Dorothy Ruth Minten, 94, of the La Gloria Community passed from her earthly life into her eternal life at 4:25 a.m. on Monday, October 31, 2022. She would have been 95 on Saturday, November 5. She passed away at her home at La Gloria about 50 yards from the site where she was born on November 5, 1927.
First and foremost, Dorothy was a born-again Christian. She trusted Jesus as her Savior in the 1930’s and was baptized at First Baptist Church in Falfurrias. It was always her desire that the Lord be glorified in her life and her activities.
Dorothy was a 1941 Eighth Grade graduate of La Gloria School, a 1945 graduate of Falfurrias High School, and a 1949 graduate of Mary Hardin-Baylor College in Belton, TX. She liked to tell people that she did all of her “graduating” in the first half of the 20th century!
She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from MH-B (the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor since 1978). Her first job was at the Texas Game, Fish, and Oyster Commission in Austin. (Today that is Texas Parks and Wildlife). She was hired to work as a staff member on the monthly magazine. About a year later, she was promoted to editor-in-chief.
In the summer of 1953, she resigned her position, moved home to La Gloria, and attended Texas A & I College in Kingsville. Twelve academic hours later, she was certified to teach school. She was offered a job at La Gloria School and remained there as a teacher until her retirement in May 1986. Before computers became the norm, she also served as the assistant principal and the bookkeeper for the school in addition to her regular classroom teaching. Through the years, she taught mostly 5th grade, but also taught 4th and 6th in self-contained classrooms. When they departmentalized, she taught 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades math. She and Esther were a teaching team as they taught music classes to grades 1 through 8 at La Gloria School. All of their students and the local people remember the wonderful plays they wrote so that each student in grades one through eight had a part. They also directed those plays.
Another interest in her in her life (and in Esther’s, because they did everything together) was major league baseball. They were avid fans of the Milwaukee Braves who became the Atlanta Braves. They saw them play in every National League Ballpark in the United States from 1958 until 1976.
Dorothy and Esther loved to travel, and this resulted in visiting all 50 states. The last one that completed their bucket list was Hawaii in 2010. Their sister Janie began traveling with them in 1970.
Upon retirement, Dorothy and her sisters, Esther and Janie became “The Christmas Ladies of South Texas.” They shared their passionate love of CHRISTmas by opening their lavishly decorated ranch home for public tours (by reservation only) to the public. It was called “The Christmas House.” They also opened a Christmas store, Santa’s Texas Workshop, in the small farmhouse in which they grew up. They did this for 34 years until March of 2020. They were featured in newspapers and magazines articles and on television’s Texas Country Reporter for what they did. Driscoll Children’s Hospital was benefited by this for over 3 decades.
Her other passion was music. Dorothy was a pianist, often accompanying her sisters as they sang. However, she was also a singer. She sang alto in the sanctuary choir of the First Baptist Church of Falfurrias for decades. She and her sisters shared their talents as a singing trio all over Texas and in other states. They also did a program of music and storytelling as part of The Christmas House tours for 34 years. They sang as a trio for innumerable weddings and funerals for family and friends through the years.
Dorothy is survived by her sisters, Esther La Fern Minten and Janie Marie Minten. She is also survived by a host of cousins.
First cousins Mary Alice Davis Landrum of Orange, CA, Ann Davis Atherton of Sherman, TX, and Ed Davis of Fullerton, CA., and their families.
Only two paternal first cousins out of 18 survive her; Henry Minten of San Antonio and Genevieve Minten Neckar of San Antonio and their families.
First cousins once removed include Leona Siemonsma Hill, David Siemonsma, and Richard Siemonsma, Harriet Gearhart Payne, Daniel Bone, Elaine Bone Moses, Sherry Boerjan Pape, Tim Boerjan, Joan Boerjan Bostwick, Robert Boerjan, Margaret Solomon Story, Mike Solomon, Albert Minten, Jr., Randy Minten, and their families. There are innumerable other cousins.
She was predeceased by her parents, John Peter Minten and Alice Le Fern Howard Minten.
Her active pallbearers will be Roger Hill, Frank Hill, Benjamin Hill, Brian Boerjan, Ryan Boerjan, and Mark Gearhart.
Honorary pallbearers will Zachary Boerjan, Clayton Boerjan, Trey Dodson, Adrian Minten Feinlieb, Jennifer Landrum Robinson, Sue-Anne Hill Benoist, Mikayla Boerjan Salinas, Christina Siemonsma Recio, Mackenzie Bryce and Joan Boerjan Bostwick.
Pallbearers are the grandchildren of our paternal first cousins who all predeceased Dorothy and Jennifer Robinson is the granddaughter of our maternal aunt who also predeceased Dorothy.
Services will be held on Friday, November 4, 2022, at First Methodist Church of Falfurrias. Visitation will be from 9:00 to 11:00 for family and friends. The Celebration of Dorothy’s life will begin at 11:00.
Interment will be at Falfurrias Burial Park followed by lunch for family and friends at Falfurrias First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. Lunch is being provided by the members of First Baptist Church.
Please, in lieu of flowers and plants, memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church of Falfurrias.
A memorial scholarship fund is being established at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor in Belton, TX. Give online at advance.UMHB.edu/give or call 254-295-4279 for more information. You may also contact Janie or Esther for info. This scholarship will be a lasting tribute to Dorothy’s memory.
