Dorothy Ann Bendixen passed from this life, two months shy of her 83rd birthday, early in the morning on September 11, 2024 at the King’s Gardens Campus of Perry Lutheran Homes in Perry, Iowa.
A Funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m., Thursday, September 26, 2024 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Templeton. The Celebrant will be Fr. Terry Roder. Music will be by Hannah Kerkhoff. Burial will be in Sacred Heart Cemetery in Templeton. Visitation will be from 10-10:45 a.m. at the church prior to the Funeral Mass. Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for Dorothy’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com.
Dorothy was born on a farm near Templeton, IA, on November 24, 1941, the second daughter to Otto and Frances (Fuchs) Billmeier. As a child, Dorothy moved briefly to St. Benedict and then to Breda before the family returned to settle permanently in Templeton.
On January 16, 1960, Dorothy was united in marriage to Denis (Denny) Alspach, and from this union, she was blessed with four children. Later in life, Dorothy married Jerry Bendixen. Though this relationship was not permanent, they remained friends. After being a stay-at-home mom for many years, Dorothy began working at the state-owned
liquor stores and eventually managed stores in Carroll, Audubon, and Coon Rapids. When the state closed its stores to allow private ownership, Dorothy began working at local diners and briefly operated her own diner in Carroll. She was well known for her delicious cooking. After retirement, Dorothy enjoyed volunteering for the ‘bread run’ for New Opportunities, helping in their food pantry, collecting coins and traveling to flea markets to see what treasures she could find.
In recent years, Dorothy and Denny rekindled their friendship. They were frequently seen sharing a bingo table, hitting up the casino in Jefferson, or going to Glidden for their lemon ice cream fix. In 2022, as her health declined, Dorothy relocated to Perry to be closer to her children. She could almost always be found at ‘her’ puzzle table, spending hours each day working on the next puzzle, whether with family or the caring staff of Perry Lutheran Homes.
Dorothy is survived by her four children (and spouses): Sheila (Tom) Mahan, Connie Brock, Pam (Pete) Peterson, and Ron (Jill) Alspach; ten grandchildren: Beth Bailey, Joshua Prine, Kristin Prine, Amanda Bartheld, Andrew Brock, Dylan Lawler, Kenny Hansen, Jared Hansen, Bliss Weitl, Alex Gilland and step-grandchildren: Katie Carson, Colton Carson, Cody Peterson, and Taylor Peterson; and twenty-seven great-grandchildren. Dorothy is also survived by her sister, Darlene Middleton; her brother, Louie (Terri) Billmeier; and former spouse, Jerry Bendixen, as well as many nieces, nephews, and extended family.
She was preceded in death by her parents, her former spouse Denis Alspach, her brother Ray Billmeier, Sister-in-Law Linda Billmeier, and Brother-in-Law Lloyd Middleton.