Dolores Putnam

Dolores (Dee) Ann Putnam, 82, passed away and was joyfully taken in the arms of the Lord on June 25, 2021. Dee was born in Oil City, Pa, to Althea Koch and Willard Brownson on September 19, 1938. After graduating from high school in Roswell, New Mexico, she went to Nursing School in El Paso, TX. This started her long pursuit of education. She obtained her BSN from West Texas State and later received her Nurse Practitioner in women's health while living in Colorado Springs. She also earned a MS in Personnel Management from Webster College and ended up getting a Paralegal Certificate. Dee worked many years in the Amarillo and Lubbock areas in several hospitals primarily in Prenatal/Postnatal care. During this time she married Leonard Beller and they raised 3 children. In 1976, Dee made a life changing decision by entering the U.S. Army Reserve in Lubbock, TX, where among other duties she performed as a helicopter flight nurse at Ft. Sill, OK. She was called up on active duty in 1982 to 1985, serving as the Orthopedic Head Nurse and Nurse Supervisor of the Army hospital, Ft. Sill. Always expanding her medical education she took several contract nursing assignments with the Indian Health Service in New Mexico. While she was working a contract for the Saudi Arabia King's hospital, she met her soul mate, Jim Putnam who was serving in the Army with the US Military Training Mission (USMTM). They were married once they both returned to the United States and had over 30 years of travel, adventure and life challenges. Dee taught in several nursing schools both in the United States, Turkey and Korea as she accompanied her Army husband. Dee was a gifted oil paint landscape artist who was selected along with other local artists to hang their paintings in the Ambulatory Care Center (ACC), Peterson Medical Center. She was a member of the Kerrville Western Art Museum and it Remuda; always willing to perform any task in support of the Museum. She was proud of her military service and is a member of the Disabled American Veteran (DAV). She is preceded in death by her parents, Willard and Althea Brownson; and her sister, Judy Kasubaski. Those left to cherish her memories are her brother, William Brownson; daughters, Teri Gardner, Elizabeth Putman; son, Michael Beller; stepdaughters, Suzie Emmanuel and Ruth Fey; 11 grandchildren and 2 great-grandsons. A memorial service to celebrate Dee's life will be held at Grimes Funeral Chapels at 11:00 AM, Monday, June 28, 2021. Dee will be cremated and her ashes will be interred at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery with full military honors at a date to be determined. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Kerrville Western Art Museum. The family wishes to extend our sincere thanks to all the Peterson Regional Medical Center ICU nurses and support staff, especially to Dr. Gravel for his transitional medical advice and his personal support.