Dorothy Pence • 1922- 2009

Dorothy Pence, 87, Minot, died Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at her residence.

Dorothy Margaret Milversted was born January 6, 1922, in Cedar Falls, IA, to Harold and Margaret (Nisbet) Milversted. She graduated from high school in Davenport, IA, in 1939, and received a degree in physical education, in 1943, from Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa) in Cedar Falls.
 
Dorothy received further training in physical therapy at O'Reilly General Hospital, Springfield, MO, and then entered the US Army on June 14, 1944. She was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Medical Department. She served with the 200th General Hospital in Paris, France, before transferring to Soisson, France, where she assisted with the treatment of injuries to the servicemen fighting in WW II. Dorothy served with the 121st General Hospital in Bremen, Germany, before returning to the states in July of 1946. She was discharged the following month as a First Lieutenant.
 
Dorothy moved to Minot, ND, in October 1946, to open the physical therapy department at St. Joseph's Hospital. She met John Pence on the tennis courts in Roosevelt Park in Minot and they were married December 28, 1949, in Dubuque, IA. They lived in Grand Forks, ND, for about a year where Dorothy helped begin a physical therapy department at the Grand Forks Clinic.
 
They returned to Minot in September 1950, where she was a physical therapist at the newly opened John Moses VA Hospital. She worked there until retiring in June 1952 to begin raising their family. In 1976, when their kids were older, she began working at Lowe's Garden Center, Minot, and thoroughly enjoyed working behind the scenes making planters and working with the flowers every spring and summer. She worked with them until 1997.
 
Dorothy was a very active and focused individual, particularly in the VFW Post 753 and the American Legion Post 26, both Minot. She and John both joined VFW in 1982. Dorothy was the first female commander of a ND VFW Post in 1991, and she served as the bugler for the Color Guard units for both Posts. Dorothy fulfilled a long dream of hers to attend a Roughrider Honor Flight to Washington, DC, just three weeks prior to her death. She had been to the WW II Memorial once before but she was honored to spend that time with her fellow veterans and friends.
 
One of Dorothy's greatest loves was the sport of tennis. In her high school years, she won several city singles titles in Dubuque and Davenport. She was a member of the Minot Indoor Tennis Club since 1976 and played two or three times a week, well into her eighties. Dorothy was also a member of the Minot City Band since 1972 and the Minot Elks Community Band. She served as an elder and deacon at First Presbyterian Church, Minot, and sang in the choir for many years. Dorothy also had many friends in her sorority, Beta Sigma Phi.
 
John preceded Dorothy in death on April 13, 2001, and Dorothy continued to make her home in Minot, where she continued to stay active into her late eighties. In April of this year, Dorothy was diagnosed with an acute form of leukemia. She won that battle and died October 7, 2009, at her residence in Minot, at eighty-seven years of age.
 
Dorothy is survived by her three sons, David (Elizabeth Eisloeffel) of Belleville, IL, James (Elizabeth) of Northfield, MN, and Thomas (Brenda Olney) of Fargo, ND; five grandchildren, Nicole (Jacob) Pope, Ankeny, IA, Eric (Shawna) Pence, Creston, IA, Jennifer (Derek) Hovland, West Fargo, ND, Marshall Arnold, Twentynine Palms, CA, and Reid Arnold, Portal, ND; one great-granddaughter, Jayden Hovland, and two other great-grandchildren on the way; and two brothers, Raymond (Genese) Milversted, Great Falls, MT, and Robert Milversted, San Marcos, CA.
 
Visitation at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, Minot, ND on Sunday, October 11, 2009 from noon until 5 p.m.
 
Funeral Service: First Presbyterian Church, Minot, ND on Monday, October 12, 2009 at 11 a.m.
 
Burial, with full military honors at Rosehill Memorial Park on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 3 p.m.

Memorials are preferred.

Officiant: Rev. Dr. Bob Edwards

Music
“His Eye Is On the Sparrow”
“The Lord’s Prayer”
Ken Bowles, vocalist
Processional Congregational Hymn
“Lift High the Cross”  #229 in the hymnal
Recessional Hymn: “When the Saints, Go Marching In” 
performed by Dakota Dixie
Devera Bowles, organist

Honorary Bearers
Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and all the people that Dorothy worked with in the honor guards over the years.  

Full Military Honors
Rosehill Memorial Park, Minot
Tuesday, October 13, 2009, at 3 p.m.
Performed by  members of the National Guard Honor Team and various other organizations
Taps by Dennis Veikley

Following the service in the church, everyone is invited to join with the family in a time of fellowship in the fellowship hall of the church. The Pence family would like to take this time to thank everyone for all of the kindnesses that they have been accorded during this time. 
May God Bless You All!

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