Perdita Douty

PERDITA MAE DOUTY was born to Sam and Ruth (Nelson) Sathre on May 15, 1924, on the family farm in Altona Township of Pipestone County, Minnesota, near Ward, South Dakota, where she attended country school. When she was in second grade, she moved with her family to Pipestone, Minnesota. After she graduated from Pipestone High School in 1942, she moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, working at a local bank while also attending Sioux Falls Business School. On July 8, 1944, she was united in marriage to Howard Douty at the Presbyterian Church in Pipestone. While raising their family, they lived in various locations as Howard’s job required. After returning to Pipestone in 1966, Perdita became employed at the Pipestone County Medical Center, the Pipestone Dental Center and the Pipestone Federal Savings and Loan. In 1969, she and Howard purchased Wilson Manufacturing Company where Perdita worked as the office manager. Howard preceded her in death on May 16, 1996. Following his death, Perdita continued to live in her home and stayed very active in the Pipestone community. On October 5, 2014, she was admitted to Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls where she suffered a stroke on October 7, 2014. On October 10, 2014, she became a resident of the Pipestone County Hospice House where she remained until the time of her death on Monday, November 10, 2014 at the age of 90 years, five months and 26 days.

Perdita was a member of First Lutheran Church in Pipestone where she served on numerous and varied committees and was active in Altar Guild and Circle. She looked forward each year to contributing her tea rings for the Christmas Kaffi-Ti, baking lefsa, and attending the Mother-Daughter Banquet and various salad lunches. For many years, she participated in the Good Sam Tour of Tables. Perdita was a past member of PEO, a volunteer grandparent in the local school reading program, and volunteered her time as an usher at the Pipestone Performing Arts Center. She was active in the Golden Club’s many activities and especially liked participating in the Terrific Kids program. She was a member of a local birthday club and liked to spend her morning coffee time with her friends at McDonald’s and Lange’s Caf. Perdita was an active participant at the Pipestone County Fair and received many blue ribbons for her needlework. She enjoyed playing computer solitaire and keeping up with her family on Facebook. Over the years, she and Howard enjoyed traveling with the Holiday Peacepipe Ramblers where they formed many close relationships and created great memories with this group.

She is lovingly remembered by her five children, Sue Vasquez of Phoenix, Arizona, Carol Ann Douty (Dean Ebsen) of Royalton, Minnesota, Robert Douty (Mieko) of Pipestone, Minnesota, Linda McDonald (Greg) of Thornton, Colorado, and Kathy Douty-Schmoldt (Ron) of St. Augusta, Minnesota; 12 grandchildren, Jeff (Kristie) Douty, Joe (Alison) Douty, Brian (Shelley) Douty, Heather (Brian) Howland, Annie (Andy) Elliott, Marissa McDonald, Abby (Cory) Storms, Aaron Schmoldt, Toni Ridley, Amy (Scott) Mahan, Marti (Eric) Gilbertson, and Clint (Sandi) Ebsen; and 20 great-grandchildren, Gunnar, Adelyn, Violet, Zach, Kyle, Victoria, Verlyn, Nolan, Miya, Dawson, Addisyn, Mataya, Kindra, Kaysa, Greyden, Logan, Preston, Isabella, Aiden and Asher. She is also survived by a niece she thought of as her adopted daughter, Nancy Gilbert. She is preceded in death by her husband, Howard; her parents; and her brother, Darwin (Edna) Sathre.