Dorothy Ann (Kallinger) Muske
Dorothy Ann (Kallinger) Muske, 93, of Castle Rock, Colorado died on December 5, 2020 at Bonaventure Senior Living in Castle Rock. She was born on November 25, 1927 in Lansing, Michigan to Leo and Adah Kallinger.
Dorothy was raised in St. Joseph, Michigan and graduated from St. Joseph High School. In 1947 she graduated from Stephens College in Columbia Missouri.
Dorothy met Robert Muske while she was working for the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department as a stenographer. Robert was a police officer. They married on October 16, 1949.
In the early 1950s, Dottie and Bob moved to Chicago and later to Richfield, Minnesota where they raised their 2 sons, John and James. While Bob worked at Sears as a store security supervisor, Dorothy stayed at home raising her 2 sons.
During the late 1950s and early 1960s Dottie and Bob enjoyed a wide variety of activities including going to dances at the American Legion, bowling and attending Vikings football and Minnesota Twins baseball games. As a family, we would often take a summer vacation like fishing and camping in Canada and Yellowstone.
In the mid-1960s Dorothy was hired as a secretary at East Elementary School in Richfield when her sons were old enough to stay home alone after school.
In 1968 Bob was transferred to a Sears store in Columbus, Ohio. Dorothy was hired at French Run Elementary School in Reynoldsburg Ohio as a secretary where she worked until 1972.
In 1972, Dottie and Bob moved to St. James City, Florida where they purchased the St. James City General Store. They owned and operated the store from 1972 until they retired in late 1983. Dorothy loved the retired Florida lifestyle very much. Golfing, sunbathing, swimming, boating, dining out and enjoying the company of friends and neighbors was a perfect retirement for both of them.
Then in a span of 21 months her life was met with several sorrowful events. Her mother Adah passed away in August 1987 followed 8 months later by her youngest son, James in April 1988. Sadly, her father passed away just 9 days after James. Bob died 13 months later. Dorothy stood up well to all of these travails, however, the profound sadness of the loss of her parents, son and life partner in such a short time weighed heavily on her spirit for the remainder of her life.
Dorothy remained in St. James City after her husband passed away. She spent the next few years volunteering at the hospital where James died and at the Pine Island United Methodist Church and enjoying the company of her friends.
In late 2013 Dorothy moved from Florida to join her son John in Castle Rock, Colorado. After spending 41 years in Florida in her own house, moving in with her son and daughter-in-law was a difficult transition for her. But she made the most of it like she always did with any big life-transition that she faced.
In July 2019 Dorothy relocated to Bonaventure Senior Living Center as her health was beginning to deteriorate and she had fallen several times with injuries.
She generally liked the move to Bonaventure. The staff loved her very much and she enjoyed the company of the staff. She enjoyed the activities and interpersonal relationships she developed while there. Her passing was met by everyone at Bonaventure with great sadness and many tears.
Dorothy lived a full life. Hers was one of joy and kindness to everyone she knew. She was an inspiration to her family and friends alike. She had an inner strength that allowed her to not only adapt to all life changes but overcome the most tragic circumstances that came her way.
Dorothy loved music immensely. She listened to everything from the classics to rock and roll. She played the flute and piccolo in her younger years and the piano and organ later in her life. She went to church regularly and could sing many of the hymns by heart.
I will end this obituary to my mother with the words from screenwriter Graycie Harmon who accurately describes the loss of my mother to me: âMy mother is a never-ending song in my heart, of comfort, happiness and being. I may sometimes forget the words, but I will always remember the tuneã. I praise God for having been her son.