CALEDONIA - Dorothy Ferry, 83, of Caledonia, formerly of Mendota, died July 25, 2020.

Funeral service was at 11 a.m. on July 30 at the Brian Mark Funeral Home in Clinton with Pastor Linda Winkelman officiating. Visitation was from 10 a.m. until time of service on July 30 at the funeral home. Burial was at Livingston Cemetery.

Dorothy was born Aug. 16, 1936 in Chicago to Otto and Hilda (Radtke) Lau. She married John “Jack” Ferry on Dec. 16, 1967.

Survivors include one daughter, Laura (Matthew) Lee; one son, Douglas; two granddaughters, Catherine and Elizabeth; one sister, Marlene Lau of Wausau; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband and one brother.

Dorothy grew up in Mendota surrounded by many aunts, uncles and cousins. Getting her first library card was the greatest achievement of her younger years, as she loved to read. She graduated from Mendota High School in 1954 and then went to work for the telephone company. She met her husband when a friend wanted her to help choose the outside of a stereo because she had good taste, while Jack provided sound technical advice. They started dating shortly after and married in 1967. Dorothy had never traveled much outside of Illinois but within months of marrying, the couple was living in New York while Jack attended engineering school for IBM. Shortly afterward they went to Germany, where they lived for two years. She loved experiencing the different cultures of Europe and loved trying all the food, especially the bread. They returned in 1970, took up residence on the family farm in Caledonia and raised two children. Dorothy lived there for 50 years enjoying the quiet of the farm. She started with big gardens but the gardens got smaller while the flowerbeds got bigger each year. She loved having colorful flowers all around the farm and spent much time taking care of them. She was an avid reader, focusing mainly on women’s experiences in World War II and her collection of books on history was extensive. Throughout her life she tried various hobbies, such as quilting and sewing. She helped the quilters at Jefferson Prairie Lutheran Church and was proud to help make blankets that would help others who did not have such basic necessities. A long-time member of Jefferson Prairie, she helped plan weddings and funeral lunches, served on council and took part in some circles. She was passionate about helping those less fortunate, always promoting causes such as St. Jude’s and ELCA World Hunger. She was a member of her local Homemakers group for almost 50 years. She loved garage sales and flea markets. Bargaining over a price was something she became quite good at, as she increased her collection of pitchers and other dishware. She never needed any more dishes but couldn’t resist beautifully painted china that matched her decor. She loved to do crossword puzzles, as long as the clues were not about sports or modern entertainment. She liked to watch Dr. Pol and cooking shows (but didn’t want to make any of the food). She enjoyed keeping a clean, organized household, going so far as to always iron the pillowcases. Relatives and countless friends will miss her kind, helpful spirit as will her immediate family.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to ELCA World Hunger and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Please share a memory or a condolence with the Ferry family at brianmarkfh.com.