Dorothy Anne Holen passed away at age 83 on December 9, 2021, surrounded by family and her husband, Dale, at the Pembina County Memorial Hospital. She resided at the Pembilier Nursing Center with her husband in Walhalla, North Dakota. A Celebration of Life, will be held Wednesday, December 15, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. at the Walhalla Lutheran Church, Walhalla, ND. Visitation will be held Tuesday, December 14, 2021 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a 7:00 p.m. prayer service at the church.
Dorothy was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 20, 1937, to Dorothy (Ramsey) and Alexander Kiezer. She was the youngest of four children: Charles Kiezer, Margie (Kiezer) Molzahn, and Alexander Kiezer. Throughout her life, she did factory work and office work. She also worked as a punch press operator, switchboard operator, Avon lady, and ballroom dance instructor at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio. When she moved to the Walhalla area, she worked at the Pembilier Nursing Center until retirement. During this time, she met Dale Holen, and they were married on November 25, 1989. She had nine children, 22 grandchildren, and 24 great-grandchildren. She was a dedicated mother and grandmother.
Dorothy was an active member of the Walhalla Lutheran Church. Here she enjoyed quilting, participating in the church choir, and was a member of the women’s circle. She also enjoyed gardening, watching hummingbirds, baking, cooking, cross-stitching, knitting, crocheting, pottery, oil and acrylic painting, and drawing. Dorothy and Dale enjoyed gopher hunting, rides in the hills, cookouts in the sandhills by Walhalla, and going to Medora making sure to visit all of her favorite ice cream shops. After she lost her sight, she liked to listen to books on tape, attend the different events at the nursing home, and talk on the phone with friends and family. She loved to play cards with Mert and Judy Beaudrie and considered Judy to be another sister. Her family remembers her love of chocolate- covered cherries, sugar cookies with chocolate sprinkles, fruitcake, walleye from the Walhalla Inn, tacos from Thompson’s Café, McDonald’s hash browns, Dairy Queen chicken strips, and Diet Coke with no ice. Her family admired her positive attitude despite continuous health challenges, and many say she never complained.
Dorothy was predeceased by her parents, Dorothy and Alexander Kiezer; children, Jay (Julie) Diemert and Marla (Sean) Jensen; and her granddaughter, Lauren Stein. She is survived by her husband, Dale; children, Linda (Dan) Turner; Peter Buciak; Alexander (Mari-ie) Moen; Sandy (Tim) Nelson; Christopher (Carie) Moen; Shannon (Don) Hansen; and Cathie (Gregg) Stein; and sisters, Barbara Kiezer and Margie Molzahn. She is also survived by Dale’s brother Norman (Ilene) Holen and sister Janet (Steve) Wieser.