Ehlers, Dorene K. (1962-2019)

EHLERS, DEAN, LINGARD, PATERSON, AHLERS, EILENFELDT, PEPPER, JONES

Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 6/26/2019 at 11:55:16

Dorene K. Ehlers
January 20, 1962 - March 27, 2019

Dorene Ehlers, age 57, of Newell, passed away on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, at the Buena Vista Regional Medical Center in Storm Lake. After a courageous fight with cancer in 2005, her battle resumed in March of 2018. Her strong will to live and the love and prayers of family and friends carried her through her year-long struggle with cancer.

Dorene Kaye Dean was born on January 20, 1962, in Spirit Lake, Iowa, to Lynn and Veronica (Lingard) Dean. Growing up, she attended school in Storm Lake before graduating from Laurens-Marathon High School with the class of 1980. Then, she enrolled at Buena Vista University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Education before becoming the beloved teacher who changed the lives of all the children she worked with. In addition, many will remember her as a mentor who taught not only ELL and TAG but also who had a positive influence on so many students over the years.

For Dorene, her family meant everything. On June 19, 1999, she married Dan Ehlers at Zion Lutheran Church in rural Storm Lake. In their nearly twenty years as husband and wife, they became inseparable from the start whether working together on the farm, going out on date nights, or traveling together making memories. She, especially, enjoyed spending time with her children: Ryan, Jenny, and her late son, Craig. More recently, however, her life revolved around grandchildren, as she took in every moment she could with Brooklyn, Irelyn, Bella, River, Andrew, and little Amelia. In addition, Dorene liked traveling with Dan and her granddaughter, Brooklyn, or just spending time with family and her fur-babies, Molly, Sebastian, and Jax. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

Those left to cherish her memory include her husband, Dan, of Newell, Iowa; her children, Jenny (Ryan Paterson) Ahlers, of Lakeside, Iowa, and Ryan (Liz) Ahlers, of Iowa City, Iowa; her siblings: Jim (Connie) Dean, of Spencer, Iowa, Veronica Eilenfeldt, of Mesa, Arizona, Marcia (Larry) Pepper, of Johnston, Iowa, Bev (Bob) Jones, of Eldora, Iowa, Kim Dean (Nancy Nagy) of Chandler, Arizona, and Tim Dean, of Spencer, Iowa; her grandchildren: Amelia, Bella, Brooklyn, Irelyn, and River Ahlers; and Andrew Peterson; her mother-in-law, Phyllis Ehlers, of Alta, Iowa; and her brothers-in-law, Tim (Taffy) Ehlers, of Lakeville, Minnesota, and Jeff (Jen) Ehlers, of Woodbury, Minnesota; as well as by many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.

Dorene was preceded in death by her beloved son, Craig Ahlers; her parents, Lynn and Veronica Dean; her brothers, Gary Lynn and Terry L. Dean; her sisters, Lori Ann Dean and Helen Burroughs; and her father-in-law, Dwayne Roger Ehlers; as well as by her cherished animals, Caesar and Cleopatra.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 29, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake. Graveside services will take place Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at the Lake View Cemetery in Spirit Lake, Iowa. Visitation is scheduled for Friday, March 29, 2019, from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in STORM LAKE. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is overseeing the arrangements.

Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Homes, Storm Lake, Iowa, 2019.

Buena Vista Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
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