Doris was born to Arthur and Rose (Prahl) Milburn in Spring Ranch, Nebraska, on February 13, 1920. She and her family lived in several Nebraska towns before settling in Filley, where her parents were able to purchase a small farm. Life was busy in a household of eight children, and everyone contributed in some way. Doris and her sisters often helped their mother with cooking, washing, cleaning, and canning food for the winter. One early morning, as young Doris watched her mother trudge toward the barn to milk their single dairy cow, she felt so badly for her mother that she told her she would do the milking from that point forward. Doris loved and adored her mother and always did what she could to look after her.
Doris attended Filley High School. In 1939, at age 19, she decided to move to California, where she had family. Always ready and willing to work hard, Doris held various jobs after arriving in California. She began working as a nanny and eventually landed a position at Levi Strauss for $25 per week—a huge pay increase from her previous jobs.
Doris eventually met and married her husband of 31 years, Alexander “Al” Franco. Al’s brother, Joey, owned PW Supermarkets, a chain of grocery stores in the Bay Area. Both Al and Doris worked for PW, with Al managing the stores’ liquor departments and Doris managing the delicatessens.
In 1959, Doris was thrilled to have the opportunity to purchase a new home in San Jose, California, where she resided for 60 years. Doris and Al were frequent spectators at the local horse races and often traveled to Lake Tahoe with friends and family, where they would take in a show or two. Al’s family had immigrated from Italy, and Doris fully embraced their Italian way of life. She was an incredible cook and gracious hostess, welcoming everyone to the dinner table with a cheerful, “Mangia, mangia!”
Shortly after Al passed away in 1979, Doris was able to retire and enjoy other interests after many years of hard work. She adored her pets, which included several dogs over the years, as well as many feral neighborhood cats that she would adopt and feed. Doris loved the California weather and always enjoyed working in her yard, tending to her landscape, which included beautiful fruit trees and flowers of many varieties. She delighted in a project and would frequently lay her own bricks, hang wallpaper, or redesign a room or space in her yard to make it her own.
Doris was also fortunate to find love again. She and a friend, who had also worked at PW Market, sparked a connection. Robert Narona became her long-time companion for over 30 years. Although Doris never wanted to remarry, they shared many memories, traveled together, and visited each other almost daily until Robert passed away at age 100.
Doris enjoyed traveling and was fortunate to visit Hawaii and China and take an Alaskan cruise. In 2016, Doris’s younger sister, Lois, moved in with her in San Jose. Doris insisted that she should take care of Lois, while Lois saw it as her duty to care for her older sister. In truth, they both took care of each other. And while they got on each other’s nerves as sisters do, they thoroughly enjoyed being together.
In 2020, Doris and Lois moved back home to Nebraska with their great-niece, Nicole. When Nicole told the ladies that she and her husband, Mike, had decided to move to Nebraska to be closer to their children and family, she asked the ladies if they would go, too. Lois said to Doris, “Well, I will if you will, Dodo.”
After her sister passed away, Doris moved into The Landing, where she resided for nearly four and a half years. While she had mild dementia that affected her short-term memory, her long-term memory remained excellent, and she could recall and retell many stories from her past.
More recently, Doris would frequently ask, “How old am I?” When told, “106,” she would reply, “Holy Toledo, I’m really pushin’ it!” followed by, “Mama must have fed us right.” Who knows—her nightly glass of Carlo Rossi Sangria may have helped, too.
Doris was beloved by all who knew her. She was beautiful, both inside and out, and could lift your spirit simply by being with her. Her laugh was infectious, and she never, ever complained. She was always positive, grateful and full of love. Her passing will truly leave a void, but we are so thankful God blessed her with 106 incredible years, and we will forever cherish the time we shared with her.
Doris is survived by her sister, Opal Garton (107), of Auburn, California; nephew Don Garton of Auburn, California; great-niece and godchild Nicole (Garton) Maler of Lincoln; niece Beverly Woodyard of Wymore; nephew Craig Siebengartner of Linn, Kansas; niece Linda True of Washington, Kansas; niece Nancy Siebengartner of Nebraska City, Nebraska; and many other great- and great-great-nieces and nephews.
A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at Roper and Sons South Chapel (3950 Hohensee Dr, Lincoln, NE 68516). A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. The burial will be at Blue Springs Cemetery in Blue Springs, NE.