June 10, 2021 at 2:34 p.m.
Dorothy Faye Nordquist
Dorothy Faye Nordquist
Dorothy's home for most of her life was on the Gross family farm in the township of Crescent just south of Rhinelander. She returned periodically to the Buckingham Farm in Ridgeway where her grandparents and family members taught her to talk and do basic life skills. Dorothy made the most of her adolescent years between Rhinelander and Ridgeway and attended some high school at Dodgeville. She learned the four R's: Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Religion.
During World War II, she had a Rosie the Riveter job at Rayovac Battery in Racine. At the end of the war, she lived on Mifflin Street in Madison and worked as a telephone operator. In the mid 1940s she came back to Rhinelander to live on the Gross Crescent farm to help her parents and sisters.
Dorothy married Willis Nordquist. They lived on the Gross Farm until they built their own house and small farm in 1952, where she lived the remainder of her life until her death on June 3, 2021.
From 1952 to 1982 (30 years) Willis and Dorothy owned and operated the Nordquist Farm. They raised milk cows, beef cows and grew hay, oats and corn. During these years, Bill worked at the paper mill and Dorothy managed the farm where she did the selection of the Short Horn breeding stock, named and registered the pure-bred stock, and raised milk and beef calves. She managed the milking, all the finances, purchasing of farm equipment, and farm transactions. Dorothy used the money earned from milking cows to provide for her children's welfare.
From 1975 to 2015 (40 years) Dorothy operated Dorothy's Antiques on the farm on South 17. She enjoyed many picking trips to search for inventory and was very knowledgeable about the history and value of antiques and glassware.
Dorothy was an accomplished businesswoman and maintained excellent records for the farm, for Dorothy's Antiques, and she did the Crescent town property assessment ledgers for 10 years when her husband was the town assessor. She was on the USDA local Advisory Board in the 1980s.
Dorothy has been a faithful member of Grace Foursquare Church for over 70 years and was very involved in the ministry of the church. She taught adult Sunday School classes, organized neighborhood ladies' Bible studies, served on the church building committee in the 1970s for the new building completed in 1976, served as organist, transported neighborhood children to Sunday School, helped with Vacation Bible School, and hosted many social activities and hayrides at their family farm. Her faith was strong, and the Holy Spirit dwelt within her. Her greatest joy was to know that her seven children have faith in Jesus Christ and that faith will be passed on to future generations.
Dorothy was a dedicated wife, mother and homemaker. She raised seven children, supported her husband's work endeavors, ran their small farm, peeled popple on occasion, made firewood, and helped care for her mother and mother-in-law. She used her gift of hospitality through family Sunday dinners, hunting season visitors, snowmobile fun on the farm, and hosted many relatives and friends in her home. She was a hard worker all her life yet took time to enjoy her flower gardens, baking, canning, cooking, playing rook, watching the hummingbirds and wildlife, kept up on the news, wrote many handwritten letters and cards, enjoyed visits from family and friends and was an avid reader. She had a sharp mind, sense of humor, a spunky, upbeat, and optimistic spirit, and overall was a joyful person.
Dorothy will be remembered as a woman of kindness, generosity, humor, and faith in God. Her children and grandchildren have all honored and respected her and are grateful for the Godly example she lived before them.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Willis Nordquist in 1987; sisters Lillian Gross and Florence Bellomy; brother-in-law Noah Bellomy; son-in-law Harland Kramer and grandchildren Julie (Kramer) Sheldon, Daniel Kramer, Erinn (Nordquist) Guggenheimer.
She is survived by her seven children: Delores Kramer, Barbara (Tim) Johnson, Dennis (Helen) Nordquist, Sylvia (Charles) Bonson, Charles (Gretchen) Nordquist, Philip (Lisa) Nordquist, John (Vida) Nordquist; 10 grandchildren: Renae (Tony) Newman, Stephanie Nordquist, Theresa (Joel Sandberg) Nordquist, Rachel Bonson, Lauren (TC) Goehe, Brett (Margaret) Nordquist, Scott (Heather) Nordquist, Suzann (Nicolas) Watson, Goodnews Nordquist; 24 great-grandchildren.3 great-great grandchildren, many family members and friends.
We are the keepers of Dorothy's memories; it is a sacred trust given by one who has journeyed on where her faith is now sight. The lyrics of the song "Celebrate Me Home" by The Perrys seem to give a benediction of her life here on earth. She will be missed greatly, yet we rejoice that we can celebrate her going home.
Celebrate Me Home!
"When the time comes and I am standing at the river that separates the two worlds that I love,
Torn between my precious friends and my family and the place of peace that's waiting up above,
Hold my hand and stay there by my side and when I finally step into the tide, CELEBRATE ME HOME!
Celebrate me there, celebrate me in that land of wonder where nothing can compare. Celebrate me in that place, celebrate me saved by grace. Don't just sit and weep because I'm gone, CELEBRATE ME HOME! I have spent most of my life on earth preparing to take the trip from here to Heaven's throne, with the Shield and Word of God to guide me. It's a comfort knowing I am not alone, so when I take my fleeting breath and fade into the gentle sleep of death, CELEBRATE ME HOME!"
A Celebration of Dorothy's life will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021. Visitation will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m., with services following at 11 a.m., all at the Grace Foursquare Church. Pastor Julie Wilcox will be officiating. Interment will follow in the Northland Memorial Park Cemetery. You may leave your private condolences for the Nordquist family at www.carlsonfh.com. The Carlson Funeral Home (715-369-1414) is serving the Nordquist family.
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