Dorothea Presteng

Our beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother, Dorothy Presteng, age 94 of Grafton, passed away on Saturday, April 21, 2012. Dorothy was born January 29, 1918, the fourth of nine children, to Henry and Julia Holt of rural Grafton. She graduated from Grafton High School and married her high school sweetheart, Herbert Presteng in June of 1937. They lived on their farm west of Grafton almost all of their marriage and moved to the Lutheran Sunset Home five years ago. A charter member of Bethel Free Lutheran, Dorothy taught Sunday School, was Sunday School Superintendent for many years, and served as President of the Women's Missionary Federation of the AFLC in the local district and national level. She was also an active member of her community, serving as president of the Homemaker's Club, Hospital Auxiliary, and the Parent-Teacher Association. She loved spending time with her family, travelling to the West Coast with Herb, making quilts, baking, and lefse making. Dorothy and Herb were avid hockey fans, attending games for more than fifty years to watch their sons and grandsons play. They were both generous to family and friends giving of their time, talents and treasures. Dorothy is survived by her five children: Carol (Don) Fossum, Puyallup, WA; Allan (Debbie) Presteng, Grafton, ND; Jean (Terry) Olson, Grafton, ND; Lois (Lyle) Forde, Arlington, WA; John (Anne) Presteng, Grafton, ND; eighteen grandchildren and twenty-nine great grandchildren; and two sisters: Harriet (Murphy) Callahan, Grafton, ND and Marilyn Withy, Naples, FL. She was preceded in death by her husband of 73 years, two infant daughters, one great granddaughter, Gracie Kay Nelson; her parents, three sisters, Ruth Solberg, Helen Davies and Junice Thompson; and three brothers, "little" Johnny Holt, Kenneth Holt and Ray Holt. Funeral Services will be Sunday, April 29, 2012 at 2:30 P.M. at the Bethel Free Lutheran Church of Grafton. Visitation will be Friday, April 27, 2012 from 5-7 P.M with a prayer service at 7:00 PM at the Tollefson Funeral Home of Grafton. Friends may also call at the church on Sunday for one hour prior to the service. Interment will be at the Grafton Lutheran Cemetery.