Dorothy M. Christofferson
February 21, 1932 - June 24, 2017

Dorothy M. Christofferson passed away June 24, 2017, at her home in Yuma, AZ.

Dorothy was born in Shenandoah, IA, Feb. 21, 1932, to Marion and Besse Sickler. She attended school and graduated high school in 1949. After high school she went to Omaha, NE, to attend business college. That is where she met Chris Christofferson in a typing class. The two were married Sept. 24, 1950 and stayed together for 58 years until Chris died Sept. 4, 2009, Just 20 days short of 59 years together.

Chris got a job working for Union Pacific Railroad (U.P.) and moved to Rock River, WY, and that is where the family began. All the kids were born in Laramie, WY. Dorothy and Chris had four kids: Carl, Alan, Jeff and Rosanne.

Chris moved to Walden, CO in 1957 to be the freight agent for U.P. Dorothy moved to Walden the following year to a little house down by the U.P. depot near the Illinois River and highway 125. The "house" was constructed of two boxcars put together and an addition built in between the boxcars.

They bought North Park Cleaners in 1961 from Cecil and Agnes Arnold. They had just done dry cleaning until 1965 when they expanded the business to commercial laundry. They opened North Park Laundry Mat in 1975 when they bought the business from Earl and Mary Jane Caldwell. A couple years later they acquired the fire extinguisher business from Dillon Donohoe.

It was about that time they moved to the apartment above the cleaners and out of the Union Pacific Railroad house.

Dorothy was always busy. When she wasn't working at the cleaners, she would volunteer her time as a den mother for the Boy Scouts, taught Sunday School at the North Park Community Church, was in the Lady's Auxiliary of the V.F.W.; and was a Rebekah. As a Rebekah she was president of the club, district president, and state warden for the Rebekah's. She received the decoration of chivalry from the Rebekah's state organization in 1984, and she was an advisor for Theta Rho as well. She audited the books for the Rebekahs for several years, served many meals for the North Park Fair and V.F.W. Rodeo, North Park Rodeo, Never Summer Rodeo, along with her sister Rebekahs.

She was instrumental in the Halloween Carnival the Rebekahs started before passing the Carnival to the local FFA Chapter.

Dorothy and Chris had the cleaners for forty years. They retired in 2000 when they sold the cleaners. They moved to Yuma, AZ, and lived there all year long and would really enjoy the winters when their snow bird friends from North Park would come down to enjoy the winter. Dorothy was very active in her church, Gila Mountain Methodist Church and volunteered with the Helping Hands ministry. She made many dear friends over the years in Yuma and will be greatly missed.

Dorothy was preceded in death by: her husband, Junior V. "Chris" Christofferson; parents, Marion and Besse Sickler; brother Bill Farrington; sister Marjorie Manchester; sister Pauline Eyeberg; brother Bob Sickler; brother Leo Sickler and sister Betty White.

She is survived by: her sister, Mary Harms of Shenandoah, Iowa; four children, Carl E. (Tawnya), Petaluma, CA; Alan L. (Cindy), Horse Creek, WY; Jeff L. (Paula), Wills Point, TX; and Rosanne M. (Warren), Loveland, CO; 10 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held 10:00 am, Saturday, September 16, 2017 at the Hackett-Livingston Funeral Home in Shenandoah.

Following the memorial service the burial of cremains will be held at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Shenandoah.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the family.

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