Florence Lydia (Stearns) DICKINSON

DICKINSON, HOSIER, STEARNS, MAULSBY, SCHOSSOW, FRAZIER, KADLEC, DOWNING, REDDEN, SEASE, HOTOVEC, KRAFT, FREEMAN, SORENSEN, HUDSON

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 6/18/2010 at 12:13:52

Florence Lydia Dickinson of Coon Rapids died on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2009 at a care center in Cambridge. She was 93 years old. She was born on July 27, 1915 in Waterloo, Iowa to parents Frank and Mae (Hosier) Stearns. She grew up in a farming community in Iowa, the second child in a family of 13. On Nov. 19, 1936 she was united in marriage to Herbert Dickinson. Together they lived near Plover, Iowa where he worked for a farmer for several years after they were married. He decided to go into farming for himself so the couple and their five children moved to Mora in 1945, where they settled and farmed until 1959. They moved to Coon Rapids in 1960 where she continued to reside until the last month. She was a mother and homemaker for years, but also worked at several different jobs including the Land O’ Lakes ice cream plant in Mora. While living in Coon Rapids she worked for Munsingwear sewing and as a dishwasher for the Skyroom at Daytons. She also worked at a plastic factory, did house cleaning, and retired from the Twin Cites Arsenal where she worked loading shells. She was a hard worker. She always raised a big garden and canned all she could. She baked bread every week and would always make a pan of caramel rolls. A special treat in the winter months was often homemade ice cream. She loved to sew and make little dresses with lace and ruffles for her granddaughters. She got into quilting for awhile and made quilts for everyone in the family. She loved her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and will be deeply missed by all.

She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Herbert Dickinson; sisters, Eunice Maulsby, Dorcas Schossow Frazier; brothers, Clarence, Paul, Allen, and Frank Jr. She is survived by sons, Darryl of Lindstrom, Dean (Antonia) of Mora, Dale (Bernice) of Braham; daughters, Alyce (Melvin) Kadlec of Mora; Janet (Roger) Downing of Braham, Nancy Dickinson of Coon Rapids; and Linda (Sam) Redden of East Bethel; sisters, Betty Sease of Clearia, Iowa, June Hotovec of Alburquerque, N.M., Connie Kraft of Goldfield, Iowa, Rachel (Harrold) Freeman of Des Moines, Iowa, Joy (Bud) Sorensen of Maple Grove, and Jackie (Earl) Hudson of Goldfield, Iowa; 26 grandchildren; 38 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 20, 2009 at the Quamba Baptist Church with Pastor Ivan Fiske and Rev. Fred Balbuena presiding. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19 at the Rock-Ingebrand Funeral Home of Braham and one hour prior to the service at church. Burial will be in the Oakwood Cemetery of Mora. Arrangements are with the Rock-Ingebrand Funeral Home of Braham.

Kanabec County Times, Mora, Minnesota
February 7, 2009