Dorothy H. DeLong
Dorothy Helen (Reitz) DeLong age 91 of Elmwood, died Friday April 11, 2014 at the Heritage of Elmwood Nursing Home surrounded by her family. Dorothy was born November 2, 1922 at Morton Hill, Dunn County, (southeast of Elmwood). She was the daughter of Edwin and Mary (Manor) Reitz. They lived on the family farm at Morton Hill until shortly after Dorothy’s father died December 24, 1936. Soon Dorothy, her mother and her younger sister Annabelle moved into Elmwood. On Morton Hill, Dorothy had attended the one-room school house. She completed grade school and attended high school in Elmwood. On April 17, 1940, Dorothy married Neil DeLong at the Methodist Parsonage in Red Wing, MN. The marriage lasted 69 years and one day, when Neil died April 18, 2009, with most of these years living in the Elmwood area.
In 1951 they family moved to Bremerton, WA, returning to Elmwood in 1953. They moved to a farm in Dunn County and farmed there for a few years. Dorothy and Neil moved into the Village of Elmwood in 1961; moving to Bremerton, WA a second time in 1967. By 1970 they returned to Elmwood were they remained the rest of their lives. Since April of 2009, Dorothy has been a resident of the Heritage of Elmwood.
Through the years, Dorothy helped with the apple harvest at O’Connell’s Apple Orchard near Hatchville; she was a seasonal employee at the DeLong Mink Ranch in Elmwood; also worked a short time at Sanna Dairies in Menomonie and Smead Mfg. in Hastings, MN. Dorothy then worked at the Heritage of Elmwood and McMillan Electric at Woodville, retiring from there in 1982.
Dorothy was a fun-loving and mischievous; she loved her family, was an excellent cook and homemaker. She loved fishing, working in the garden with Neil. She canned or froze much of the garden produce preserving it for winters.
Dorothy is survived by her two sons, Roger (Bonnie) of River Falls; Douglas (Lorraine) of Elmwood; four grandchildren, Timothy (Kathy) DeLong of River Falls; Cheri (Chris) Jacobson of Spring Valley; Teresa (Dan) Webber of Rice Lake; Curt (Dawn) DeLong of Woodville; 11 great grandchildren, a brother-in-law, Clif Farnham; a sister-in-law Mary Ann DeLong, nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents; husband Neil; an infant daughter and son, twin daughters Darleen and Deborah; three sisters, Alma Johnson, Erma Kitchner, Annabelle Farnham and a number of nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be 11:00 AM Wednesday April 16, 2014 at the United Methodist Church in Elmwood with Rev. Michael Weaver officiating. Burial will be in the Clearview Cemetery in Eau Galle.
Friends may call from 4:00 to 7:00 PM Tuesday at the Rhiel Funeral Home in Elmwood and one hour prior to services at the church on Wednesday.