Dorothy Viola Caine

Dorothy (Engwall) Caine formerly of Willmar died on February 13, 2024, at the age of 97 after a short illness.

Funeral services will be conducted on Monday, February 19, at the First Presbyterian Church in Willmar at 11 am with visitation and reviewal beginning 2 hours prior to the service.  Interment will be at Cloverleaf Cemetery in Willmar.   The funeral service will be live streamed at: https://www.fpchurchwillmar.org  

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the youth fund at First Presbyterian Church.  https://www.fpchurchwillmar.org

Arrangements are entrusted to Peterson Brothers Funeral Home.  www.petersonbrothers.com

Dorothy Engwall was born on the family farm in Roseland Township south of Willmar on December 27, 1926. She was the oldest of seven children born to Carl Anton Gideon Engwall and Ada Oleva (Parson) Engwall. She was baptized and confirmed at Svea Lutheran Church, attended Svea School and graduated from Willmar High School in 1947. She attended the Rice Hospital School of Nursing and graduated as an LPN before working at Rice Hospital and the Willmar Clinic.

Dorothy was united in marriage to John Donald Caine on September 11, 1953, at Svea Lutheran Church. They made their home on the family farm in Whitefield Township south of Willmar.  This union was blessed with 2 sons and 2 daughters.  After marriage she joined First Presbyterian Church in Willmar, where she was active serving as Sunday school teacher, women’s circle, quilting, deacon board and Bible class.  In her community she served as a 4-H leader and enjoyed meeting monthly with a group of her friends for “Birthday Club”.  She liked to garden, pick strawberries, raise flowers (especially gladiolas), can and freeze fruits and vegetables, raise and process chickens for the freezer.  

In 1984, Dorothy and Donald retired from farming and moved to Irving Township near New London, MN.  In 2004 they downsized and moved to a new home in Willmar.  Dorothy lived in Kandiyohi County her entire life until she decided at age 90 to move to an apartment in New Hope, MN to be near her kids.    At the time of her death, she lived in a memory care facility in Lino Lakes, MN.

Family meant everything to Dorothy.  She always encouraged family gatherings and made herself available for any help or service she could provide…including caring for grandchildren, painting, cleaning, wallpapering, etc.  All in her family enjoyed countless delicious meals prepared by her around her dining room table, which was always beautifully set. 

Dorothy’s legacy will forever be imprinted on the hearts & minds of those she touched. Her unwavering faith, unending kindness, and love for her family will be remembered and cherished always. 

She is survived by her four children: Larry (Mary) Caine of Nashville, TN, Mark (Boni) Caine of Forest Lake, MN, Sharon (Greg) Dannenbring of Ely, MN, and Sandra (Brian) Krause of Victoria, MN. Eight grandchildren: Paul (Jill) Dannenbring, Melissa (Keith) Flood, Lindsay (Brittany) Caine-Conley, Jef Caine, Kiersten (Andrew) Eves, Alex (Jane) Krause, Marisa (Justin) Clifton and Sarah (John) Anderson. Ten great grandchildren: Heidi, Jacob, Ryan & Claire Dannenbring, Emmett, Theo & Amelia Flood, Garrett Krause, Emma Eves, and Jean Anderson.

She is preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, John Donald Caine, her parents and siblings, and her grandson John Caine.