Dorothea Lauridsen

Dorothea Lorraine Lauridsen, age 85, of Glidden, Iowa, passed away on Friday, March 19, 2010 at the Heartwood House Care Center in Ames, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at the United Church of Ralston with Rev. Carla Hillyer of Woodlawn Christian Church in Lake City officiating. Organist for the service will be Mr. James Bruce and the congregation will sing. Friends may call at the Dahn and Woodhouse in Glidden from 5 – 7 P.M. on Monday where there will be a prayer service held at 7:00 P.M.. The casket will be moved to the church at 8:30 A.M. on Tuesday to lie in state until the time of service. Burial will be in Merle Hay Memorial Cemetery near Glidden. Casket bearers will be Grandchildren Benjamin Wilkens, Scott Wilkens, Jay Lauridsen, Jeffrey Lauridsen, Jeremy Lauridsen, Matthew Lauridsen, Kayla Lauridsen, and Spencer Moon. Born Dorothea Lorraine Linn on September 10, 1924, to Harmon and Faye (Sexton) Linn on a farm outside of Ralston, IA. Dorothea grew up in and around the Ralston area with one sister and three brothers and attended school in Ralston and Glidden. She was fondly called Dot or Dorothy by friends and family. Dot graduated from Glidden Consolidated School in 1943. After high school, Dorothea attended the American Institute of Business and the American School of Beauty, both in Des Moines, IA. Dot received her cosmetology license and worked in this field for the next several years. She owned and operated Dot’s Beauty Shop in Ralston and later worked in a beauty shop in Scranton, IA. Dot was married to Douglas Sivadge in November of 1950; they resided in Scranton. To this union was born daughter Denise in 1954. Dot suffered a tragic loss when Doug died unexpectedly in October 1954. In March of 1958, Dorothea married Charles Lauridsen, and soon thereafter they purchased a farm about five miles north of Ralston, knowing that this would be a good place to raise a family. Dorothea and Charles had four children together: Ellen, John, Jim and Becky. Dot was an excellent wife, mother, and homemaker. She had an adventurous spirit and a strong sense of family. Many fun years were had on the farm, along with enjoyable family trips and vacations. Two winters after her husband Chuck’s death in 1977, Dorothea purchased a house in Glidden and lived there until the late 1990’s. During this time, she finished raising her children and made many new friends. She enjoyed travelling with her friends and family, including cruises, and extended annual visits to Arizona. She was a member of the D.A.R., Entre Nous, the Ralston Women’s Club, and the Glidden Birthday Club. Dorothea suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and was a resident of the Heartwood House in Ames. She is survived by her children: Denise Lauridsen of Lake City; Ellen Lauridsen O’Loughlin of Lake City; John (and Joyce) Lauridsen of Ames; Jim (and Michelle) Lauridsen of Urbandale; eight grandchildren; sisters-in-law Anna Palmtag of Bellevue, Nebraska, Darlene Linn of Webster City, Iowa, and Roberta Linn of Coon Rapids, Iowa; and numerous nieces and nephews. Dorothea was preceded in death by her daughter Becky, her husbands, her parents, a sister Pauline Caskey and three brothers: Dale Linn, Dean Linn, and Harmon Linn Jr. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Iowa Chapter, 1730 28th Street, West Des Moines, IA, 50266, on-line at www.alz.org or by calling 1-800-272-3900.