Age 99 of Inver Grove Heights
Passed away peacefully to be with the Risen Lord on Monday, April 18th, 2022. She was an active, long-time member of Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran Church in Eagan. Faith, farming, and family were always important to her, and sustained her throughout her life.
Dorothy was born on August 29th, 1922 to the late Walter Kirchner and Rose (Pagel) Kirchner, of Mendota, baptized on September 17, 1922, and confirmed April 5, 1936 at Emanuel Lutheran Church in St. Paul. After graduating with a high school diploma from Humboldt High School in 1939, she took courses at Rasmussen Practical School of Business, was employed as an attorney’s court reporter and document server and worked as a transportation secretary at Armour & Company before marrying Edwin Sell in 1945.
Once married, she focused her considerable energy and talents on farming and family; whether it was helping her parents on the farm where she was born and raised, managing her own farm, or helping her children with their farms. Her strong work ethic, sales skills, and indefatigable spirit were admired by all. While managing her own vegetable farm during harvest season, she would wake up every morning before dawn to drive her prized market truck – full of fresh produce – to sell at local farmer’s markets, then head back home to harvest more produce until dusk. She repeated this routine six days a week, except on Sunday. Sunday was church in the morning, then back to the farm to prepare for Monday’s market. And Dorothy did this while raising four children. After she ‘retired’ from managing her own farm, Dorothy continued to support her children and grandchildren with their own farming into her early 90s.
A woman of many talents, Dorothy not only excelled at farming, she excelled at craftwork; drawing cartoon faces on gourds to sell by the dozens at farmer’s markets, baking delicious holiday cut-out cookies, knitting countless pairs of mittens for Christmas mitten trees.
She dearly loved her family who knew her as their “Granny”. Granny enjoyed hosting family events and playing all kinds of games – there was rarely a game she didn’t like to play. Whether it was being the designated kickball pitcher (into her 80s) at family events or playing cards around the dinner table, she enjoyed spending time surrounded by her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren. She is now likely playing games with her family in heaven.
Dorothy is preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Edwin; infant brother, Walter Kirchner; sister, Ethel Kirchner; great-granddaughter, Noelle Willitz.
Dorothy is survived by her brother (and close friend) George (Marian) Kirchner of Mendota Heights, MN; children Jerry (Annette) Sell, Norman Sell, Raymond (Mary Jo) Sell, Sheila (Ryan) Ruckheim; grandchildren, Leslie (James) Willitz, Eric (Amy) Sell, Marc (Angela) Sell, Jennifer (Bret) Matzke, Stephen (Nicole) Sell, Megan Sell, Andrew (Jodi) Sell, Phillip Sell, Alicia (Taghi) Shafagh, Christine (Carl) Wills, Thomas Sell, Claire Ruckheim, Ross Ruckheim; great-grandchildren Samantha Willitz, Michaela (Travis) Bachler, Abigail Willitz, Alexander Sell, Elizabeth Sell, Owen Sell, Griffin Sell, Sawyer Sell, Noah Matzke, Ella Matzke, Joshua (Lauren) Sell, Jacob Sell, Araeya Sell, Hanna Sell, Jonah Sell, Amara Sell, Micah Sell, Alexis Sell, Shirin Shafagh; great-great-grandchildren Levi Bachler, Josephine Bachler, Bellamy Bachler.
Her funeral service will be held Friday, April 22nd at 1pm at Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran Church, 2950 Highway 55, Eagan, MN with a visitation starting at 12pm. An additional visitation will be held Thursday, April 21st, from 4pm-8pm at Roberts Funeral & Cremation Chapel, 8108 Barbara Avenue, Inver Grove Heights, MN. Interment will be at Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran Church Cemetery with a luncheon to follow. Flowers can be ordered through Beulke Greenhouse. (507-272-3764)