Dorothy Carpenter

Dorothy Helen Carpenter, 90, of Bancroft, passed away on Sunday, May 5, 2013 at the Heritage Nursing Home in Bancroft. She had been a resident there since January, 2009. Dorothy was born on November 19, 1922 on a farm near Graettinger, Iowa, to Bud and Retta Harvey. She was the first of five children. At age 10, the family moved to the Sherlock farm, outside of Ayrshire, Iowa, where her grandparents and great-grandparents had homesteaded. There, Dorothy lived the life of farm girl growing up during the depression, working alongside her family to run a farm that remains in the family still. After high school, she moved to Emmetsburg, Iowa, to work in the office of Dr. Cretzmeyer, above a grocery store. There, she met Bernie Carpenter, who worked in the store. Bernie claimed that Dorothy made frequent visits, ostensibly for groceries, but that in fact she was hoping to talk to him. Dorothy, on the other hand, always held that it was Bernie who kept cutting his finger in order to make trips up to Dr. Cretzmeyer's. Whatever actually happened, the two soon fell into a love that never ended. Bernie and Dorothy married on July 3, 1947, in Ayrshire, and moved to Bancroft in 1959. ...[more]

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ng with Bernie she raised 12 children with a mixture of love, care, kindness, and patience that will always be remembered. Dorothy was an excellent gardener of flowers, and especially, vegetables that she canned to feed her large brood throughout the year. Her deep Catholic faith sustained her during difficult times and brought great joy throughout her life. She loved helping serve noon meals at the Bancroft Senior Center, an unflagging service over the years that made her a cherished part of the community. Dorothy passed away on Sunday, May 5, 2013 at the Heritage Nursing Home in Bancroft. She had been a resident there since January, 2009. Dorothy is survived by 11 children: Mike (Jolene) of Bloomington, MN, Pat Hughes of Richfield, MN, Terry (Nancy) of Mason City, Sue (Russ) Halter of Cedar Rapids, Rosie (Keith) Hettwer of LeMars, Kevin (Julie) of Adel, Tom (Rhonda) of Grimes, Barb (Mike) Monahan of LaCrosse, WI; Randy of Bozeman, MT; Gordon of Grimes, and Chuck, of Cedar Rapids. She is also survived by nineteen grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; three brothers, William D. Harvey of St. Peter, MN, James Harvey of Ayrshire, and Richard (Karen) Harvey of Athens, OH; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Bernie, on January 30, 2003; her son Larry in 1967; her parents; a son-in-law, Gary Hughes; and her brother Kenny. In her devotion to her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, Dorothy created enduring family bonds. She will be deeply missed by her family, her community, and her extended family at the Heritage Home, where she lived her last several years in great contentment.