Dorothy Jean Harder

Dorothy married Howard Harder and together they raised four daughters in Lake Odessa. Dorothy loved God and her family. She was a woman of strong faith and a prayer warrior. She found true joy in serving others, especially children. She rarely met anyone who stayed a stranger for long. Often visiting the elderly and giving small gifts to people to remind them that they were special. Dorothy loved music in all forms and styles. She would often break into song and one never knew if she would be playing gospel, The Three Tenors, The Band or Bob Seger on the radio. She loved reading, crossword puzzles and completing 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles. She was a lifelong learner and would often remark that she had learned one new thing that day.

Although a "city girl”, she learned how to drive tractors and worked long hours side by side with her husband on their farm. She was often one of the few women in line at the local elevator but stood her ground among the local farmers and semi-truck drivers so as to not lose her place in line during the height of harvest time. Dorothy also worked for Meijer for 20 years, which is where she met many of the elderly customers and children with disabilities whose life stories she learned. Then she would send cards, stickers or gifts or visit those in need. She had customers that would wait specifically for her because of how she could put a smile on their face. When shopping for herself, she would often ask her own children to find a certain item that a customer was looking for and could not find to help them out.

She is survived by her husband, Howard, daughters Darla Maday (Mark), Debra Snider (Carl), Becky Baxter (Matt) and Marsha Shields (Alan Hodder), grandchildren Elizabeth Clise (Paul), Alexander Maday(Jessica), Jackson Snider, Benjamin Baxter and Rachel Baxter. Dorothy had three great grandchildren, Charlotte and Theodore Clise, and Penelope Maday. Sisters in law Kathie Scofield, Alice Dexter (David), brothers in law Fred Harder and Larry Harder (Betty). Nieces and nephews Laura Larson, Scott Dexter (Cathy), Luke Dexter (Amy), Jennifer Stahl (Brian), Erica Nyman (Josh), April Ackerman (Jason), and Charles Scofield Jr.(Jebree) Also left to cherish her memory are are lifelong friend Judi Shermer Wolf and very special friend and helper Emmy Pinkston.

Dorothy is preceded in death by her parents, brother Charles and infant brother Robert, mother and father in law Dorothy and Harrison Harder, sister in law Rosemary Harder, niece Lisa McNamara.

Memorial contributions may be made to billybearhug.org or hospice. In accordance with her wishes, a Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.