Hildegarde Theresa Dorn

Hildegarde Dorn, of Fergus Falls, passed away on April 3, 2024, at Pioneer Nursing home surrounded by her family.

Hildegarde (Cichy-Bettin) Dorn was born on October 31^st, 1935 to Math and Christine Cichy in Urbank, Minnesota. Her mother passed away when Hildy was 7 weeks old, leaving 7 children behind. Hildy was raised by Christine’s friend, Agnes (Theusch) Bettin whom she loving referred to as Ma Bettin.  

Hildy was baptized and confirmed in the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Urbank and attended grade school there. She graduated from Parkers Prairie High School in 1953 and married her high school sweetheart, David Dorn, on June 21, 1954, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Urbank. Hildy and Dave were married for 63 years and were blessed with four children: Dennis, Diane, Darrel, and baby David.

Hildy did bookwork for Urbank Bait Company for several years, was a member of the Christian Mother’s Society and the Mission Circle, and was active in all church and school functions in Urbank and the surrounding communities.

In 1966, along with her husband and children, Hildy moved to Fergus Falls, Minnesota where she worked at a local dress shop. Hildy and Dave owned and operated Hildy’s Market (a small grocery store on Bancroft Ave) from 1974 until 1987. After the corner store, she served as an on-call teacher’s aide in the Fergus Falls School District and the Intensive Treatment Unit until retirement. She was an active member of Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church, a member of the Church Renew Program, the VFW Ladies Auxiliary, and she proudly served as an election judge for over forty years between Urbank and Fergus Falls.

Hildy’s favorite hobby was tending to her huge vegetable garden from which she canned well over 400 jars of fruit and veggies each year. She also loved working on flower gardens, playing the keyboard (having taken music lessons when she was in grade school), researching family histories, sewing, crocheting, quilting, counting cross stitching, and creating countless other crafts. Hildy also enjoyed writing poems; she was very proud when she learned her poetry had been published in a national magazine several years ago. Hildy loved to be surrounded by family and friends at a campfire, on the dance floor, or around a card table; all of which continued late into the night.

Hildy is survived by two sons: Dennis (Vicki) Dorn of Leaf Mountain Township and Darrel Dorn of Holmes City, and son-in-law Dennis Berube of Florida. Also surviving are her grandchildren: Byron (Beth) Dorn, Sarah (Erick) Dorn, Jeremy Dorn, Tiffany (Troy) Bunn, Jason (Heather) Berube, Whittney Berube, and Ebony Berube; a sister Dorothy Gray Missouri, 13 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great-grandchild, and many cherished nieces, nephews, cousins and 11 Godchildren.

Preceding Hildy in death were her birth parents, Math and Christine Cichy; siblings: Melvin (Marion), Ralph (Janice), Ermine (Margret), Bernice (Duane), Mildred (Larry) Olmshied, Oregon; foster parents Albert and Agnes Bettin; and siblings: John (Ceil), George (Caroline), Helen (Bert), Frank, and Adelaide (Jennings); Hildy’s beloved husband, David; daughter Diane, and infant son, David.

 Funeral mass 11am Monday April 8, 2024, at Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church in Fergus Falls.

Visitation Sunday 5-7pm, with 6:30pm prayer service, at Glende-Nilson Funeral Home in Fergus Falls.
Inurnment will follow Mass at St. Otto's Catholic Cemetery.