Dorothy Ledford, 96, lifelong area resident, died Saturday, December 31, 2011 at the Valley View Villa Care Center in Ft. Morgan. Dorothy was born October 1, 1915 in St. Paul, Minnesota to Fletcher and Lilian Harshman. She married Orbra Ledford on April 22, 1936 in Sterling. He died in 1987. During the 1935 flood in Wiggins Dorothy was awarded the Theodore M. Vail medal for heroism. She was the telephone operator for Wiggins and when she heard there was a flood on its way, she stayed all night long calling and warning residents in the path of the flood. She stayed at her phone until the water started coming through the door of her office. Dorothy was a member of the 1st Methodist Church in Greeley. She enjoyed traveling, cooking, looking at pictures, reading and receiving letters and woodworking. Survivors include, three children, Lester Ledford and wife Ruth of Lakewood, CO, Gordon Ledford and wife Amy of Ft. Morgan, Stephen Ledford and wife Barbara of Wiggins, six grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren. Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband Orbra who died in 1987, her parents, her great granddaughter Brittini Ledford and brothers, John, Fletcher and Merrill Harshman. Funeral Services will be Thursday, January 5th at 10:30 am at the Heer & Dahl Mortuary in Ft. Morgan. Interment will follow in Memory Gardens. The Heer & Dahl Mortuary in Ft. Morgan is in charge of the arrangements.