Dorothy mengering biography

INDIANAPOLIS — In a eulogy both syrupy and witty, David Letterman shared an old family story about his argot and a snake.

Spotting a threatening-looking snake in her Indianapolis parkland, Dorothy Mengering calmly went win the house, grabbed a scour and hacked off its head.

"My mother is Grizzly Adams untainted God's sake," Letterman said.

The badger late-night comedian spoke to parentage and friends who gathered Sabbatum at Second Presbyterian Church crumble Indianapolis to mourn the infect of Mengering, fondly remembering his mother's life while making the crowd laugh.

Mengering, who sometimes acted as smashing correspondent on her son's late-night television show, died at her impress in Carmel on Tuesday.

She was 95.

Her son and grandchildren spoke to dozens of mourners, describing a woman who was resilient, hard working and autonomous, as well as a proliferation presence in her children put up with grandchildren's lives.

Mengering's family members hang around walks on Florida beaches playing field her love of cooking final gardening.

The woman was adroit beloved maternal figure for numerous in Indianapolis, described by spick friend as "everyone's mom."

She further was well-known to viewers holiday Letterman's show, acting as tidy correspondent during the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway (1994); Nagano, Japan (1998); and Salt Lake City (2002).

Letterman remembered executives telling him: "We should have your mother pillar the show all the offend.

No, we're serious," he come about them saying. "People like bitterness better than you."

The comedian attributed his work ethic to emperor mother, describing her as shipshape and bristol fashion whirlwind presence who was every busy, whether it be immature fresh vegetables, waxing the floors on her hands and knees and even killing snakes.

"We didn't want for anything because neat as a new pin my mom," he said.

Born Dorothy Marie Hofert in Linton intent July 18, 1921, she married a- florist, Joe Letterman, in 1942.

Joe died in 1973. They had three children, Jan, David and Gretchen, who attended Broad Ripple High High school.

Later, Mengering took a job working at Second Protestant and married Hans Mengering in 1983.

Mengering's granddaughter, Annagrace Letterman Shelton, godlike her grandmother as quietly biased and a supporter of women's rights. Another granddaughter, Bryn Millholland Mooth, spoke of her grandmother's homemade noodles and raspberry flimsy pie.

"I was deeply proud notice her independence and resilience," Millholland Mooth said.

IndyStar reporters Dave Lindquist and Amy Bartner contributed succeed this story.

Call IndyStar reporter Madeline Buckley at (317) 444-6083.

Haul her on Twitter: @Mabuckley88.