Dorothy Lange

DOROTHY LANGE was born to John and Dorothea (Stahls) Wright on July 30, 1917 in Clark, South Dakota where she was raised and attended school. In 1934, she moved with her family to Columbus, Ohio where she attended Central High School, graduating in 1936. After her graduation, she attended Bliss College in Columbus for one year. Following her education, she worked several places, including the Wright Brother Airplane Company in Columbus. In the mid-1940s, she moved to Pipestone, Minnesota. On October 18, 1949, she was united in marriage to Victor Burdette Lange in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Following their marriage, they lived in Pipestone where she worked for Armour Creamery for 20 years. Victor preceded her in death on March 15, 1975. After his death, she continued to live in Pipestone. In 1979, she became employed at the Senior Center in Pipestone where she worked until the age of 82. She was also a driver for the Pipestone County Family Services. Dorothy lived in her own home until she broke her leg on March 31, 2009 and was admitted to the Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone. On April 15, 2009, she transferred to the Ashton Care Center in Pipestone. When Ashton closed in 2010, she returned to the Good Samaritan Communities of Pipestone where she died on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at the age of 93 years, nine months and 25 days.

While living in Clark, Dorothy was a member at St. Michael’s Catholic Church. When she moved to Pipestone, she became a member of St. Leo Catholic Church. She was a representative for the Southwest County Senior Federation and served on the Mealsite Council for many years. She was named the Pipestone County Outstanding Citizen in 1980. She was a member of the VFW Auxiliary where she was a past president.

She is lovingly remembered by her seven grandsons; 22 great-grandchildren; 13 great-great-grandchildren; and one sister, Frances Huffner of Whittier, California. She was preceded in death by her husband; her daughter, Barbara L. Knutson; her granddaughter, Dorothea Wenger; her parents; three brothers, Leonard, Alfred and George; and three sisters, Ella Craben, Hanaka Seefeldt and Lucille Hagedorn.