Dorothy Ashcraft was born into a military family in the month of November at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. At the age of five, the family was transferred to France where they lived for four years. At this time, Dorothy became fluent in French. After the four-year tour was up, they were sent to Fort Huachuca, Arizona. That is where Dorothy attended grade school and graduated from high school in Sierra Vista.
After high school graduation, Dorothy attended Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff and earned her BA in Elementary Education. She then moved to Phoenix and got her first teaching job in Avondale, Ariz. She taught for three years and then moved to Jerome, Idaho where her husband’s family ran a honey bee business. This is where her two children were born, Erin and Ben.
Dorothy and her family chose to resettle and establish a bee business in Montana. They began the process in 1977 and moved to the area permanently in 1984. She began teaching in Polson in 1986, at the elementary level, and retired in 2004.
Dorothy has been a member of Soroptimists, serving as president for three years, is currently a member of the Lake County Pachyderms, the Lake County Republican Women (served as president for two years), and is a member of the Lake County Republican Central Committee. Most recently, Dorothy has joined the Board of Directors for the Greater Polson Community Foundation, is serving as treasurer for Bill Barron’s campaign for reelection as County Commissioner, and is also serving as secretary for the Montana Water Stewards.
Dorothy is married to Larry Ashcraft and they consider themselves so fortunate to call Polson their home.