Thief River Falls – Dorothy Elaine Shetler, 92, passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 27, 2017, at Buffalo Lake Healthcare Center in Buffalo Lake. Her children surrounded her and Jesus welcomed her.
A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at 11 a.m., at the United Methodist Church in Thief River Falls with Reverend JJ Morgan officiating. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.
Born in Carroll, Nebraska, on August 1, 1924, Dorothy lived a life of love, joy, and faith that warmed everyone she met. The eldest daughter of James and Esther (Jenkins) Batten, she grew up in Carroll with aunts, uncles, and three siblings.
Dorothy was confirmed at Bethany Presbyterian Church near Carroll and attended a country school until moving to Thief River Falls. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 1942, attended the Minnesota School of Business in Minneapolis, and became a secretary at Land O’ Lakes in Thief River Falls where she caught the eye of plant foreman LeRoy T. Shetler. Dorothy and Roy were wed on June 21, 1947. She delighted in having two sons, a daughter, and one stepson.
Shetler’s Hatchery and Feed Mill was a Thief River landmark for over 20 years, with Dorothy as bookkeeper. The family lived on river property south of Thief River where she loved cooking, gardening, bird watching, canning, knitting, and quilting. She joined Roy and the kids hunting and fishing on Lake of the Woods, Ontario, and other wilderness places. She served at the Thief River Falls United Methodist Church and attended church wherever she lived.
Dorothy is survived by her children: Thomas (Susan) Shetler of Eagan; David (Laura) Shetler of Newfolden; Kathryn (Timothy) Dahlstrom of Hector; daughter-in-law Dolly Shetler of Thief River Falls, and Dorothy’s siblings: Charlotte Jenkes of Elk Grove, CA; William (Joan) Batten of Butner, NC; and Susan (Will) Davis of Springview, NE. She has 15 grandchildren – Terri, Tammy, Don, Lynn, Renae, Gordon, Amy, Stephen, Luke, Christine, Kevin, Craig, Melissa, Jamie, and Kristina, 33 great-grandchildren, 19 great-great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband LeRoy (1995), and her stepson Lawrence (Larry) Shetler (2016).
A000032017MY3