Dorothy Jorgenson, of Montevideo, died on Wednesday, June 26, 2013 at the Chippewa Co - Montevideo Hospital at the age of 93. Funeral services will be conducted on Monday, July 1, 2013 at 1:30 P.M. at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Montevideo with Rev. Donald S. McKee and Rev. Scott Jorgenson officiating. Interment will be in Sunset Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at the church.
Dorothy Elsie (Rottunda) Jorgenson was born on March 14, 1920 in Hartley, IA to Max and Lillian (Swanson) Rottunda. She was baptized in 1920 in May City, IA and attended rural schools in Iowa. As a young girl, her family moved to the Granite Falls, MN area, where she attended rural school in District 20, was confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in 1935 and graduated from Granite Falls High School in 1937. She took teacher’s training at Windom College in Montevideo and received her diploma in 1938. She taught school for three years in rural Chippewa County. On August 24, 1941, she was united in marriage to Harlan Jorgenson at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Montevideo. They lived in Canby, MN for several years and spent from 1949 until 1978 in Redwood Falls, MN. While in Redwood Falls, she was the sales manager and later the manager of “The Spinning Wheel” fabric and yarn shop. She was a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, where she was a Sunday School teacher, sang in the church choir, was active in women’s organizations and served as a President of the Ladies Aid. In 1978, they moved to the Montevideo area, where they built a new home. A number of years ago she moved into Montevideo and was currently a resident at the Luther Haven Nursing Home. Dorothy was the manager of “The Yarn Corner” fabric/yarn shop in Montevideo for quite a few years. She was an active member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, participating in the Elderberries, Ladies Choir, Senior Advisory Board, Circle, Lunch Bunch and Altar Guild. She was a member of the Chippewa County Historical Society, Quilters Guild and Dorothy Club. She enjoyed knitting, sewing, quilting and doing other needle work.
She is survived by; nine children: Barbara (and Col. Retired USA Joe) Lewis of Tucson, AZ; JoAnn (and Bill) Griffiths of Melbourne, Australia; Donald Jorgenson of New Orleans, LA; Rev. Scott (and Cindy) Jorgenson of Riverton, WY; Rebecca (and Jerry) Sundquist of Deephaven, MN; Paul (and Deb) Jorgenson of Apple Valley, MN; Joel (and Kristie) Jorgenson of Milwaukee, WI; Todd Jorgenson of Plymouth, MN and Jonathan (and Andrea) Jorgenson of Hudson, WI; 23 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; two brothers: Ernest Rottunda of Granite Falls, MN and Ted (Peggy) Rottunda of Las Vegas, NV; as well as by numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Harlan in 2010; a daughter, Marita in infancy; two brothers: Henry Rottunda and Herbert Rotunda and three sisters: Veda Mitlyng, Edith Thissen and Ruth Jorgenson.