Paul died peacefully in his sleep in Highland, Kansas on July 3, 2017, just shy of his 89th birthday. He was born July 5, 1928 at the family home near Severance, Kansas, the son of Closky James Dittemore and Etta Elizabeth Lewis. He had just started his first year of school in Severance in 1934 when the family lost their farm in the Depression and moved to a three-room filling station in Troy with no heat or plumbing. He graduated from Troy High School in 1946 as President of his class and President of the Troy chapter of the National Honor Society. He received an Associate in Science Certificate in 1949 from St. Joseph Missouri Junior College, after having to drop out twice to work. With financial assistance from his brother Calvin, he was able to enroll in Kansas State University and graduated in 1952 with a BS in Architectural Engineering.
After graduation, Paul returned to Troy and in 1955 started a construction business in rented space. In 1960 he bought the building where he was renting (now the home of the Doniphan County Library). He specialized in light commercial and residential remodeling, and for many years did most of the work on the Doniphan County Courthouse and the buildings of USD#429 school district. He also served as state inspector on the construction of the National Guard Armory at Troy. He mostly retired from his business around 2005. He claimed he was “fortunately or unfortunately” a much better craftsman than businessman.
From the start, Paul was very involved in the civic life of Troy and Doniphan County. In the late 1950s he and a group of Doniphan County business people created a development plan and zoning ordinance for Doniphan County. This grew into the Doniphan County Planning and Zoning Commission of which he was a member and later Chairman. As a member of that Commission he was a founding member of MO-KAN Regional Council, a council of governments comprised of four counties in Missouri and two in Kansas for the purpose of economic development. He served on the MO-KAN Council for 35 years, as the longest-serving founding member. In the late 1960s, Paul served on the Missouri River Recreation Area Central Committee which explored the potential recreational possibilities in the Kansas Counties bordering the Missouri River. In the 1970s he served on the Northeast Kansas Transportation Advisory Council, and was also a member of the Doniphan County Bicentennial Committee. He served several years on the Doniphan County Economic Development Commission. The Doniphan County Chamber of Commerce honored him one year with their “Quiet Hero” award.
For 25 years he was involved in Troy city government as Councilman, Council President and Mayor. He stayed active in Troy’s civic and social life as a member of the Troy Kiwanis Club, a deacon and member of the board of the Troy Christian Church, a troop Committeeman and member of the Executive Board of the Pony Express Council of the Boy Scouts, and a long-time member and Secretary-Treasurer of the Mt. Olive Cemetery Association. He taught Engineering Graphics I and II at Highland Community College for 25 years. After installing bowling lanes for a customer in the late 1950s he became a bowling enthusiast, sponsoring a team and serving as secretary-treasurer of the Merchants League for many years.
Paul was a real history buff and became an expert on the history of Doniphan County. He was a Life Member of the Kansas State Historical Society and a member and past chairman of the Doniphan County Heritage Commission, which develops historical districts and recommends properties for state and national historical registry. As a member of the Doniphan County Historical Society, he provided technical assistance, labor, tools and materials for the restoration of the Nelson Rogers home, the oldest surviving building in Troy, and the related museum. He was a member and preservation officer of the Gateway Chapter of the Oregon California Trails Association.
Paul enlisted and served nine years in the Service Battery, 154th Field Artillery Battalion, 35th Division of the Kansas National Guard, eight of them as Company Clerk.
He will be remembered as a good friend and valued member of his family and community. He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Calvin Dittemore and his sister Dorothy Dowden. He is survived by his brother James C. Dittemore of Olathe KS, nephews Roger Dowden of Loveland CO and David Dowden of Malone NY, and nieces Pamela Griffin of Omaha, NE, Janna McGee of Leander TX, Mori Watson of Sherman TX, Brenda Lawrenson of Volin SD, and Robin Meyen of Wichita KS.
Graveside services and burial, 10:30 A.M., Tuesday, July 11 at the Mount Olive Cemetery in Troy. There is no scheduled visitation. A memorial service will be scheduled and announced by late summer. Donations in lieu of flowers are requested, to the Doniphan County Historical Society, the Mt. Olive Cemetery Association or the Troy Christian Church.
