Dorothy Ann Thiessen was born on October 12,1932 at home on a small country farm near Aurora, Nebraska. Her parents, Andy and Anna Nachtigall, worked hard through the Great Depression to eventually purchase their own land to farm and where Dorothy and her three siblings, Harold, LuElla and Dean, were raised.

Dorothy lived a wonderful childhood on the farm. She loved all of the animals but was especially fond of her pet dog named Lassie. She and her siblings rode horses and were involved in the local 4-H club where they showed brown Swiss cows, sewed handmade items, and baked for the county fair. Growing up on the farm also meant that they learned a great work ethic. From a young age, Dorothy and her brother drove tractors and trucks to help out around the farm.

Dorothy was raised in a Christian home and attended the Henderson Mennonite Church regularly. At the age of nine she accepted Jesus Christ as her savior during vacation bible school. At thirteen, she was baptized in the Blue River near Henderson, Nebraska.

From first through eighth grade, Dorothy attended the local country school and then went on to attend Aurora High School. From there she graduated with an Elementary Education Certificate and spent two summers earning her teaching credentials. She then began teaching a class of twenty-seven students ranging from kindergarten to the eighth grade. She loved teaching!

It was during her years in college that Dorothy started dating Melvin Thiessen. The two had met in their church youth group. Mel had taken over his family's farm and Dorothy had completed her second year of teaching when they married in 1952. As newlyweds, Dorothy and Mel moved to Topeka, Kansas for two years where Mel fulfilled his military draft obligation serving at the Topeka State Hospital. They then returned to Nebraska.

While in Topeka, Dorothy gave birth to their first son, Steve. Two years later their second son, Glenn, came along. Farming was tough at that time; drought left no corn crop for two years. So, Dorothy and Mel moved the family to Fresno, California. It was there that Dorothy began working as a nurse's aide at St. Agnes Hospital and learned that nursing was a real passion of hers. Two more children were born into the family in California, a third son, Tim, and a daughter, Julie. Once all of the kids were in school, Dorothy went back to school to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse. She worked as a doctor's nurse for twenty years before retiring in 1998.

Outside of home and work life, Dorothy was very active in her church community. She found great fulfillment in her Bible Study Fellowship group and was also involved in women's ministries, hospitality ministries, and taught Sunday school. She and Mel also served as a deacon couple at Butler Mennonite Church in Fresno.

Dorothy loved entertaining—something she learned from her mother. She especially enjoyed family events including special tea parties she hosted for her grandchildren. She was a wonderful cook and baker, never letting anyone go home hungry.

Dorothy adored her family. She was blessed to have four children, twelve grandchildren, and nineteen great-grandchildren. She prayed for each of them, attended all sorts of sporting events, and cheered them on in all areas of life. Her greatest hope was that all of her children and grandchildren would faithfully follow Jesus.

Dorothy and Mel were married sixty-six years before Mel met Jesus in October of 2018. Dorothy then lived with her daughter Julie and son-in-law, Will, for a few years before spending another few years at Sierra View Homes in Reedley, CA. Dorothy then moved to heaven to celebrate Christmas with Jesus on Thursday December 5, 2024.

Isaiah 40:31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

In lieu of flowers, a Memorial Fund has been set up in Dorothy's name at:

Sierra View Homes
1155 E. Springfield Ave.
Reedley, CA 93654