself.

Matthew tells us:

“Then children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, ‘Leave the children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” — Matthew 19:13–14

I love this scene.

The disciples apparently thought Jesus had more important things to do.

There were crowds to teach. Questions to answer. on and on,

Surely Jesus didn't have time for children.

But Jesus stopped them. “Leave the children alone.”

In other words:

They are not a distraction to Me. They matter to Me. Bring them close.

There is something deeply Christlike about loving children.

Children cannot offer us status. They cannot advance our careers. They usually cannot repay what we give them.

You simply love them because they are worth loving.

And Jesus says that when you make room for children, when you welcome them, when you care for them, when you value them—you are reflecting something of the heart of God.

Dottie’s love of kids reflected the heart of the Savior.

Perhaps there is even a lesson for all of us there.

The world often measures importance by power, position, influence, or achievement.

Jesus measures differently.

Jesus notices people others overlook.

Jesus makes room for people others consider interruptions.

Jesus says, “Let the little children come to me.”

And a life that makes room for children is a life that, in that respect, looks a little more like Jesus.

Three Loves

So today, as we remember Dottie, perhaps these are three things worth carrying with us.

Love Christ. Love your family. Love the people Jesus loves.

Because when everything else is stripped away, those things matter.

Dottie’s life reminds us of them.

But her death also reminds us of something.

None of us knows how many days we have.

Funerals have a way of interrupting the illusion that life will simply continue forever.

Scripture says: “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts.”

One day folk will gather and tell stories about us.

!hat would they say?

The greatest thing would be: They loved Jesus. And because they loved Jesus, they loved people well.

That is a life worth living.

And more importantly, Jesus is a Savior worth trusting.

So today we place our hope exactly where Dottie placed hers:

in Jesus Christ.

The One who said: “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live.”

Closing Prayer

Father,

Thank You again for Dottie.

Thank You for her love for Christ.

Thank You for her love for her family.

Thank You for the tenderness she had toward children.

Thank You for every conversation, every laugh, every kindness, and every memory that those gathered here will carry with them.

Comfort the family in the days ahead.

When memories suddenly bring tears, be near.

When grief comes unexpectedly, be near.

And when they remember Dottie, may they also remember the Savior she trusted.

Help us all to number our days.

Teach us to love You faithfully, to love our families deeply, and to make room in our lives for the people Jesus loves.

And thank You that because Jesus died and rose again, death is not the end for those who belong to Him.

We entrust Dottie into Your care and this family into Your hands.

In the name of Jesus Christ, our resurrection and our life,

Amen.