Dorothy P. Lechner 1921-2011

LECHNER HALL ERICKSON

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 7/1/2011 at 20:39:50

Sioux City Journal
22 March 2011

SIOUX CITY -- Dorothy P. Lechner, 89, of Sioux City died Thursday, March 17, 2011, at a local hospital.

Services will be 11 a.m. Thursday at First Lutheran Church in Sioux City, with the Rev. Alan Wicks officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Nelson Berger Northside Chapel, with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. and a prayer service at 6:30 p.m. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.

Dorothy was born July 26, 1921, in Beresford, S.D. to Peter and Harriet (Hall) Erickson, the eldest of four children. She grew up on the home farm south of Beresford and attended rural Brule School and then Beresford High School, where she graduated in May 1939. In September 1939, she enrolled at National Business Training School in Sioux City and obtained her diploma in June 1940. Through the auspices of NBT she was employed at Firestone and then Montgomery Ward & Co. in Sioux City. That same month she took a civil service examination for a government job.

In June 1941 Dorothy received a telegram from the War Department in Washington, D.C., asking her to report for a civilian clerical job, which she accepted. Dorothy worked four years in the War Plans Division, which was later called the Operations Division of the War Department General Staff in the Pentagon Building. For part of this time, the officer in charge of this division was Gen. Dwight Eisenhower.

Dorothy resigned in June 1945 to return home to wed Kenneth A. Lechner at Roseni Lutheran Church, rural Beresford, S.D. on Aug. 23, 1945. They had a marriage of 53 years; Ken passed away on Oct. 12, 1998. Dorothy and Ken made their home in Sioux City for the rest of their lives, with the exception of the years 1946-1950, when they owned and operated a rural service station on Highway 77 in South Dakota.

Dorothy was a homemaker when the children were young but still found time for hobbies and activities like textile, painting, swimming, bridge, vegetable gardening and sewing. She sewed many of her own clothes, even taking tailoring classes at night school at Central High School. In later middle age Dorothy began doing part-time clerical work at Lechner Lumber Company, even learning to work with a computer at age 80. Dorothy continued with this employment until past the age of 85.

Dorothy was active and interested in many things. She was a member of First Lutheran Church in Sioux City. She was also a member of the Woodbury County Genealogical Society. Dorothy's work with genealogy made her the family resource for ancestral history. She produced numerous three-ring binders holding family members' stories, photographs, documents and memorabilia. In 1979, Dorothy and her sister Phoebe traveled to Norway and Sweden searching for relatives and original family records in Scandinavia. At the 1995 Woodbury County Genealogical Society Fair, Dorothy won Best of Category ribbons for both Family Tree Pedigree Chart and Photo Display. She was also a member of the Union County Historical Society.

Dorothy was an avid member of the Sons of Norway, Glitne-Sioux Viking Loge, Sioux City, and was the Lodge's financial secretary for many years until declining health forced her to relinquish this position. Nevertheless, Dorothy attended every meeting she could. She especially enjoyed the Lodge's annual lutefisk and meatball dinners and the Syttende Mai (Norwegian Independence Day) Celebrations. In furtherance of her Norwegian cultural skills, in 1970 Dorothy took up the hobby of rosemaling, a Norwegian folk art in which stylized flowers and scrolls are oil-painted on wooden objects like bread boards, bowls, plates and the like. She first taught herself rosemaling through instruction books but then later attended classes at Decorah and Sioux Falls, where visiting rosemalers from Norway gave instruction. Dorothy and other ladies from the Lodge used to meet once a week for a day of rosemaling and friendship; she continued with her rosemaling hobby until 2007.

Three and a half years ago, Dorothy suffered a medical crisis in which she was critically ill and not expected to survive yet her will to live was strong and she managed to overcome this. Unfortunately, she was never able to regain her full strength and could not safely drive nor care for herself alone at home.

Dorothy had been living at Holy Spirit Retirement Home since that time. Although this change in her life curtailed many things, she kept her mind active with reading, doing puzzles and watching TV. Dorothy especially liked to watch baseball games, "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune."

Up until her final illness, Dorothy was able to get out with assistance. She never missed a meeting or family gathering if she had the time. She sometimes even went shopping and visited her own home every free day where she could read the mail, pay some bills and get a chance to take a nap in her own bed. Her ability to keep coming back from various illnesses she endured these past three years was astounding. Dorothy was a fighter; she was a remarkable lady.

Dorothy is survived by her children, Gary Lechner of Sioux City and Barbara Lechner of Coralville, Iowa; two sisters, Avis Wullstein of Denver and Losi Larson of Beresford, S.D.; two brothers-in-law, Russell Jensen of Santa Monica, Calif., and Cameron Larson of Beresford; one sister-in-law, Ardyce Lechner of Sioux City; plus numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth; her parents, Peter and Harriet Erickson; and one sister, Phoebe Jensen.

Memorials may be made to Holy Spirit Retirement Home in Dorothy's name.