Dorothy K. Bratlie

Dorothy K. Bratlie, 98 of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, died Friday, February 17, 2012 at St. Marychr(39)s Essentia Health, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Dorothy was born on August 18, 1913, the daughter of Andrew and Dina (Ekern) Dahlen in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. She was baptized and confirmed at First Lutheran Church in Detroit Lakes. She was raised and educated in Detroit Lakes, graduating from high school in 1930. After high school she attended Detroit Lakes Teacher Training for one year and then started her teaching career in rural Becker County in District 19. It was there Dorothy met Olaf Bratlie, who was the janitor. They were united in marriage at her parents' home on August 27, 1944, and then lived in the newly-built house on the Bratlie farm west of Detroit Lakes. Starting in 1947, Dorothy took a few years off from teaching, and during that time their two children, Duane and Diane, were born. In 1955 Dorothy returned to teaching in rural Becker County schools until 1957, when she started teaching at Audubon Elementary School. She taught there until 1962, when she began teaching at Washington Elementary School in Detroit Lakes until her retirement in 1976. Dorothy continued to study for her bachelor's degree during her teaching career until achieving that goal in 1967, when she received her degree from Moorhead State College (now MSUM). Dorothy was blessed throughout her teaching career to be able to develop life-long friendships with many of her former students and co-workers. Olaf died on October 7, 1985. Dorothy continued to live on the farm until moving to town in 1990. She lived at her home until 2009, when she moved to the Winchester. She was an active member of First Lutheran Church in Audubon, Sons of Norway, Alpha Delta Kappa Sorority, Detroit Lakes Area Retired Educators and was also recognized as Outstanding Senior Citizen of Becker County in 1994. Dorothy also enjoyed volunteer work for many charitable organizations, helping with local spelling bees, working at the Little Red Schoolhouse at the Becker County Fair and meeting with her weekly coffee group. Dorothy was very creative with art projects, bulletin boards and other creations in her classrooms and elsewhere, and she enjoyed demonstrating Scandinavian paper-folding crafts for Sons of Norway events. She sewed clothing for herself and her children, often adding her own creative touches. She loved doing hardanger until her eyesight failed in recent years. Dorothy is survived by her son, Duane (Alison) Bratlie of Laurel, Maryland; daughter, Diane (Jim) Hermanson of Henning, Minnesota; three grandsons, Dane Bratlie, Jesse and Randy Hermanson; numerous nieces and nephews, other relatives, her Winchester family and a host of friends. She will be dearly missed by all. Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, parents, brother, Sanford Dahlen and sister, Lucille Hill.