Dorothy Pauley

Dorothy Pauley passed away on October 30th in her home in Madelia, Mn at the age of 98. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11am, Saturday, November 8th at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Madelia, MN. The clergy will be Fr. Timothy Hall. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery in Madelia. A memorial luncheon will follow the interment at St. Mary's school cafeteria. Dorothy was born in Devils Lake, ND, on January 7th, 1916 to parents Terry and Mae Olin. She was one of eight children. Dorothy has one surviving sister, Caryol Skog of Fairfield, CA. She has four deceased brothers, Malcolm Olin of CA, George Olin of AZ, Benjamin Olin of MN, and Terry Olin of IA, and two deceased sisters, Bonnie Schwartz and Mae Todd. The Olin family later moved to Wadena,MN where Dorothy spent her childhood, graduating with honors from Wadena High School. She married Donald Blessing on March 5th, 1935, in Wadena and were blessed with son, Terry Ike and daughters, Patricia and Diane. As a busy homemaker, she took the time to create a loving home for her husband and three children. Dorothy was a talented seamstress and her girls were outfitted in the latest fashions. She often worked through the night to make sure the project was finished for school the next day. As a talented crafter and seamstress, she was employed at Home Crest in the early years and remained there for about 10 years. She and husband Donald moved to Madelia, MN in 1962. Shortly after arriving, Dorothy became employed at Tony Downs. She remained there until the passing of her husband Donald in 1970. Dorothy continued working with the company until she met and married Lawrence Pauley in May of 1974. Upon marrying Lawrence, she gained five step-daughters, Mary Anne, Patricia, Catherine, Judy and Barb. Dorothy was a caring and devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother, who never missed an opportunity to show her love by sending birthday cards and hand crafted gifts to family and friends. She enjoyed reading, arts and crafts, traveling, playing crazy 13 with her family, baking, and time spent with family and friends. Christmas was a special time for her, making sure each of her children and grandchildren received a hand-made gift. In her later years, she volunteered at the Madelia thrift store where she made many lasting friendships. Dorothy had a delightful sense of humor and a wit that could challenge anyone, as she often did, right to the end. Dorothy is survived by her daughters, Patricia Koval and Diane (Carl) Hartung; step-daughters, Judy (Bill) Rasmussen and Barb Pauley; step son-in-law, Ron Elkins; 32 grandchildren; 79 great-grandchildren; 42 great-great-grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, and a host of friends, including Orie Baaken and Conrad Dow. She is preceded in death by her parents, Terry and Mae Olin; first husband, Donald Blessing; son, Terry Blessing; daughter-in-law, Marilyn Blessing; sisters-in-law, Dorothy Olin, Irene Olin, Dorothy Dot Olin, and Helga Olin; brothers-in-law, Joe Schwartz, Kenneth Todd, and Alvin Skog; second husband, Lawrence Pauley; step-children, Mary Anne (Gene) Gaworski, Patricia (Victor) Becker, Catherine Elkins, and step-great-granddaughter, Carissa Elkins. She will be sadly missed by family, friends, and her beloved dog, Toto. Service Information 11:00 am Saturday, November 8, 2014 St. Mary's Catholic Church, Madelia 223 1st St. NE Madelia, Minnesota, United States 56062 Interment Information Calvary Cemetery, Madelia East, Co. Hwy 3 Madelia, Minnesota, United States 56062