Geis, Dorothy Cecelia Pecholt
Dorothy was born June 30, 1933 to Charles and Frances Pecholt in Sanborn, Minnesota. Dorothy epitomized hospitality and shared her talents, faithfulness and service of others throughout her life. Dorothy met the love of her life, LeRoy Geis, in Sanborn, and they married August 8, 1959, after completing her Masters of Nursing at the University of MN. Dorothy taught nursing at the U of M and North Dakota. She was selected to implement a groundbreaking program to help children with terminal cancer die peacefully at home. She volunteered for over 25 years at Our Lady of Good Counsel Free Cancer Home where LeRoy was a volunteer doctor. She also spent decades volunteering with both the American Cancer Society and the Coalition for Death and Dying. In recognition of her lifelong efforts serving others Dorothy received the Kare 11 “Eleven Who Care” Award in 1994. After retiring from nursing, Dorothy was accepted into the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) Docent Program, and completed intensive study, to qualify as an MIA docent, giving talks and tours. She loved Christmas time tours in the “period rooms” which were decorated for the holidays. Dorothy enjoyed the MIA Art in Bloom and was inspired to learn floral design which she later shared with others.
Dorothy extensively traveled with enjoyment of new people, cultures, shopping and foods. Along with her daughter, she was one of the first Americans to tour China in the 1970s. Most recently, she ascended Machu Picchu and toured Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic in 2019 and toured Zion in 2020. She shared her travel bug, taking grandchildren on a trip as soon as they were old enough.
Dorothy peacefully went to heaven surrounded by family on December 17, 2020. Dorothy is survived by her sister Ruth and niece Jennifer, daughter Juliann (Bob Thavis) Christina and Rebecca, son Michael (Tara) Luke, Brianna, and Benjamin, son Steven (Kathy), Faith, Claire, Sophia, and Matthew, and son Brian (Deb) Emily, Kiersten and Eli, in addition to many other family members and friends with whom she volunteered, traveled, learned, and laughed.
Dorothy’s Mass of Christian Burial was beautifully celebrated by Fr Gillespie, O.P. For information about viewing, contact the Stephens Funeral Service – Redwood Valley Funeral Home www.stephensfuneralservice.com. As Dorothy enjoyed flowers throughout her life, memorials are preferred to the following: the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne https://www.hawthorne-dominicans.org/Our Lady of Peace Hospice, https://ourladyofpeacemn.org/, St. Thomas Catholic Church, Sanborn http://www.dnu.org/sanborn or MCDES (MN Coalition for Death Education and Support) Dorothy Geis Scholarship Fund https://www.mcdes.org
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