Dorothy A. Barlow

Dorothy Ann Holm was born on October 20, 1935, the sixth of ten children to Nels and Mary (Smith) Holm in Arlington, SD. She was baptized in American Lutheran Church in Badger, SD. She went to a one-room country school through eighth grade and then to Lake Preston High School. She married Howard Barlow on November 19, 1955, at Lake Preston Lutheran Church, Lake Preston, SD. While in high school she worked as a waitress in the Holm Café, owned by her parents. After graduating, she was a telephone operator at Northwestern Bell until she and Howard moved to Benson, MN. They moved to Sioux Falls, SD in 1957 where their three children were born. Dorothy devoted the favorite part of her life to her family and they remained the most enjoyable and rewarding part of her life. Dorothy also worked in Sioux Falls as a waitress at Giovanni’s Steak House for 7 years. When the family moved to Aurora, CO in 1966, she worked as an Avon Sales Representative as well as custodian for their church. Upon their move to Fargo in 1969, Dorothy worked as a waitress at the Dutch Maid Café before joining the food service at NDSU as a cook and assistant manager. She became a part owner of Fine Print, Inc, a commercial printing plant, with Howard in 1980 and began managing the M & M Service Center where their business was located. She continued as manager of M & M Service Center for the next 28 years, retiring in 2008.

Dorothy was a Brownie Scout Leader in Colorado. She was a very active member of five Lutheran churches, singing in choirs, member of couples’ clubs, circles, teaching Sunday school, leading the Sunday school singing, member of altar guild, serving on the Peace and Justice committee, church council, and Foundation Board and helping prepare brunches at Churches United for the Homeless. She also connected the food shelf at Peace Lutheran to the Great Plains Food Bank, diligently managing and stocking it for several years. She was a founding member of the Lutheran Peace Fellowship in the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Dorothy’s favorite times were always spent in activities with her family such as girls’ weekends, holiday celebrations, and annual family Christmas baking which was a tradition of many years. She and Howard greatly enjoyed traveling together.

Dorothy is survived by her husband, Howard; three children: Nancy (Thomas) Farnham of Enderlin ND, Laurie Barlow of Arthur ND, and David (Anne) Barlow of Maple Grove MN; four grandchildren: Zachary Farnham of Fargo; Samuel (Rachel) Farnham of Barnesville, MN; Justin (Janie) Barlow of Burnsville, MN; Molly (Hayden) Anderson of St. Paul, MN; and five great-grandchildren: Libby-Jo Farnham, Elijah, Zenith, and Makenzi Barlow, and Leighton Anderson. She is also survived by one sister, Bernella “Bunny” (Gerald) White, Oregon, as well as many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents and eight siblings: Arlene Holm, Franklin Holm, Marlys Lewison, Richard Holm, Chris Holm, Harlan Holm, Darwin Holm, and Elodis LeBon.