Dorothy I. Delaronde, age 88, of Faribault, MN, and formerly of Yarmouthport, Massachusetts, died Saturday, March 30, 2013 at the Faribault Senior Living residence.
Private family services will be held at a later date.
Funeral arrangements are being completed by the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory of Faribault.
I was born on the family farm in Ava, New York on May 15, 1924. My six brothers and sisters and I knew the value of hard work, the reward of smelling Mom's fresh baked bread and the taste of her donuts. We made it through the depression and spent cold winter nights eating dill pickles and seeing who could make the funniest face. Once I became an adult, I was lucky to give birth to the most beautiful boy, Cliff. God took Cliff while he was just beginning his 20's; as you read this, I am with him once again and my heart is no longer broken. My husband Tom introduced me to the sweet smell of the ocean air and the feel of the sand between my toes at Smuggler's Beach. We spent decades together and, along with Cliff, I am reunited with Tom; I have missed him. I have also been blessed with the dearest of friends; knowing you made my life richer. Thank you for the most wonderful memories, I'm sure God let me take them all with me. Just as the seashells remain on the shore when the tide recedes, for every joy that passes, something beautiful remains. Please share my memory by doing so with a kind deed or word to someone. And finally, may the love of our Lord touch you and bless you the way he has me.
I am survived by my siblings, Millard (Maxine) Bronson of Raleigh, NC, Delores Nichols of Faribault, MN and Faye Ferris of Utica, NY; my nieces, Sandy (Jay) Duke of Dundas, MN, Sharon Bronson of Monona, WI, Jeanne Kossow (Jim) of Madison, WI and Laura Weaver of New Hampshire; my great nephews, Cory Duke of Dundas, MN and Kelly Duke of Houston, TX; my great niece, Carrie Duke of St. Paul, MN and by many other nieces, nephews and other relatives. In addition, I leave behind a wealth of wonderful friends.
I was preceded in death by my parents, my brothers Harold and Everett and my sister Phyllis, my husband Thomas and by my son Cliff Delaronde.