Dorothea Alice (Vandenbos) Pettman was born in Corsica, South Dakota on Oct. 31, 1915 to D.C. ëDickí Vandenbos and Dorothea ëDoraí Sommer.
Her father was a mechanic who owned and ran a car dealership in Corsica. Her mother was a milliner from Rush City. who also played the organ at the Lutheran church.
When she was two, her mother died ñ just days following the birth of her younger brother Willard. The infant Willard was adopted by her aunt and uncle (Anna and Carl Sommer of Rush City).
Her father later married Frieda Engelland a widow who had three children of her own (Ruth, Violet and Lloyd). Together they had a son, Dorotheaís half-brother, Kermit Vandenbos, who resides in San Antonio, Texas.
Dorothea moved to Minneapolis in the 1930ís and was employed as a housekeeper and nanny in prominent Minneapolitan homes on Lake of the Isles. Her salary was two dollars and fifty cents a week.
On May 6, 1937 (the day the Hindenburg dirigible went down) she met Larry Pettman at the Marigold Ballroom in downtown Minneapolis. They were married on June 24, 1939 at Lyndale Congregational Church in South Minneapolis. The couple purchased a home on 33rd and Washington North in August of 1945 where they raised their three children, Richard, Paul and Elisabeth.
In earlier years the couple was active in the church life of Fremont Tabernacle on Fremont and 25th Avenue North. Later, Dorothea also taught Sunday School at Morrison Baptist Church (a total of over 60 years)
Mrs. Pettman always had aspirations of becoming a teacher. Her favorite subject was Latin. (She never gave away her high school Latin textbook and never gave up teaching her children how certain English words are derived from a Latin origin.) Although she never was afforded the privilege of a college education, she faithfully taught the Word of God to two generations of Sunday School children. (She was assisting in a class just two weeks prior to her death).
Dorothea was in failing health in the past few years and was admitted to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale on May 3, 2004. She was transferred to Hospice Home Health Care on May 10, and died peacefully at 3:25 a.m. on Monday, May 17, 2004 at the home of her daughter Elisabeth Ellgen in Golden Valley.
Dorothea Pettman is survived by her daughter Liz (John) Ellgin of Golden Valley, sons Richard (Karen) Pettman of Blaine, Paul Pettman of North Minneapolis, grandchildren Kim Pettman, Michael (Marci) Pettman, Jonathan, Matthew and David Ellgin, great-grandchildren Bradley and Hannah Pettman, her brother Kermit Vandenbos of San Antonio, Texas, and many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents Dick and Dorothea (Sommer)Vandenbos and her brother Willard Sommer.
A Celebration Service of Dorotheaís new life in Christ was held Saturday, May 22, at the Olivet Baptist Church in Crystal, Minnesota with Pastor Roland Whitcomb officiating. A praise music time was led by David Cronen, soloist Tony Cronen sang two songs as Dick and Jane Shirmacher played the organ and piano. The funeral sermon consisted of a time of sharing by several close friends and missionaries that Dorothea had supported financially and prayerfully for the past 50 years.
Casket bearers included David Cronen, Jim Nelson, Dale Nelson, Terry Almquist, Tim Almquist, Terry Franklin, Mike Malm, David Amundsen and Mike Carroll with the interment taking place in the St. Johnís Lutheran Cemetery at Rush Lake next to her mother.
Funeral arrangements were by Olson Chapel of Rush City.

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